The Bible is a very big book which can be quite daunting for some people, both new Christians and people who have been Christians for a while. Because the Bible is made up of different books, spanning across thousands of years, it isn’t always easy to know where to start reading or what the over arching narrative is. In comes Ryan McGraw with a helpful resource for you.
This book give a short summary of every chapter in the Bible and a few memory verses accompanying each summary to help you see the build up of an argument or context of the particular Bible book you’re reading that day.
The book was originally written for McGraw’s children to help them have a guide for Bible verses to memorise, but then as the word got out students at the seminary where he teaches, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, started showing an interest as did people in his church. So who is the intended audience? Well, everyone really.
If you’re wanting to grasp the overarching narrative of the Bible, if you’re wanting to understand how the Bible fits together more and how each book is written with a context, original audience and with it’s own place in the history of salvation, this book will help.
A Divine Tapestry should not, I repeat not (!), replace your Bible. The best way to use the book is as a partner to your Bible reading and personal devotions to help you get a breathtaking overview of the Bible and God’s grace for giving it to us.
Here are a couple of the summaries for you to whet your appetite;
Leviticus 12 – “Uncleanness following childbirth illustrating mankind’s uncleanness through sin”
Memory verse – Leviticus 12:8
2 Samuel 5 – “David reigns over all Israel, conquers Jerusalem, and defeats the Philistines because the Lord is with him”
Memory verse – 2 Samuel 5:12
Ezekiel 14 – “The Lord rejects the elders of Israel for stealing the people’s hearts from God, the Lord will remove the false prophets who deceive them, and the exile is certain, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were to intercede for them”
Memory verse – Ezekiel 14:14
John 10 – “Jesus expands His teaching by showing that those who see come to God through Christ as the Door and the Good Shepherd, whom the sheep alone hear and who lays down his life for the sheep, resulting in fresh efforts to stone Jesus”
Memory verses – John 10:7, 11, 14-16
Revelation 19 – “Heaven rejoices over God’s saving His people through destroying Babylon the great, and preparing the church for the marriage supper of the Lamb, while Christ rides on a white horse, bringing final victory over all His and our enemies as King of kings and Lord of lords”
Memory verses – Revelation 19:15-16
Buy your copy of the book here. I’d love to hear how you like it and use it.
*** I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This does not change the way I rate the book. My views are my own. ***
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