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September 1, 2025

The Grand Story: A 40-Event Overview of the Old Testament

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: Psalm 78; 105-106; Acts 7

Introduction: More Than a Storybook

One of the best ways to learn something is to repeat it. I found this to be true when I was in school, and I think it's still applicable because I see my students benefit from me repeating major concepts we previously covered. I thought it might be helpful for us to review the story of the Old Testament—to see where we’ve been and to look ahead to where we're going. To do this, I am going to address the major 40 key events/people of the Old Testament. I hope this quick overview is helpful!  

The Beginnings (Genesis)

Creation: God created everything, including humanity, in six days. On the seventh day, he rested. Fall: Unfortunately, the world didn’t remain in its original state. Humanity sinned and consequently ushered in separation from God, death, and suffering. Flood: The world continued to get worse due to humanity’s sin. God decided to flood the earth and start anew with Noah and his family. Nations: Following the flood, humanity began to repopulate the earth. Instead of spreading out over the globe as God commanded, some disobeyed. They attempted to build a tower reaching the heavens, but God confused their languages and work on the tower ceased immediately.

Abraham: God chose to bless Abraham and use his family to be a blessing to others. The Messiah would eventually come from one of his descendants. Isaac: Isaac was the long-awaited promised son, given to Abraham and Sarah during their senior years. It was through Isaac that God would continue to bless the world. Jacob: Jacob becomes the father of what would become the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph, a son of Jacob: The story of Joseph helps us understand how the Hebrew family, consisting of 70 members, ended up in Egypt, setting the stage for the story of Moses and the Exodus.  

A Nation Forged (Exodus - Deuteronomy)

Moses: The story of the Hebrews picks up in Exodus with the birth and story of Moses. Raised as an Egyptian, he recognizes his Hebrew roots, his purpose in life, and tries to deliver the nation of Israel by killing an Egyptian soldier. He flees Egypt and spends 40 years of his life in the desert. God calls him, via a burning bush, to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. Passover: The Passover marks one of the nation’s most holy feasts commemorating their liberation. Law: Once out of Egyptian bondage, God brings the nation to Mount Horeb where God gives the law to Moses who in turn gives it to the people. The nation agrees to obey God’s law and be his covenant people.

Tabernacle: God will live amid his people. It was a portable worship center the Israelites could carry wherever God led them. Offerings: God specified that he is holy and provides instructions regarding how sinful humanity could approach him. Spying: God promised Abraham that the land of Canaan would be theirs; however, the promise was not fulfilled in his lifetime. The nation of Israel was meant to take the land God promised, but there was one problem: inhabitants who appeared stronger and taller than the Israelites were dwelling there. Wandering: Because the spies who entered the land to investigate it reported that, despite God’s promise, they could not take the land, they were made to wander in the desert for 40 years. Second Law: The generation that said they couldn’t conquer the land died out. A new generation arose; therefore, Moses took this opportunity to repeat the law so the people would know what God required of them.

The People and Their Land (Joshua - Judges)

Joshua: Moses died without entering the promised land, due to his own disobedience (striking the rock instead of speaking to it). Joshua, his general, takes the Israelites into the land. Divide & Conquer: The campaign is a success. Joshua and the nation conquer the land. 12 Tribes: The land is divided among the 12 tribes. Judges: When the people regressed spiritually, doing what was right in their own eyes, God sent other nations to oppress them due to their sins. Israel would cry out for help, and God would raise up 'judges'—military leaders to deliver them. Deborah, Gideon, and Samson were the three most well-known judges.

The Rise and Fall of the Monarchy (1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings)

Samuel: The nation started looking around and noticed that every other nation had a king. Rejecting God’s rule over them, they asked Samuel to give them a king. United Kingdom: The golden age of Israel under three kings. Israel got what it wanted—a king. Under Saul, David, and Solomon, the nation was unified; however, that didn't last long. Divided Kingdom: The king following Solomon increased the taxes, oppressing the people further which resulted in a split. The ten tribes of the North made up Israel, while the two tribes in the South were known as Judah. The Kings of Israel and Judah: The nation had a serious idolatry issue. The kings of the North were all bad, meaning they failed to follow God’s law. The kings in the South were a mixture of good, those that followed God’s law, and bad. Prophets: God's messengers who speak out against sin and point to a future hope, addressed the North and South and called the nation back to himself.

Exile and Restoration (2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah)

Israel Scattered: The Northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. Israel failed to listen to God’s prophets and his law. One of the consequences spelled out in the law was the nation would be exiled from the promised land if they failed to heed God’s commands. Judah Exiled: The Southern kingdom fell to Babylon in 586 B.C., leading to the destruction of Jerusalem. Because of its mix of good and bad kings, Judah lasted a little longer than Israel. However, they didn't listen, so they too were exiled from the land. Judah Returns: King Cyrus of Persia, after conquering the Babylonians, allows the Israelites to return to the land after 70 years of captivity. Once in the land, they rebuild the Temple. Esther: Meanwhile in Persia, God acts miraculously on behalf of his people, using Queen Esther, to save the Hebrews living in that land from extermination. Ezra, another important leader, led another group of Hebrews back to the promised land focusing primarily on rebuilding the spiritual lives of the people so they could understand what God required and obey.

Nehemiah returns to Israel to rebuild the walls that were previously torn down by the Babylonians. Following Nehemiah, God ceased to speak to the people. Four hundred years of silence will pass before they hear from another prophet.

Conclusion: A Story of Waiting

I hope this brief review was helpful! We see that as the Old Testament closes, there is hope still waiting to be fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.