One small tip on reading the first 39 books in your Bible is to focus on the history and not the mystery. Too many readers approach the Old Testament like a puzzle box, hunting for hidden prophecies about the end times or secret messages explicitly meant for today.

While all Scripture is God-breathed and beneficial for us, the Old Testament is primarily a historical record of God’s relationship with His people. It’s the story of Israel’s repeated disobedience, God’s warnings of captivity, their refusal to turn from sin, and God’s use of Babylon as an instrument of judgment. Finally, the people are hauled off and remain in a foreign land for 70 years before returning to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple.

Accurate interpretation requires understanding the historical context and circumstances surrounding these writings. When we strip away that context and force the text to speak about our future rather than their past, we open the door to misinterpretation.

The Old Testament has much to teach us, but first, we must let it tell its own story.