Frank Carlson Library

The first book of Kings recounts the lives of the kings of Israel and Judea over a period of 400 years after the death of King David. His son, Solomon, features heavily in these chapters, first to show God's generous blessings to a faithful king and, later, as an example of the consequences of turning away from God. This book also details the split of the northern and southern tribes of Israel, and the subsequent appointment of the prophet Elijah...

The Prophetical books of the Old Testament are named for the many prophets chosen by God to warn the Israelite people of their waywardness and urge them to repent and stay faithful to Him. The majority of these books were written before the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, but several of the Minor Prophets detail the return to Jerusalem from their exile to rebuild the city. Along with the prophecies of judgment, this volume also contains...

The Pilgrim's Progress, written by John Bunyon in 1678 is the first, most famous and widely read Christian novel of all time. It has been translated into 200 languages and never been out of print. The language in this version has been slightly modernized. Masterfully and dramatically read by Christopher Glyn. His talented voice and knowledge of the text makes for a rich listening experience.

This book follows the Israelite people on their journey to the Promised Land and depicts their continual disobedience and rebellion towards God, despite the many signs and miracles performed through Moses. To punish them for their waywardness, God instructs the Israelites to wander the desert for forty years, and it is in this time period that Numbers was written. As its name suggests, Numbers also contains a great deal of statistical information...

The genre of Proverbs is mainly "Proverbs" as the name describes, there are also some Parables and Poetry. This book was written mainly by Solomon, the wisest king ever to rule, however some of the later sections are written by Lemuel and Agur. It was written during Solomon's reign 970-930 B.C. He asked God for wisdom to rule God's nation and He granted the request. The main purpose of this book is to teach wisdom to God's people. Proverbs are short...

The second book of Samuel follows the rule of King David, after the death of King Saul, and his establishment of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. 2 Samuel shows both the shortcomings and successes of David as king, but also the forgiveness of God after true repentance. Notable stories include David's adultery with Bathsheba, the overthrow of King David by his son Absalom, and the journey of the Ark to Jerusalem.

The genre of Psalms is Songs and Poetry of all kinds. It is written by multiple authors, David wrote 73, Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon wrote 3, Ethan, and Moses each wrote one (Ps. 90), and 51 of the Psalms are anonymous. They were written over the span of approximately 900 years (Beginning at the time of Moses 1440 B.C. and through the captivity in 586 B.C.). The Psalms include praises of joy, laments, blessings, and thanksgivings....

Not ony is Genesis the first book in the Bible, it is also the first of the five books of the Torah, a set of instructional and historical volumes which recount the early history of mankind and provide the list of rules under which the Hebrews lived in accordance to their covenant with God. Many of the best known biblical stories can be found in Genesis, including the story of creation, the fall of man through Adam and Eve and the Great Flood's cleansing...

The book of Jonah was written by the prophet whom God sent to the wicked city of Nineveh in order to warn them of the judgment to come because of their sinful ways. One of the most beloved tales in the Bible, the story of Jonah teaches valuable lessons, including the consequences of running away from God and the magnitude of His forgiveness for repentant sinners.

Romans is the first of the epistles to be penned by the Apostle Paul. As its name suggests, it was written directly to the newly founded Christian church in Rome, which was struggling to uphold the beliefs and morals of Christianity. In this book, Paul clearly lays out the doctrine of Christianity and gives illuminating instructions on how to live righteously in the midst of sin.