Session 1: The Law & History

One trick I (Matt Whitman) came up with that helps me hold more of the big picture of Scripture in my mind is to read brief but important passages from every book of the Bible in succession. This kind of reading is great for getting a quick feel for the tone and theme of each book of the Bible in the time it takes to eat lunch. When I find myself overwhelmed by the size and complexity of Scripture, this technique helps me reorient myself to the holistic story of the Bible in a heartbeat.

There are a few ways to approach this Scripture reading list. You can power through the whole list in less than an hour, or you can set aside an afternoon to read it all reflectively and jot down your thoughts. If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can even go to each verse on this list and back up until you find the spot that feels like the beginning of that passage’s context, and then read until that passage feels complete.

If you want to take a huge step toward internalizing the whole Bible for yourself, you might consider memorizing every single verse on this list. If you want to take it even further and get a sense of all the ins and outs of every part of the Bible, you might want to grab a copy of my book called The Lightning-Fast Field Guide to the Bible. It’s the book that inspired this reading plan, and it’s built to get and keep you up to speed on how every part of the Bible fits together, using normal, human language.

However you choose to approach it, this reading list is a fast way to get a sense of each and every book of the Bible at a glance and to get more out of regularly, reflectively reading through big chunks of Scripture.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 says (italics added), “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” I hope this list helps you get a memorable taste of that truth from every single book of the Bible.

I made this lightning-fast, dip-into-every-book-of-the-Bible reading plan for you and me. I put this together by carefully reading each book and then picking a key verse (or two or three) from each. I kept an eye out for those verses or passages that will give you and me the succinct sense of the book in the author’s own words. Sometimes that meant picking a passage that sums up the story of a given book, and sometimes that meant selecting a section that encapsulates the theme.

Now, let’s get started!

1. Genesis—12:1-3 and 50:20
2. Exodus—3:7–8 and 20:1–17
3. Leviticus—19:1–2
4. Numbers—14:33–34
5. Deuteronomy—6:4–5
6. Joshua—1:6 and 24:15
7. Judges—21:25
8. Ruth—1:16
9. 1 Samuel—8:5, 15:22, and 16:7
10. 2 Samuel—7:16
11. 1 Kings—9:1–9 and 18:21
12. 2 Kings—17:13–14
13. 1 Chronicles—29:10–11
14. 2 Chronicles—7:14
15. Ezra—1:3 and 7:10
16. Nehemiah—1:4–11 and 2:18
17. Esther—4:14–16

Learn more about The Lightning-Fast Field Guide to the Bible by Matt Whitman.