Did you know that Christians and Jews have the books of the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament) in a different order? I recently finished reading through the Old Testament following the Hebrew arrangement. It looks like this:
Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Writings: Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles
A couple things to note: First, Joshua-Kings are considered the Former Prophets, while Isaiah-Malachi are considered the Latter Prophets. Second, Daniel is not counted as a prophetic book in Jewish understanding.
I would strongly recommend reading the Old Testament in this order. If you've read the whole OT before, doing things slightly differently can keep it feeling fresh for you. But there are some other benefits. For one thing, the transition between Kings and Isaiah works really well. After reading through the story of the fall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, you move right into prophetic books that speak about the reasons why God brought the judgment of exile on His people as well as giving hope for future restoration. For another thing, the bleak yet hopeful outlooks of Ecclesiastes and Lamentations pair well together. Finally, Chronicles serves as a really good springboard into Matthew and the New Testament. The stories of David's dynasty of kings prepare you for the coming of Jesus, the Son of David. Plus, Chronicles, ends with a note of God's faithfulness in light of His people's unfaithfulness, a beautiful setup for God's ultimate display of faithfulness and rescue in the saving work of Jesus, the Messiah. Give it a try!
Grace and peace,
BMH
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