Reading Through the Bible - Reading Plan by Order of Size of Books

There are many ways to read the Bible and many time ordered plans to follow but if you need encouragement to even just get started reading the bible in any kind of structured way then you need a Reading Plan or List.

Perhaps you have realised that there are some Books of the Bible that you have only read parts of, then it is good to have some kind of Reading Plan to rectify that.

But the best one is a simple one that you can definitely manage to stick with and I'll give you 5 EXTRA TIPS to help you keep going.

You will also find more help about getting started and making your reading of the bible into a good daily habit in 10 Ways to Help Start A Good Daily Habit 

I know there are Books of the Bible that I have read various times and then there are some that I may only have read once.

I also know that it is more encouraging to get started if we can see some sort of goals reached quickly or some sense of satisfaction from having accomplished different steps and even be able to tick off some things from a to do list.

So I thought I would make out a Bible Reading Plan that does that, some Books of the Bible are read within a very short period of time and then when are reading others we can incorporate some of the tips at the end of this blog post.

A flexible plan, a doable plan, a very simple plan with no time limits and those 5 EXTRA TIPS so make sure to check those out at the end of the post.

Basically it all centres around 

My Order for Reading

My order for reading through the Bible is based on the length of the books starting with the shortest (chapter nos.) and a few other factors I will note throughout the way.

I am not dictating how much I will read each day or how much time I will spend reading because sometimes I know I will get bogged down in

 

1. taking notes - it always happens to me

2. writing reminders to myself that I want to make a new Bible Verse Graphic (or 2 or 3) from the chapter I am in

3. wanting to talk to Fred (my husband) about something from the day's reading

4. having less time available to read or being interrupted more that usual

5. looking up some other Bible references that may be connected or some other info.

Some Books of the bible are very short and some are very long so I'm going to go by Order of Size and start with the shortest books but use the no. of chapters for size not actual quantity of verses or word counts.

Then because of the type of person I am I will probably do most in alphabetical order but there will be a few exceptions.

MY READING LIST 

Books consisting of 1 Chapter

JUDE  -  26th Book of the NT  

OBADIAH  -  31st Book of the OT

PHILEMON  -  18th Book of the NT

Nice to have the OT Book slotted in between the two NT Books

Books consisting of 2 Chapters

HAGGAI  -  37th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 3 Chapters

HABAKKUK  -  35th Book of the OT

JOEL  -  29th Book of the OT

NAHUM -  34th Book of the OT

TITUS  -  17th Book of the NT

ZEPHANIAH -  36th Book of the OT

Good to have that one NT Book in among the OT Books to give a bit of variety especially as they were all Minor Prophets

Books consisting of 4 Chapters

COLOSSIANS -  12th Book of the NT

JONAH -  32th Book of the OT

MALACHI -  39th Book of the OT

PHILIPPIANS -  11th Book of the NT

RUTH -  8th Book of the OT

Nice mix in this grouping

Books consisting of 5 Chapters

JAMES -  20th Book of the NT

LAMENTATIONS -  25th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 6 Chapters

GALATIANS -  9th Book of the NT

EPHESIANS -  10th Book of the NT

Books consisting of 7 Chapters

1, 2 & 3 JOHN -  23rd, 24th & 25th Books of the NT

MICAH -  33rd Book of the OT

If I had stuck to the no. of chapters for each individual Epistle of John then 2nd & 3rd John would have been in the first group as they each have only one chapter but then I would have been reading them before John's first Epistle so I felt it better to combine them and read in Chronological Order.

Books consisting of 8 Chapters

1 & 2 Peter -  21st & 22nd Books of the NT

1 & 2 THESSALONIANS -  13th & 14th Books of the NT

SONG of SOLOMON -  22nd Book of the OT

As in the previous group I am combining Peter's Epistles and the Epistles to the Thessalonians to read in Chronological order.

Books consisting of 9 Chapters

AMOS  -  30th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 10 Chapters

1 & 2 TIMOTHY -  15th & 16th Books of the NT

ESTHER -  17th Book of the OT

EZRA -  15th Book of the OT

As in 2 previous groups I am combining 1st & 2nd Timothy so that they are read

 in Chronological order.

This Picture is a free printable from Children's Ministry 
check them out for this and other printables

Books consisting of 12 Chapters

DANIEL -  27th Book of the OT

ECCLESIASTES -  21st Book of the OT

Books consisting of 13 Chapters

HEBREWS -  19th Book of the NT

NEHEMIAH -  16th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 14 Chapters

HOSEA -  28th Book of the OT

ZECHARIAH -  38th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 16 Chapters

MARK -  2nd Book of the NT

ROMANS -  6th Book of the NT

Books consisting of 21 Chapters

JOHN -  4th Book of the NT

JUDGES -  7th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 22 Chapters

REVELATION -  27th Book of the NT

Books consisting of 24 Chapters

JOSHUA -  6th Book of the OT

LUKE -  3rd Book of the NT

Books consisting of 27 Chapters

LEVITICUS -  3rd Book of the OT

Books consisting of 28 Chapters

ACTS -  5th Book of the NT  

MATTHEW -  1st Book of the NT

Books consisting of 31 Chapters

PROVERBS -  20th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 34 Chapters

DEUTERONOMY -  5th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 35 Chapters

1 & 2 CORINTHIANS -  7th & 8th Books of the NT

As in 3 previous groups I am combining 1st & 2nd Corinthians so that they

 are read in Chronological order.

Books consisting of 36 Chapters

NUMBERS -  4th Book of the OT

Click Here to get a FREE PRINTABLE of the chart above

Books consisting of 40 Chapters

EXODUS -  2nd Book of the OT

Books consisting of 42 Chapters

JOB -  18th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 47 Chapters

1 & 2 KINGS -  11th & 12th Books of the OT

As in 4 previous groups I am combining 1st & 2nd Kings so that they 

are read in Chronological order.

Books consisting of 48 Chapters

EZEKIEL -  26th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 50 Chapters

GENESIS -  1st Book of the OT

Books consisting of 52 Chapters

JEREMIAH -  24th Book of the OT

Books consisting of 55 Chapters

1 & 2 SAMUEL -  9th & 10th Books of the OT

As in 5 previous groups I am combining 1st & 2nd Samuel so that they

 are read in Chronological order.

Books consisting of 65 Chapters

1 & 2 CHRONICLES -  13th & 14th Books of the OT

As in 6 previous groups I am combining 1st & 2nd Chronicles so that they

 are read in Chronological order.

Books consisting of 66 Chapters

ISAIAH -  23rd Book of the OT

Books consisting of 150 Chapters

Psalms -  19th Book of the OT

I was delighted to start with Jude as I had recently bought a book on this Epistle and of course I needed to read the actual Bible Book 

before the book written about it.

Click Here to get a FREE PRINTABLE of the chart above

For those interested in the length of time involved in reading the books of the Bible then you will find lots of interesting details on that in this post at Crossway

and even if you thought you weren't so interested you should really take a look because you will be surprised just how quickly you can read them (even the longest ones).

5 TIPS when Reading Through the Bible

• As the books start to get longer in length set yourself a reasonable goal of a small number of chapters in each reading, even only one it is not a race.

• When you are in the more complex (or more boring) books read less at each time. 

• Do not feel like you have to even read a set number of full chapters each time - perhaps the end of a timeframe, or the end of a certain story comes in the middle of a chapter and then you could end your reading to coincide with that content. 

• A good idea to help break up the longer or more complex books is to read a few Psalms or chapters of Proverbs in between the other books. (My husband is usually reading through the Psalms or Proverbs at the same time as reading other books of the Bible)

• If you are feeling like it is becoming a chore any day just read a little and then go take a break that day and sing some praise songs.

Click Here to get a FREE PRINTABLE of the 5 TIPS above

If you are already a subscriber to this blog you will find the link to all my Free Printables 

in any of the emails you have received from me.

If you want to know exactly about the ordering of size of the books of the Bible taking word count into consideration then you will find a table with that info at The Overview Bible

Ruth & Boaz - The Start of the Relationship

In this blog post we are going to look at the good and godly relationship between Ruth and Boaz from the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

There are two parts clearly identified in the relationship between Ruth and Boaz so this is the first one which considers the start of the story which (although the book is named after Ruth) is clearly about the relationship between these two characters Ruth and Boaz. 

I have described this as a Devotional but it could be somewhat considered as a brief Bible Study of the main characters in the Book of Ruth because we are going to look at many of the verses in this short Book of the bible.



Although this is entitled Ruth and Boaz we could not look at this objectively if we did not first take the character of Naomi into consideration to see the feelings that lead to the journey and the destination.  This brings in another good and godly relationship within this book of Ruth.



Naomi

When looking at the book of Ruth the first chapter is all about the history and love of a family which seemed to have ended in sadness and hurt which was turning into bitterness.


Ch 1

20  But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  21  I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

It is with Naomi that this commentary of the whole situation begins and throughout the book she plays a very important role in the start of the relationship between Ruth and Boaz.

***********************************

Ruth

Ch 1


The verse below sums up the attitude of Ruth after all the heartache and unsettled circumstances she and Naomi found themselves in - she was not ready to give up and she was mindful of the responsibility she had towards her mother-in-law.


Ruth was in fact starting out in a new story of her life and had chosen who she was going to serve - God.

Boaz

Ch 2

To see what type of a man Boaz was we can look at some individual verses 

His Immediate Greeting  

The first thing Boaz did was to greet his workers  v 4

4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!”And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”

and this greeting was one of blessing

Then he knew all his workers (long time ones and more recent ones obviously as some of these workers would come and go) well enough to notice a new person  v 5

5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

He is considerate to someone who is not used to what they are now doing  v 8

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 

He thinks of Ruth's safety  v 9

9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

He recognises the good qualities in Ruth and wants God to bless her  v 11-12

11  And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

He comforts Ruth  v 13

He treats her kindly like a worker he is responsible for and not like a begger  v 13

13 Then she said, “Let me find favour in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

He personally makes sure she gets the food at the mealtime  v 14

14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

He provides easy access to the grain for gleaning  v 15

15 And when she rose up to [b]glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not [c]reproach her. 

He then makes the gleaning easier for her by providing extra grain to fall  v 16

16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

He is thoughtful not just for that one day but for the rest of the harvest time  v 23

23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

***********************************

Ruth

Ch 2

Ruth knows she is a foreigner so she feels different and perhaps inferior  v 10

10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Obviously Ruth has been kind and others have noticed this so that it has been talked about  v 11

11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 

Ruth had needed comforting and she was thankful to Boaz  v 13

She appreciated being treated like one of his servants even though she is only there to gain for herself and not work for him  v 13

13 Then she said, “Let me find favour in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken [a]kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

She worked hard  v 17  & 23

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

***********************************

Naomi

Ch 2

Ruth shared all that happened to her in the fields with her mother-in-law.

Naomi pointed out to her this also was looking after her safety  v 22

22  And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”

Naomi had the extra view and thought on the whole situation and this was the wise counsel that Ruth in a strange land would need.


Ruth may have loved Naomi and said that was why she was going to stay with Naomi but actually this was leading to a new love between them and a new love to come in the future.

***********************************

Boaz

Ch 3

Boaz knew her situation and how it would not be easy for Ruth to look after herself and her mother-in-law when neither of them had a husband.  He clearly saw she was not rushing into finding a substitute for her first husband but was willing to work hard to take care of  herself and Naomi  v 10

10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.

What is important in a good relationship?

***********************************

Ruth

Ch 3

Ruth was respectful enough to listen to advice from Naomi even if she may not have understood the traditions of her new homeland  v 3-4

2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

Ruth was wise enough to agree to take this advice from Naomi  v 5

5 And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

But I think she must have felt something for Boaz to agree to do something so intimate and risky.  

So here we have it the start of the good and godly relationship between Ruth and Boaz.

***********************************

The second part of the story can be found HERE