Reading God's Story: A Chronological Daily Bible

Judges 2–5

More than any other Bible book, Joshua demonstrates the theme of victory and conquest.

Abraham and Sarah—God chooses this couple to enter a covenant relationship with Him.

Act 2, Scene 4 The Land: God’s Place for His People

16 But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.

Act 1, Scene 2

4 I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.

The rising action lasts for about a thousand years. It begins with Abraham and Sarah, whose descendants grow into a nation-sized multitude in Egypt. The action continues to rise as God redeems His people from slavery through Moses and gives them His laws.

Finally there is sustaining action, lasting hundreds of years, rather than the denouement (wrapping up the story) that might have been expected. After the return from captivity, the people are seemingly stuck in a period of waiting. They are in Jerusalem with a rebuilt temple, but the story is not finished.