#TheFirstVerses of the Major Prophets

Let's continue looking at #TheFirstVerses of every book in the Bible. This blog post is about the "Major prophets": Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel & Daniel.

If you're new to this blog, the idea is to make this a simple introduction to each book of the Bible. My hope is that this #FirstVerses project can help us to know every book in the Bible & at least 1 thing about each book. That one thing could be #TheFirstVerse, a favorite character, or something God points out while you read.

Sources: http://www.holybible.com/resources/KJV_DFND/summary.htm

Day 31:
Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Day 32:
#TheFirstVerse of Isaiah states what the book is about: a vision concerning God's people in a specific time. The vision is specific to this time, place, and the reigns of these kings. What I get from it? God gives visions...we just need to be paying attention!

Day 33:
Jeremiah 1:1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.

Day 34:
#TheFirstVerse of Jeremiah simply invites us to read the words of this major prophet. His example can inspire us to share God's word without fear. God's word and purpose always stand firm.

From Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:

Those who have messages to deliver from God, must not fear the face of man. The Lord, by a sign, gave Jeremiah such a gift as was necessary. God's message should be delivered in his own words. Whatever wordly wise men or politicians may think, the safety of kingdoms is decided according to the purpose and word of God. (Source: http://bible.cc/jeremiah/1-1.htm)

Day 35:
Lamentations 1:1 "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who has a princess among the provinces has become a slave."

Day 36:
#TheFirstVerse of Lamentations sounds just like it's title: tragic. This book reviews and mourns Jerusalem's defeat. Just like with Jerusalem, if we allow sin to rule, we pay the price.

If we allow sin, our greatest adversary, to have dominion over us, justly will other enemies also be suffered to have dominion. (Source: Matthew Henry Concise Commentary)

Sources:
(Matthew Henry Concise Commentary, http://bible.cc/lamentations/1-1.htm)
(http://bible.org/seriespage/major-prophets)
(http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/inspirationalteaching/vonbuseck_foundations_oldtestament.aspx)

Day 37:
Ezekiel 1:1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.


Day 38:
#TheFirstVerse in Ezekiel invites us to peek into what we could see if the heavens were opened and we could see visions of God. And sometimes these visions, like in this verse, can come while we are "among the exiles".

Day 39:
Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Day 40:
#TheFirstVerse in Daniel starts on a low note. But the book is about how God is judge: he destroys the bad guys, and rescues, delivers & brings good to His people.

The theme of Daniel is God’s sovereign power as the one true God, who judges and destroys the rebellious world powers and will faithfully deliver His covenant people according to their steadfast faith in Him. Daniel was written to encourage the exiled Jews through revealing God’s sovereign plan for Israel during and after the period of domination by the Gentile world powers. This is the time of the Gentiles which began with the Babylonian captivity but will end with the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom as the stone, one cut out without hands, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (2:34-35; see also 7:13-14).

(Source: http://bible.org/seriespage/major-prophets)

Psalm 1:1 and more!

I shared with two co-workers this crazy idea of a project, putting together the "first verses of the Bible". It's a way to get acquainted with every one of the 66 books in the Bible in a simple way. Just look at the first verse. But then look again! Each of the 1st verses says something about how God is interacting with us! He cares about people, places, things, speaking through messages, prophets & visions...it's really cool!

The ultimate goal of the project is to make knowing the Bible in a simple way accessible to everyone. So many people I know are Christians in that they believe in God, go to church, listen to Christian music & try to generally be nice to others. 

But there is so much more! The Bible is God's living and active word. If we don't know it, we don't know what we're missing out on!

So let's continue checking out #TheFirstVerses and knowing more of who God is and what He has to tell us, one day at a time!

Day 22: 
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job & that man was blameless & upright, one who feared God & turned away from evil.


Day 23:#thefirstverse in Job introduces us to a guy that sounds like a goody-two shoes. Why keep reading? It's deep! There's much to learn!

Day 24:
Psalm 1:1 
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;"

Day 25:
#TheFirstVerse in the Psalms is a recipe to be blessed! Don't walk where the wicked tell you to go. Don''t stand or sit where people are doing wrong or being mean. Sounds like a way of living at peace.

Day 26:
Proverbs 1:1
"These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel."

Day 27:
#TheFirstVerse of Proverbs is a simple introduction. God is saying, check out these wise sayings! And they're not just from anyone, they're from a king, who is the son of a man who was after God's own heart. 

Day 28:
Ecclesiastes 1:1
"These are the words of the Teacher, King David's son, who ruled in Jerusalem.

Day 28:
#TheFirstVerse of Ecclesiastes invites you to read & learn. Pull up a chair and learn, not just from a regular teacher, but from a King's son, who ruled in Jerusalem, the city of God.

Day 29:
Song of Solomon 1:1
"This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other." 

Day 30:
#TheFirstVerse in Song of Solomon is more wonderful than any other. If you could hear the most awesome, amazing song ever, would you want to check it out? Even just out of curiosity? Why not?

Alright! I'll leave it here for tonight, with the poetry books. Job was mentioned in the previous post, but I included it here, too, to keep them in the category.

Up next: #TheFirstVerses that kick off the major prophets. We have some major eye-opening words coming up! I can't wait!

Let's keep looking at "The First Verses" of every book in the Bible. The whole point of this little project is simple. I want people to know the Bible. Every book and at least a little something about each book. And this could be a little starting point. The first verses. And you can take it from here.

I know a lot of people who believe in Jesus. Some of them really love Jesus! Some of them go to church, but the whole "church" thing is not real yet. I know a lot of "Christians" who couldn't tell you all 66 books of the Bible.

I want all of us to know every book in the Bible & at least one thing about that book. It could be "The First Verse". It could be your favorite verse in that book, your favorite character, or something God really points out while you're reading.

The last post here on this blog took us through Esther 1:1. I'm keeping it short, sweet & simple enough so that each "first verse" can be a tweet. Or two. So let's keep going!

Day 22:
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job & that man was blameless & upright, one who feared God & turned away from evil.

Day 23:
#thefirstverse in Job introduces us to a guy that sounds like a goody-two shoes. Why keep reading? It's deep! There's much to learn!

...and there's much more to come!

This is a work-in-progress. Last post I worked on the "Twitter" idea, sharing the 1st verses of the Bible & some thoughts about what is this "Route 66 Roadtrip for Life" concept. It feels like it's really starting to come together!

Let's keep going with the tweet schedule.

Day 10:
Joshua 1.1 After the death of Moses, the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant (part 1)
(In this verse, God shows us people are important. It describes who Moses & Joshua were & it shows God speaking again! (part 2)

Day 11:
Judges 1.1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD... (1st book that starts with people asking God. Interesting!)

Day 12:
Ruth 1.1 ...when the judges ruled there was a famine & a man of Bethlehem went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he & his wife & 2 sons.

Day 12 (part 2):
In Ruth 1.1 it mentions time, what was going on & starts to share about a man who traveled with his family. Details matter to God.

Day 13:
I Samuel 1.1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham...

Day 13 (part 2):
I Samuel 1.1. (Details matter! Here we meet a man, where he was from, his name & his ascendants back to his great-great-great grandfather!)

Day 14:
2 Samuel 1.1 ...after the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites & remained two days in Ziklag.

Day 14 (part 2):
This verse has the death of Saul & what David did--who he defeated, where he was, how much time he stayed. Details matter!

Day 15:
I Kings 1.1 King David was old & advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes he could not get warm.

Day 15 (part 2):
(God cares about the elderly. It matters that David was very old & nothing kept him warm. Details matter to God. He's paying attention.)

Day 16:
2 Kings 1.1 After King Ahab's death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel.

Day 16 (part 2):
(It tells us what's happening with the leader in the story & what the people were doing. Details matter!)

Day 17:
I Chronicles 1.1 Adam, Seth, Enosh. (Three names. The first man, his son & his grandson. It's almost like we're looking into God's wallet & seeing his kids' pics!)

Day 18:
2 Chronicles 1.1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, & the LORD his God was with him & made him exceedingly great.

Day 18 (part 2):
(2 Chron 1.1 introduces us to Solomon: who he is, what he did & what happened because God was with him. I want that, too!)

Day 19:
Ezra 1.1
In the 1st year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus...

Day 19 (part 2):
(In Ezra 1.1 you see God giving words to Jeremiah, working in Cyrus' heart & fulfilling a prophecy...I wanna keep reading more!)

Day 20:
Nehemiah 1.1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah...in the month of Chislev, 20th year, at the fortress of Susa the capital.

Day 20 (part 2):
(If you look at several verses of the Bible, you get the same idea. Details matter! Here we have who, when & where. Let's keep reading!)

Day 21:
Esther 1.1 These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.

Day 21 (part 2):
(More details! This book starts with something that happened in the days of a powerful King. Tell me more!)

...and there is more to come!

I'm thinking of starting a "Route 66 Books: Roadtrip for Life" twitter to go with this blog. Here's a sample:

Day 1:
All Christians can't correctly handle God's Word? Let's change that! To handle God's Word correctly, we have to know it 1st. Let's dig in!

Day 2:
To handle God's Word correctly, we have to know it. Let's start: In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth. Gen 1.1

Day 3:
If you read the 1st verse of each book in the Bible, you can hear God speaking! He gives specifics about people & places. He cares about us!

Day 4:
The next tweets will be the first verses of each book in the Bible so we can see for ourselves how God is speaking through His word.

Day 5:
Genesis 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth. (Here's a start! There's a relationship between God & his creation.)

Day 6:
Exodus 1.1 These are the names of the sons of Israel ... who moved to Egypt w/their father, each with his family (God cares about names).

Day 7:
Leviticus 1.1 The LORD called to Moses from the Tabernacle & said to him (God speaks!)

Day 8:
Numbers 1.1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness ... on the 1st day... (God speaks & he cares about our location & time)

Day 9:
Deuteronomy 1.1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness...(people & locations matter!)

Day 10:
(work in progress!)

(Another idea, instead of the Route 66 theme is "I wanna know the Word" or #IWannaKnowTheWord. Cuz if you know the word, it makes a difference!)

I'll keep posting soon!

First things first

To begin our journey, let's look at how each of the 66 books begins:

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Exodus 1:1

These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who moved to Egypt with their father, each with his family..."

Leviticus 1:1

"The LORD called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him..."

Numbers 1:1

"A year after Israel's departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said,..."

Deuteronomy 1:1

"These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other."

Joshua 1:1
"After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said,..."

Judges 1:1
"After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?"

Ruth 1:1
"In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him."

I Samuel 1:1
"There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim."

II Samuel 1:1
"After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag."

I Kings 1:1
"King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm."

II Kings 1:1
"After King Ahab’s death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel."

I Chronicles 1:1
"The descendants of Adam were Seth, Enosh..."

II Chronicles 1:1
"Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful."

Ezra 1:1
"In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:..."

Nehemiah 1:1
"These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was at the fortress of Susa."

Esther 1:1
"These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia."

Job 1:1
"There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil."

Psalm 1:1
"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

Proverbs 1:1
"These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel."

Ecclesiastes 1:1
"These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem."

Song of Solomon 1:1
"This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other."

Isaiah 1:1
"These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah."

Jeremiah 1:1
"These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin"

Lamentations 1:1
"Jerusalem, once so full of people,is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.

Ezekiel 1:1
"On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God."

Daniel 1:1
"During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it."

Hosea 1:1
"The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel."

Joel 1:1
"The Lord gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel."

Amos 1:1
"This message was given to Amos, a shepherd from the town of Tekoa in Judah. He received this message in visions two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel."

Obadiah 1:1
"This is the vision that the Sovereign Lord revealed to Obadiah concerning the land of Edom."

Jonah 1:1
"The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:"

Micah 1:1
"The Lord gave this message to Micah of Moresheth during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. The visions he saw concerned both Samaria and Jerusalem."

Nahum 1:1 This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.

Habakkuk 1:1 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.

Zephaniah 1:1 The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.

Haggai 1:1 On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

Zachariah 1:1 In November of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo:

Malachi 1:1 This is the message that the Lord gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi

Matthew 1:1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (ESV)

Luke 1:1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (ESV)

Acts 1:1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach...

Romans 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

I Corinthians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

II Corinthians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.

Galatians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

Ephesians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons.

Colossians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I Thessalonians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God give you grace and peace.

II Thessalonians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Timothy 1:1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.

II Timothy 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.

Titus 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.

Philemon 1:1 PAUL, A prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work, (Amplified Bible)

Hebrews 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets... (ESV)

James 1:1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.

Greetings!

I Peter 1:1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia

II Peter 1:1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

I John 1:1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.

II John 1:1 THE ELDERLY elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the elect (chosen) lady (Cyria) and her children, whom I truly love--and not only I but also all who are [progressively] learning to recognize and know and understand the Truth-- (Amplified Bible)

III John 1:1 THE ELDERLY elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the beloved (esteemed) Gaius, whom I truly love. (Amplified Bible)

Jude 1:1 This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John... (NKJV)

Now that we have looked at how each of the 66 books in The Bible start, it is so cool to see how important it is to God to talk to His people (he spoke, gave visions, sent messages...) And it's clear that people are important to him by the care given to describe them, the places where they were, the time in which they lived, how they had been called, and their stories.

I'm excited to see these stories unfold...and see how they shine a light to point us in the right direction on this journey.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (ESV)

*All Scripture New Living Translation (NLT) unless noted otherwise.

What is Route 66 Books: A Roadtrip for Life?

It's simple. Route "66 books" is the idea that there are 66 books in the Bible and they are a roadmap for life. I grew up in the church, and I might be able to rattle off the names of all 66 books, but what's the direction I can take from each one? What did God want me to know about each book? How is each book a place on the map worth taking a rest-stop or a vacation?

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

If all 66 books in The Bible are a lamp and light for our path, why are we stumbling around like it's dark on the road of life?

I'm down for this roadtrip. Wanna come?