Review: The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History

Rob & Cyndi Shearer write in the introduction to Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History, “…we have encouraged families to make the history of Israel, the Old Testament, their children’s first history.”

“As a people, we do not really know the Scriptures very well.  And we have forgotten that God has commanded, not merely suggested, that we pass on these things (these Old Testament stories) to our children.”

“As we have read through the story of Israel… we have been most struck with something we already knew – but have seen again.  We have been painfully reminded of the fact that we truly are always only one generation away from a return to paganism…

The pattern runs something like this: Parents are blessed by God and set about to enjoy the blessings.  Children remember that their parents were blessed by God and continue to enjoy the blessings.  Grandchildren enjoy the blessings and forget their source.  And all of a sudden we have a generation who know neighter Joseph or his God.  God becomes for them some small part of their cultural identity…”

In The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History, Rob & Cyndy Shearer attempt to give you a guide that will help you work your way through the stories of the Old Testament from Genesis to Nehemiah.  There are 196 lessons.  Each lesson gives you a selected reading with comprehension questions to ask after you have finished.  Some chapters are better understood with a little background and that is provided, too.  There are also some lessons that cover how to apply it to our lives today.

This book has been my children’s first history book and I have no regrets over doing this.  This book gave us the suggested readings and helped us to read only the pertinent chapters, skipping those that repeated themselves (as in Samuel, Kings & Chronicles).  The background notes that the Shearers provided were also very helpful.  This book took us from Genesis to Nehemiah & I learned things I had not known before.

One thing that this book did for us was to help us see the Bible as a part of history instead of something that is only for devotion.  It helped us grasp that this time with the Israelites was indeed a part of world history.  

If you are looking for a history program that will give your children a basis for all other history, this should be your choice.  When you read the Bible as part of the history of the world it will really open your eyes and help you to understand that the Israelites did not live in a little country by themselves, that they were not an isolated people, but instead were a part of all the history that is known to man.  You will see the pattern of the Israelites repeated over and over – first there would be Peace in the land, then they would break God’s laws, they would then go into Bondage, after crying out to God and repenting Deliverance would come.  Can we see the same thing in our lives? 

I highly recommend The Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History.