From Genesis to Revelation

In Genesis the world was made by God's creative hand,
In Exodus the Hebrews marched to gain the promised land;
Leviticus contains the Law, holy and just and good,
Numbers records the tribes enrolled – all sons of Abraham's blood.

Moses in Deuteronomy recounts God's mighty deeds,
Brave Joshua unto Canaan's land the host of Israel leads;
In Judges their rebellion oft provokes the Lord to smite,
But Ruth records the faith of one well-pleasing in His sight.

In first and second Samuel of Jesse's son we read,
Ten tribes in first and second Kings revolted from his seed;
the first and second Chronicles see Judah captive led,
But Ezra leads a remnant back by princely Cyrus' aid.

The city walls of Zion Nehemiah builds again,
Whilst Esther saves her people from plots of wicked men;
In Job we read how faith will live beneath affliction's rod,
And all the Psalms are precious songs to every child of God.

The Proverbs like a goodly string of precious pearls appear,
Ecclesiastes teaches man how vain are all things here;
The mystic Song of Solomon exalts sweet Sharon's rose,
Whilst Christ the Saviour and the King the “apt Isaiah” shows.

The warning Jeremiah apostate Israel scorns,
His plaintive Lamentations its awful downfall mourns;
Ezekiel tells in wondrous words of dazzling mysteries,
Whilst glorious things of Christ the Lord Daniel in vision sees.

Of judgement and of mercy yet Hosea loves to tell,
Joel describes the blessed day when God with man would dwell;
Among Tekoa's husbandmen Amos received his call,
While Obadiah prophesied of Edom's final fall.

Jonah enshrines a wondrous type of Christ our Risen Lord,
Micah pronounces what the Lord requires of man restored;
Nahum declares that Nineveh the Lord shall overthrow,
A view of Chaldea's coming doom Habakkuk's verses show.

Next Zephaniah warns the Jews to turn and not be slain,
Haggai wrote of those who saw the Temple built again;
Zechariah prophesied of Christ the reigning Lord,
While Malachi was last to touch the high prophetic chord.

Matthew and Mark and Luke and John the Holy Gospels wrote,
Describing how the Saviour died, His life, and what He taught;
Acts proves how God was pleased to own His church in every place,
St. Paul in Romans teaches us how man is saved by grace.

The apostle in Corinthians instructs, exhorts, reproves,
Galatians shows that faith in Christ is what the Father loves;
Ephesians and Philippians tell Christians what to be,
Colossians bids us live to God and for eternity.

In Thessalonians we are taught the Lord will come from heaven,
In Timothy and Titus too, an Elder's rule is given;
Philemon marks a Christian's love, which only Christian's know,
Hebrews sets the gospel forth, prefigured in the Law.

James makes it clear that empty faith without our works is dead,
While Peter points the narrow way in which the saints are led;
In three epistles see how John on love delights to dwell,
And Jude gives awful warnings of judgment, wrath, and hell.

The Revelation prophesies of that tremendous day,
When Christ, and Christ alone, shall be the sinner's only stay;
When all mankind He separates and sets on either hand,
Dear reader, ask you heart just now –
“On which side will I stand?”

(Anonymous)