Where now was El Shaddai? But Jetur, the Ishmaelite merchant, saw something special in him. By prayerful diligence Joseph worked his way into the confidence of his new owner, Potiphar. "At this rate, you'll be running the entire country before you are done," teased a scribe. Soon slaves were scrambling to meet his needs as he had for others.But heart-rending rumors from home, of the deaths of Er and Onan, of the affair of Judah and Tamar, exacted their toll. And success has its snares. Her name was Lady Tanefret. She had connections, and she had Potiphar. But it wasn't Potiphar she wanted.Based upon meticulous research, Fivash paints a compelling panorama of Egyptian society, with authentic Egyptian names, clothing, and customs, and draws us deeply into Josephs world. You will cheer as he maintains his integrity through prison and through the labyrinth of court intrigue to become ruler under Pharaoh. You will delight in his conquest of the heart of beautiful Asenath. And you will be left with a deeper faith in his God.The author creates a detailed picture of daily life in Egypt with a cast of nearly 80 vibrant characters. Her narrative, filled with fresh insights into one of the great stories of all time, unlocks the secrets of the culture that cradled the Exodus.

    In His Word in My Heart, she enthusiastically shares with readers why memorizing Scripture is so important to the walk of the believer.

    Written to give lay Catholics a better understanding of the Eucharist, this book is recognized as a modern spriritual classic. In remarkably clear and straightforward language, it takes the reader step-by-step into the deepest mysteries of the Eucharist--a religiously exhilarating journey into the heart of the Christian faith.

    Joyce Meyer shows readers a new approach for living: one that resets priorities and readjusts their focus.

    For all 66 books, key doctrines, highlighted people, geographic, historical, and cultural background, cross references, how Christ is pictured, character/attributes of God, explanations of key words and interpretive challenges will be examined.In addition, the guide will include: "Why I Believe the Bible" How to interpret each type of literature Charts, timelines, maps "Where to Find It" index of favorite passages and key Bible events, stories, and teachings Doctrinal studies (concise, with references and brief explanations) Index of people in the Bible Topical Index "How to Study the Bible" article

    Martin's Press, 1997), which tells the Old Testament story of Dinah. It was a bestseller and the Book Sense 2001 Book of the Year.- Hunt's biblical series on Joseph (Bethany House Publishers) has sold over 50,000 copies and is still in print. Her children's book, The Tale of the Three Trees (Lion, 1990), has over two million copies in print and has been made into an animated video. An established CBA author, her books have sold over three million copies worldwide and have been featured selections in Crossings and Guideposts bookclubs.- There is a huge audience for novels that weave fiction with history, as evidenced by the bestselling success of Caleb Carr.

    This classic work made its mark 25 years ago.

    

    

    How do I study the Bible? Where do I begin? Is it OK to interpret the Bible for ourselves? What Bible should I use? How can I understand such a deep book as the Gospel of St. John?This book has the answer to these and many other such questions. Stephen Ray takes the difficult and makes it easy; he takes the confusion and makes things clear. It gives a simple start for a beginner while providing the depth and profundity for the scholar. This book is one of a kind. It is the first extensive, easy to use and thoroughly Catholic study guide available.This Bible study provides extensive "text boxes" with detailed information that helps students discover the cultural, religious, historical and other information on the specific passage they are studying. It utilizes quotes for a wide range of scholars, historians and specialists to instruct the student and give valuable insights into the background and meaning of the text. This book can serve as a basic Bible study guide for working through the Gospel of John, helping the student plumb the depths of St. John's marvelous and deeply spiritual Gospel. It is excellent for use by individuals or groups, for families or schools.

    Its great themes, epochal events and towering figures set down vectors on which the biblical story is played out. The very shape of the rest of the Old Testament would collapse were the Penteteuch to be removed. The structure of New Testament thought would be barely intelligible without it. Here we meet the great ancestral figures of Israel--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and the towering figure of Moses, whose presence dominates four of these five books. The creative act of God, the paradisal garden, the exile of Adam and Eve, the judgment of the great flood, the call of Abraham from among the nations, the covenant of Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the law at Sinai, the plan of the tabernacle, the varied experiences of Israel in the wilderness, and the announcement of the covenant blessings and curses--all of these and more contribute to a work of world-formative power. This dictionary explores the major themes and contours of the Pentateuch. Behind and beneath the grandeur of the Pentateuch, issues of historicity have both puzzled and beckoned. But whereas in the mid-twentieth century many English-speaking scholars were confident of archaeological support for the patriarchal accounts, the climate has now changed. In the most extreme cases, some contemporary scholars have radically challenged the antiquity of the ancestral stories, arguing for their final composition even as late as the Hellenistic era. This dictionary examines and weighs the historical issues and poses possible solutions. The documentary hypothesis, the former reigning critical consensus, is now widely rumored to be on life support with no heir apparent. Meanwhile, conservative scholars reconsider what indeed a claim to Mosaic authorship should entail. This dictionary offers an assessment of the array of questions surrounding these issues and considers some possible ways forward for evangelical scholarship. At the same time, there has been a fruitful turning to the nature, message and art of the received text of the Pentateuch. Literary studies of brief episodes, sprawling sagas, complex narrative and even the fivefold composition of the Pentateuch itself have delivered promising and exciting results. This dictionary offers both appreciative panoramas and close-up assessments of these developments and their methods. TheDictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is the first in a four-volume series covering the text of the Old Testament. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament and its background, this encyclopedic work is characterized by close attention to the text of the Old Testament and the ongoing conversation of contemporary scholarship. In exploring the major themes and issues of the Pentateuch, editors T. Desmond Alexander and David W.Baker, with an international and expert group of scholars, inform and challenge through authoritative overviews, detailed examinations and new insights from the world of the ancient Near East. TheDictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is designed to be your first stop in the study and research of the Pentateuch, on which the rest of the Bible is built.

    It's like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader Discoveries await you that will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context. You'll deepen your understanding of the teachings of Jesus. You'll discover the close, sometimes startling interplay between God's kingdom and the practical affairs of the church. Best of all, you'll gain a deepened awareness of the Bible's relevance for your life.Written in a clear, engaging style, this beautiful set provides a new and accessible approach that more technical expository and exegetical commentaries don't offer. It features: -Commentary based on relevant papyri, inscriptions, archaeological discoveries, and studies of Judaism, Roman culture, Hellenism, and other features of the world of the New Testament-Hundreds of full-color photographs, color illustrations, and line drawings-Copious maps, charts, and timelines-Sidebar articles and insights-'Reflections' on the Bible's relevance for 21st-century livingWritten by leading evangelical contributors: Clinton E. Arnold (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen), General EditorS. M. Baugh (Ph.D., University of California, Irvine)Peter H. Davids (Ph.D., University of Manchester)David E. Garland (Ph.D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)David W. J. Gill (D.Phil., University of Oxford)George H. Guthrie (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)Moyer V. Hubbard (D.Phil., University of Oxford)Andreas J. K stenberger (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)Ralph P. Martin (Ph.D., University of London, King's College)Douglas J. Moo (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews)Mark L. Strauss (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen)Frank Thielman (Ph.D., Duke University)Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Ph.D., University of Toronto)Michael J. Wilkins (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary)Mark W. Wilson (D.Litt. et Phil., University of South Africa)Julie L. Wu (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary)Robert W. Yarbrough (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen)Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary includesMatthew, Mark, Luke (Volume One)John, Acts (Volume Two)Romans to Philemon (Volume Three)Hebrews to Revelation (Volume Four)

    Also includes introductory material on how to pray the Psalms with the mind of the Church.

    Most expositors merely skim the surface for messages on tithing or sabbath-keeping. Yet Leviticus is one of the most important books of the Old Testament; it not only describes the complete religious system of ancient Israel, it also lays the theological foundation for the Christian gospel.In Holiness to the Lord, Allen P. Ross enables preachers and teachers to mine the riches of Leviticus and deliver them to a contemporary audience. Following the same practical method he used in the acclaimed Creation and Blessing, Ross first carefully sites Leviticus within its context in the ancient world. Then he traces the development of God's plan of salvation-how Leviticus' laws, rituals, symbols, and events prepared for the complete revelation in Jesus Christ. Finally, unlike traditional commentaries, Ross offers helpful ideas for correlating Leviticus to New Testament teachings (particularly Romans, Hebrews, and Peter) and for applying the material in relevant expository form.Holiness to the Lord is every expositor's indispensable guide for interpreting the Law for the church and for elucidating Leviticus in practical, biblical messages about worship, sanctification, and obedience.

    Designed as a thorough and durable reference work for all engaged in the study of the Bible and the Ancient Near East, and involving many of the world's outstanding scholars in the field, it provides reliable access to a broad, balanced and representative collection of Ancient Near Eastern texts that have some bearing on the interpretation of the Bible. Translations of recently discovered texts are included, alongside new translations of better-known texts and in some cases the best existing translations of such texts. The substantial three-volume work, with its specially designed page layout and large format, features full cross-referencing to comparable Bible passages, and new, up-to-date bibliographical annotations with judicious commentary. Its many distinct advantages over other collections will ensure the place of The Context of Scripture as a standard reference work for the 21st century. Volume 3, Archival Documents from the Biblical World, provides a generous selection from the vast number of legal, commercial and private documents preserved from pre-classical antiquity. These courtcases, contracts, accounts and letters, so often slighted or underrepresented in older anthologies, throw a bright light on the daily life of ordinary human beings as recorded by their contemporaries. In addition, exhaustive indices to all three volumes identify and classify all proper names and many of the themes struck throughout the work. With this third Volume The Context of Scripture is completed.

    By Jesus' example, we know that He prayed the Scriptures aloud. Praying the Bible takes an old concept, the prayer book, and gives it a modern twist: complete passages of Scripture laid out in sections of distinct prayer genres. Eight categories with eighty-eight prayers enable readers to quickly reference the prayers of the prophets, the wisdom prayers, the prayers of Jesus, the apostolic prayers, and more. The introductions to each section expand on each specific type of prayer and also include detailed instruction on how to pray that specific section. This is a prayer tool for both the novice prayer and the seasoned intercessor that provides discipline and focus.

    . . Simple . . . Easy to read -- This world-renowned Bible handbook is updated and revised to provide even greater clarity, insight, and usefulness. Now with NIV text! Do you need help understanding the Bible? Halley's Bible Handbook with the New International Version makes the Bible's wisdom and message accessible to you. Whether you've never read the Bible before or have read it many times, you'll find insights here that can give you a firm grasp of God's Word. You'll develop an appreciation for the cultural, religious, and geographic settings in which the story of the Bible unfolds. You'll see how its different themes fit together in a remarkable way. And you'll see the heart of God and the person of Jesus Christ revealed from Genesis to Revelation. Written for both mind and heart, this completely revised, updated, and expanded 25th edition of Halley's Bible Handbook retains Dr. Halley's highly personal style. It features: - All-new maps, photographs, and illustrations - Contemporary design - Bible references in easy-to-read, best-selling New International Version (NIV) Practical Bible reading programs - Helpful tips for Bible study - Fascinating archaeological information - Easy-to-understand sections on how we got the Bible and on church history - Improved indexes

    After all, you're not planning for a lifetime -- you're investing in forever. And God wants it to be great for you! Through these four weeks of insightful group or individual study, Bible teacher and spiritual counselor Bruce Wilkinson clarifies how the choices you're making today are going to affect the quality of your life in heaven. As you investigate key Scriptures and apply them to your own situation with this visual, interactive resource, you'll discover the most fulfilling life you've ever known.

    Yet, through the Holy Spirit, these honest, sometimes brutal words return to us as the Word of God. Their agonies and exaltations reflect more than the human condition in which they were created. Within the context of the canonical Psalter, they become the source of divine guidance, challenge, confrontation, and comfort. However, it is possible to misapply them. How can we use the Psalms in a way that faithfully connects God’s meaning in them and his intentions for them with our circumstances today? Drawing on over twenty years of study in the book of Psalms, Dr. Gerald H. Wilson reveals the links between the Bible and our present times. While he considers each psalm in itself, Wilson goes much further, examining whole groups of psalms and, ultimately, the entire Psalter, its purpose, and its use from the days of Hebrew temple worship onward through church history. In so doing, Wilson opens our eyes to ageless truths for our twenty-first-century lives. Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don’t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable—but the job is only half done! The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.

    Working with new data fom Jewish literature and a fresh reading of Romans 1–5, Simon Gathercole produces a far-reaching criticism of the current approach to Paul and points a new way forward. Building on a detailed examination of the past generation of scholarship on Paul and early Judaism, Gathercole's work follows two paths. First, he shows that while early Judaism was not truly oriented around legalistic works-righteousness, it did consider obedience to the Law to be an important criterion at the final judgment. On the basis of this reconstruction of Jewish thought and a rereading of Romans 1–5, Gathercole advances his main argument — that Paul did indeed combat a Jewish perspective that saw obedience to the Law both as possible and as a criterion for vindication at the final judgment. Paul's reply is that obedience to the Law is not a criterion for the final judgment because human nature makes obedience to the Law impossible. His doctrine of justification can therefore be properly viewed in its Jewish context, yet anthropological issues also take center stage.