While a cursory reading of the text seems to relay a simple story of a righteous man whose love for God was tested through life's most difficult of challenges and rewarded for his faith through those trials, a closer reading of Job presents something far more complex and challenging. The majority of the text is a work of poetry that authors and artists through the centuries have recognized as being one of--if not the--greatest poem of the ancient world.In Re-reading Job: Understanding the Ancient World’s Greatest Poem, author Michael Austin shows how most readers have largely misunderstood this important work of scripture and provides insights that enable us to re-read Job in a drastically new way. In doing so, he shows that the story of Job is far more than that simple story of faith, trials, and blessings that we have all come to know, but is instead a subversive and complex work of scripture meant to inspire readers to rethink all that they thought they knew about God.

    In the first of three volumes spanning the entire Hebrew Bible, David Bokovoy dives into the Penateuch, showing how and why textual criticism has led biblical scholars today to understand the first five books of the Bible as an amalgamation of multiple texts into a single, though often complicated narrative; and he discusses what implications those have for Latter-day Saint understandings of the Bible and modern scripture.

    It recounts the history of Israel as it moved from no king, to the king it demanded, to the king God knew his people needed.But its greatest excitement lies not in the events and characters, but in the person they all point to. 1 Samuel presents us with a wonderful picture of Jesus. Seeing him in and through this Old Testament book enables us to see him with fresh color and texture, and see afresh what it means for us to follow him today as our Ruler and Rescuer. 1 Samuel is a book about ancient times, that speaks directly into ours.Written for people of every age and stage, from new believers to pastors and teachers, 1 Samuel For You can be used to:- READ: As a guide to this wonderful letter, exciting and equipping you to live out the truth in your life.- FEED: As a daily devotional to help you grow in Christ as you read and meditate on this portion of God's word.- LEAD: As notes to aid you in explaining, illustrating and applying 1 Samuel as you preach or lead a Bible study.

    The book of Jeremiah addressed the exiles, especially those in Babylon, in the years after the catastrophe.First of all then, says Chris Wright, we must encounter Jeremiah the prophet who, from his youth to old age, delivered the word of God to the people of Israel at the most terrifying time in all their troubled history. Understanding his times is essential to understanding his life and message. Next, we must strive to grasp how this enormous book (the second longest in the Bible, after Psalms) has been put together. And finally, if Jeremiah spoke in his day, and if the book still speaks today, in both cases it is because of the God who called the man to speak and commanded the book to be written. So we must encounter the God of Jeremiah an encounter that should be both profoundly disturbing and ultimately reassuring, as it was for him.

    Best-selling authors like Richard Dawkins, Karen Armstrong, and Derrick Jensen are prime examples of those who find the Old Testament to be problematic to modern sensibilities. Iain Provan counters that such easy and popular readings misunderstand the Old Testament. He opposes modern misconceptions of the Old Testament by addressing ten fundamental questions that the biblical text should--and according to Provan does--answer: questions such as "Who is God?" and "Why do evil and suffering mark the world?" By focusing on Genesis and drawing on other Old Testament and extra-biblical sources, Seriously Dangerous Religion constructs a more plausible reading. As it turns out, Provan argues, the Old Testament is far more dangerous than modern critics even suppose. Its dangers are the bold claims it makes upon its readers.

    Yet the book feels closest to many Christians’ own experience; few of us have experienced divine intervention, and our world seems just as secular as Esther’s. We are tempted to ask, of her world and ours—where is God in all this? If he is real, why doesn’t he show himself?Bryan Gregory shows us how Esther’s literary techniques depict God’s “absent presence” and “hidden involvement,” encouraging us that while God appears uninvolved, he is at work under the surface to accomplish his purposes and deliver his people—ultimately revealing his hidden presence in Christ.

    The personalities who appear in the pages of The Early Prophets, and the political and moral dilemmas their stories illuminate, are part of the living consciousness of the Western world. From Joshua and the tumbling walls of Jericho to Samson and Delilah, the prophet Samuel and the tragic King Saul, David and Goliath, Bathsheba and Absalom, King Solomon’s temple, Elijah and the chariot of fire, Ahab and Jezebel—the stories of these men and women are deeply etched into Western culture because they beautifully encapsulate the human experience. The four books that comprise The Early Prophets look at tribal rivalries, dramatic changes in leadership, and the intrusions of neighboring empires through the prism of the divine-human relationship. Over the centuries, the faithful have read these narratives as demonstrations of the perils of disobeying God’s will, and time and again Jews in exile found that the stories spoke to their own situations of cultural assimilation, destruction, and the reformulation of identity. They have had an equally indelible impact on generations of Christians, who have seen in many of the narratives foreshadowings of the life and death of Jesus, as well as models for their own lives and the careers of their leaders. But beyond its importance as a foundational religious document, The Early Prophets is a great work of literature, a powerful and distinctive narrative of the past that seeks meaning in the midst of national catastrophe. Accompanied by illuminating commentary, notes, and maps, Everett Fox’s masterly translation of the Hebrew original re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays that rhetorically underscore its meaning and are intrinsic to a timeless text meant to be both studied and read aloud.

    He states that “In writing [this book] I have primarily had in view those who teach and those who learn, whether in the school or in the family. But my scope has also been wider. I have wished to furnish, what may be useful for reading in the family,--what indeed may, in some measure, serve the place of a popular exposition of the sacred history. More than this, I hope it may likewise prove a book to put in the hands of students, to show them what the Bible really teaches."

    This is the story of Gareb and Jonathan as they scale the cliffs of Michmash and attack a Philistine outpost that no one believes can be taken...no one except Jonathan, a man of destiny and courage whose story will resonate.The Hall of the Mighty Men is a companion series of short stories to the Lion of War novels about the wars of King David.Narrated by Jehoshaphat, the historian of King Solomon, this collection of origin tales expands the Lion of War literary universe and contains epic battles and feats of bravery unable to be included in the novels and upcoming movies. Thrilling and passionate, The Hall of the Mighty Men is another chapter in the epic Lion of War series that fans will enjoy for years to come.

    Wilson calls for the church to restore, renew, and protect its foundations by studying and appreciating its origins in Judaism.Designed to serve as an academic classroom text or for use in personal or group study, the book includes hundreds of questions for review and discussion.

    They will take Hebrew classes at a college, a synagogue, or online and often become discouraged because these classes either teach them to speak Hebrew or spend considerable time teaching complex rules of grammar when all these Christians want to do is find God’s heart and message in His Word. As a result, these Christians usually give up and just go to the back of their Strong’s Concordance, a lexicon, or a Bible dictionary to look up a word. This book is written for the Christian who does not want to learn to speak Hebrew or spend long hours trying to understand complex rules of grammar. All they want is to know if there is a deeper meaning to certain Hebrew words. Even after looking up a word in their lexicon, they are still left with a nagging feeling that there must be more. In most cases there is more, and this book will give some guidelines in how to drill down into the very heart, soul, and core of a Hebrew word; it will take you to a world beyond your lexicon, and you do not need a PhD to do it. The only thing you will need is to love the Word of God, and if you love it enough, it will reveal its secrets. Hebrew is a language of the heart, and if you love God enough, He will reveal His heart to you through the ancient Hebrew language."

    Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition. Exalting Jesus in Exodus is written by Tony Merida.

    Identification and Discussion of the Main Idea of Each Passage, with a special emphasis on identifying and discussing the main thrust of each passage and showing how it contributes to the development of the whole composition. Help in Drawing Out the Meaning of the Hebrew for Interpretation, drawing on Hebrew grammar in the service of meaning. Theological and Canonical Significance, providing a theological and applicational discussion of the main thrust of the passage, synthesizing the theology of the passage and elaborating on it. There are many 'exegetical' commentaries out there, but none accomplish what this series has achieved.

    This useful resource has over 180 pages of full color Bible charts, maps, time lines and illustrations. It features 114 pages of full-color bible charts of: General Bible Charts, Old Testament Charts, New Testament Charts, Maps, Illustrations and Diagrams, Christianity, Cults & Religions, and Index.It also contains 22 Pages of time lines including: A Bonus Time Line 22" wide foldout, How We Got the Bible, Kings and Prophets, Christian History Time Line, and 19 Pages of "Then and Now" Bible Maps and Other Full color maps of Bible Lands, and 25 Pages of Colorful Illustrations include: Noah's Ark, The Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, Herod's Temple, and Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.Volume 2: Perfect for Sunday school, homeschool, pastors, and teachers, these 32 full-color resources are also great for personal Bible study! Includes "Bible Translations Comparison Chart," "Heroes of the Old Testament," "Women of the Bible," "Life of Paul," "Christ in the Old Testament," "Christ in the Passover," "Names of Jesus," "Beatitudes," "Lord's Prayer," "Worldviews Comparison," and more! 192 reproducible pages, spiralbound hardcover.Volume 3: Ideal for Sunday school teachers, college and seminary professors, pastors, and homeschoolers, the resources in this easy-to-use anthology include more than 220 reproducible charts, photographs, maps, and handouts, many of which are new to this edition. Topics include spiritual gifts; the lives of Esther and David; the parables of Jesus; the attributes of God; and more. Perfect for busy people who want hundreds of facts at a glance.Charts include:Favorite Bible topics including forgiveness, money, prayer, heaven, and moreComparisons of Christian views on baptism, communion, revelation, and spiritual giftsBible characters including Jospeh, Moses, David, Ruth, and moreBook of the Bible overviews

    Internationally respected Old Testament scholar John Goldingay addresses Scripture from Genesis to Malachi in such a way that even the most challenging passages are explained simply and concisely. The series is perfect for daily devotions, group study, or personal visits with the Bible.In this volume, Goldingay explores Psalms 73-15. The psalms, Goldingay says, show us four ways to speak to God: in words of praise, thanksgiving, trust, and supplication. Goldingay provides brief commentary on each psalm and shows how each one can be relevant to contemporary life.

    It is the most transcribed and translated book of the Hebrew Bible. Intended for both scholar and student, The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms features a diverse array of essays that treat the Psalms from a variety of perspectives. Beginning with an overview of the Psalms that touches on the history of scholarship and interpretation, the volume goes on to explore the Psalms as a form of literature and a source of creative inspiration, an artifact whose origins remain speculative, a generative presence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and a still-current text that continues to be read and appropriated in various ways. Classical scholarship and traditional approaches as well as contextual interpretations and practices are well represented. The Handbook's coverage is uniquely wide-ranging, covering everything from the ancient Near Eastern background of the Psalms to contemporary liturgical usage. This volume offers a dynamic introduction into an increasingly complex field and will be an indispensable resource for all students of the Psalms.

    They first appeared in biblical dictionaries, scholarly journals, and popular periodicals. Gathered here for the first time, they display in various ways how the author sees the various parts of Isaiah functioning together to give a coherent message to the church. The opening chapters lay out Oswalt's understanding of the overall message of the book of Isaiah. Subsequent chapters consider such themes as holiness and righteousness as they function in that larger structure. The concluding chapters look at selected sections of Isaiah in more detail, noting how those specific messages contribute to the overall whole. "The book of Isaiah is a long and winding road with many twists, turns, and about-faces. What does it all mean? John Oswalt is uniquely qualified to tell us. The Holy One of Israel compiles his reflections from a lifetime of research, and as such, helps readers understand Isaiah's beauty, majesty, and profound theology." --Reed Lessing, Professor of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, Missouri "This work contains an amazing collection of essays by an eminent scholar who has spent over thirty years of his life devoted to the book of Isaiah. It summarizes several decades of studies on the book of Isaiah, collects articles on a wide range of topics, and puts them into a handy reference tool. This work should become a standard resource for those doing serious research in the book of Isaiah." --Paul D. Wegner, Professor of Old Testament, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, California "Finally in one place, the learned reflections of a sage who consistently focused his exegetical gaze over the past four decades on one of the masterpieces of biblical literature. This collection opens up the riches of the book of Isaiah, providing historical, literary, and theological insights that cannot help but prompt further research and proclamation." --Mark J. Boda, Professor of Old Testament, McMaster Divinity College, Canada "For several decades, the work of Oswalt on Isaiah has commanded the respect of evangelical and mainstream scholars alike. This volume augments Oswalt's classic commentary with collected essays that offer mature reflection on some of the most crucial themes confronting any student of Isaiah. The reader will discover the careful balance of critical thought and spiritual sensitivity so characteristic of Oswalt's work. I'm grateful to Wipf and Stock for making these essays so readily accessible." --John W. Hilber, Professor of Old Testament, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Michigan John N. Oswalt is Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of nine books, including The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (1986) and The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 (1998) in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, and The Bible among the Myths (2009).

    

    Internationally respected Old Testament scholar John Goldingay addresses Scripture from Genesis to Malachi in such a way that even the most challenging passages are explained simply and concisely. The series is perfect for daily devotions, group study, or personal visits with the Bible.In this volume, Goldingay explores three books of the Old Testament in the wisdom literature genre. These three books are all associated with Solomon and his wisdom, yet unlike other books, they do not mention the Torah, the exodus, or the covenant. As Goldingay says, The basis of their teaching is the way life actually works. They look at life and reflect on experience and encourage people to live on the basis of how life works. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs for Everyone explores three practical, down to earth, and hopeful books.

    As contemporary Christians, we may even wonder whether it is possible for us to establish our apostolic roots in the Old Testament.Christian Faith in the Old Testament helps us complete this daunting task with ease. In this intriguing and informative study, Gareth Lee Cockerill helps us view the New Testament as a fulfillment of the Old Testament, giving us a broad perspective on Scripture as a whole. In language that is easily accessible to the layperson, Gareth explores the role of each major part of the Old Testament Canon and what part each plays in the total scope of biblical revelation. Additionally, Christian Faith in the Old Testament offers important guidance to contemporary believers about how each part of the Old Testament Canon applies today. This book is the perfect choice for intelligent modern Christians looking to discover their apostolic roots in the Old Testament. Features include:Understand how the Old Testament applies to life todayDiscover the contemporary Christian’s apostolic roots in the Old TestamentGain a broad perspective on Scripture as a whole

    Davis carefully outlines five essential features of the prophetic role and then systematically examines seven representations of prophets and prophecies.Thoroughly theological, Davis's volume provides both instruction and insight for understanding prophecy in Christian tradition and discipleship. This volume concludes with a rich discussion of practical matters, including the relationship between Christian discipleship and prophetic interpretation and the role of biblical prophecy in interfaith contexts.

    This commentary seeks to explain the real message behind those narratives, which is one that speaks of human dignity and equality, that affirms monotheism, that criticizes kings and tyrants, that declares our oneness with the animal realm and nature, and that proclaims a powerful message of divine grace with a deity personally involved in the human world. Humor may also be found in some of these stories. These biblical passages can be best explicated by close reading as well as by knowledge of comparable stories from the ancient Near East and from the classical world, and finally by knowledge of the concomitant social and political values connected with those other myths and narratives. "Gnuse digs below the surface of the stories in Genesis 1-11 in a most accessible way to uncover their rich details and positive theological messages. Drawing effortlessly upon a wide range of scholars and ancient Near Eastern stories, and connecting with his own experiences in the classroom and the church, he brushes away misconceptions and dangerous manipulations and calls us to our better selves. I will gratefully use his book in my seminary classroom." --Denise Dombkowski Hopkins, Wesley Theological Seminary "With a fresh and engaging style, Gnuse acquaints readers with a rich breadth of ancient Near Eastern sources revealing the fullest meaning of this foundational portion of biblical literature. Recognizing the formative nature of Genesis 1-11 as polemical literature, Gnuse shows how it answered the dominant political and cultural powers of its day with a distinct vision of human equality, dignity, and responsibility to God and to the rest of creation, a vision that speaks to modern concerns as it did to ancient ones." --Joel S. Burnett, Baylor University Robert Gnuse is the James C. Carter, SJ/Chase Bank Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Loyola University New Orleans (LUNO), where he teaches Old Testament and world religions. He is the author of numerous books, including No Tolerance for Tyrants (2011), The Old Testament and Process Theology (2001), and No Other Gods (1997).

    Job's Way Through Pain encourages readers to consider how suffering has a developmental impact upon our character. Whether or not a person believes in God, painful experiences raise heart-wrenching and mind-boggling issues. And whether the hurt is understood in the context of karma, or explained by cliche, worn-out wisdom, or engaged through serious questions, Job is as good a guide as any for people wrestling with the reality of injustice and struggling to find a way through, a way forward. Writing from his own experiences of injustice, Paul Hedley Jones invites readers to engage with the text of this ancient book, with the character of Job, and ultimately with their own questions before God.

    Leading experts offer a substantive history of Israel textbook that values the historical contribution of the Bible without overlooking critical issues and challenges.

    It is intended to complement the volume Household and Family Religion in Antiquity, edited by John Bodel and Saul M. Olyan (Bodel and Olyan 2008), which grew out of a conference held at Brown University in 2005 on household and family religion in the ancient Mediterranean world, with an emphasis on cross-cultural comparison. After the conference at Brown, there was a session held at the meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies in Budapest in 2006 in which the focus was narrowed to the gender dimensions of Israelite family/household religion. Two more sessions focusing on the Israelite house as a locus of family religion took place at the European Association of Biblical Studies meeting in Vienna in 2007. A fourth meeting at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in April 2009 emphasized theoretical and methodological challenges facing scholars of household and family religion (e.g., the conceptualization of family/household religion, the problem of identifying pertinent artifacts, and the difficulties inherent in using texts together with material evidence). This volume is a direct outgrowth of the Münster meeting.

    In this engaging and clearly written commentary, Peter Adam highlights the power of the word of God in period, both as it was fulfilled in the restoration of his people, and its leaders Ezra and Nehemiah, urging them to make the backbone of their new life.

    Within these books, the deuteronomic code - 'doing what is right in the Lord's sight' - provides a framework by which monarchic history is measured. In the kings' cultic failures lies the apostasy of the nation and its eventual exile. This apostasy centres on Israel's commitment to worship YHWH exclusively, and to worship according to deuteronomistic norms within the Jerusalem temple as the locus of YHWH's covenant presence. To safeguard the kings' commitments, YHWH's prophets loom large in 1 and 2 Kings: they herald YHWH's purposes, warn of his judgment for apostasy and woo his people back to the full experience of covenant life. Lissa M. Wray Beal's valuable commentary examines the successes and failures of monarchy in the divided kingdoms. It works with the final form of the biblical text and pursues historiographical, narrative and theological questions, including the relation of each chapter's themes to biblical theology. While it focuses on theological and narrative concerns, the commentary gives due attention to complex historical issues. It seeks to provide a nuanced reading that is faithful to the text's message.