The cleansing purity of its images invites reflection and supplication in times of sorrow. The musicality of its powerful rhythms moves readers to celebration of good tidings. So today as it has been throughout our past, this is a book to be cherished as the grounding for our daily lives.This timeless poetry is beautifully wrought by a scholar whose translation of the Five Books of Moses was hailed as a "godsend" by Seamus Heaney and a "masterpiece" by Robert Fagles. Robert Alter's The Book of Psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the Hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. His learned and insightful commentary shines a light on the obscurities of the text.Robert Alter is a widely acclaimed literary scholar. He is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley.

    But we miss the point if we focus on what seems strange to us. And we distort the message if we demand that this book answer questions that are strange to it. To read Genesis intelligently, we must consider the questions, the literature and the times in which Genesis was written. In How to Read Genesis Tremper Longman III provides a welcome guide to reading and studying, understanding and savoring this panorama of beginnings--of both the world and of Israel. And importantly for Christian readers, we gain insight into how Genesis points to Christ and can be read in light of the gospel.

    How can we be confident under pressure and faithful in the fire? In this readable, accessible, exciting volume walking through one of the best-loved books of the Bible, David Helm shows how Daniel and his friends learned how to live in Babylon, far from their home in God's land and how we can do the same.

    Now, this expanded edition provides similar insights on the Apocrypha, presenting a significant view of the lives and religious experiences of women as well as attitudes toward women in the Second Temple period. This expanded edition sets a new standard for women's and biblical studies.

    This book is a continuation of the narrative begun in 1 Samuel, and continued through 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Ralph finishes it off with a captivating and rewarding journey through 2 Kings.Written between 561 BC and 538 BC, 2nd Kings gives us a warning about the consequences of sin, especially the catastrophic repercussions of Israel's love affair with idolatry. Despite struggling with other problems, we see that the Jewish people learned from their experience. They never made a mistake of this enormity again.Through prophets such as Elisha and Elijah we see God's compassion for his people and the opportunity for repentance. An opportunity spoilt by Judah, climaxing with the subjugation of the kingdom by the Babylonians.Illuminating, accessible and laced with his unique sense of humour, Davis' practical devotional expository applies events to the contemporary reader providing parallels to alert us in the 21st century.

    What did God have in mind when He saw Joshua as a young slave in Egypt? How did He mold and shape Joshua to prepare him for service?Through Joshua and numerous examples from their own lives, the authors create a picture of God's ways, offering deep insight that listeners can apply to their own lives.Purpose, Obedience, Faith, Character, and Influence are among the themes that are included in the book; key truths are emphasized at the end of each chapter.

    Klyne Snodgrass explores in vivid detail the context in which these stories were told, the purpose they had in Jesus' message, and the ways they have been interpreted by the church and modern scholarship. While holding a consciously evangelical approach, Snodgrass deals throughout with a broad spectrum of opinions and interpretations. He begins by surveying the primary issues in parables interpretation. Offering both a new, more functional classification system for Jesus' parables and guidelines for interpreting them, he provides an overview of other parables -- often neglected in the discussion -- from the Old Testament, Jewish writings, and the Greco-Roman world. The remaining chapters group the longer and more important parables of Jesus thematically and give a comprehensive treatment of each, including background and significance for today.

    Brazos Press is proud to present "With the Grain of the Universe: The Church's Witness and Natural Theology, " Hauerwas's distinguished Gifford lectures at the University of St. Andrews (2001). These lectures explore how natural theology, divorced from a confessional doctrine of God, inevitably distorts our understanding of God's character and the world in which we live. Hauerwas criticizes those who use natural theology to defend theism as the philosophical prerequisite to confessional claims. Instead, after Karl Barth, he argues that natural theology should witness to "the non-Godforsakeness of the world, even under the conditions of sin." Stanley Hauerwas has good news for the church: theology can still tell us something significant about the way things are. In fact, the church is more than a social institution, and the cross of Christ, never peripheral, is central to knowing God. Whatever our native moral intelligence, the truth that is God is not available apart from moral transformation. Ultimately--and despite the scars left by modernity--theology must translate into a life transformed by confession and the witness of the church.

    Fee's commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, originally part of the Good News Commentary series, is revised and reset in an accessible but in-depth format for pastors, students, and laypeople. An introductory chapter deals with basic questions of authorship, background, and themes, then each section of Scripture is expounded, accompanied by notes on items in the text that need further clarification." Fee's commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus] . . . is ideal for students, pastors, and teachers. It is a model of clarity and organization and consistently reflects a judicious examination of exegetical issues. Indeed . . . I think it is one of the best available commentaries] on the pastoral epistles. Fee's skill in writing commentaries is as evident in this volume as it was in his magisterial volume on 1 Corinthians."" Thomas R. Schreiner, Bethel Theological Seminary

    Ched Myers has produced a commentary that is potentially as revolutionary as the very gospel account it portrays." — Sojorners"Myers has produced a commanding and coherent political commentary on the Gospel of Mark, distinguished in its grasp of biblical and social scientific scholarship and amazing lucid in its style and argument... A cogent and venturesome biblical embodiment of liberation theology." — Norman K. Gottwald"Twenty years later Binding the Strong Man still has the ability to push its readers into a fresh new perspective on what it means to be in discipleship with the Human One who seeks to realize the Reign of God in our social, historical, spiritual, and political landscape." — Brian Blount, President, Union Theological Seminary"This book is a primary source used the Holy Spirit Among Us for the building of the Beloved Community of God on earth as it is heaven." — Ed Loring, The Open Door CommunitySince its publication in 1998, Binding the Strong Man has been widely recognized as a landmark in contemporary biblical criticism. Applying a multidisciplinary approach called "socio-literary method," Myers integrates literary criticism, socio-historical exegesis, and political hermeneutics in his investigation of Mark as a "manifesto of radical discipleship."

    Companion to The Revelation of Jesus Christ, this major contribution to prophetic research emphasizes the value and genuineness of Daniel. It considers alleged historical inaccuracies, difficult-to-interpret phrases, apocryphal additions, major textual problems, use of Persian and Greek words, historical background of Bible events, and past and future fulfillments of specific prophecies. Daniel goes beyond a mere presentation of the author's interpretation of Old Testament prophecy. It quotes Bible scholars from different corners of the theological ring to help the reader discover the meaning of Scripture for himself. Unusually thorough and well outlined, this commentary captures the heartbeat of a young prophet who spoke boldly for God.

     Sudden Anger Many people had reason to kill the victim, and they tried 'til they got it right. You'd think that would leave plenty of clues, but they don't add up right. Can a 16-yr-old. Accidentally on Purpose A teacher was found dead and a lot of other students have had accidents, some serious. Gracie Greene's not so sure they were accidents, but can she find the pattern and motive before someone else dies? Dead Secret At 18 years old Gracie Greene has already solved 2 murders. Now she finds herself a suspect in a 3rd murder and must solve it to clear herself.

    Lots of suspense, mystery, and romance. No cliffhangers! Book 1 The last thing Logan Burke wants is a job as a live-in bodyguard, especially with the wealthy Murk family, who has dubious ties to crime. Honestly, though, Logan doesn’t have very much else going for him beyond space on a couch in his increasingly paranoid brother’s place. And when he meets Willow, his client’s beautiful daughter, Logan makes his decision. But between Willow’s criminal boyfriend, increasingly violent threats against the family, and the troubling relationship Willow has with her father’s young wife, Logan starts to discover that nothing is what it seems in the Murk family. Book 2 With what nearly happened to his love, Willow, bodyguard Logan Burke might be forgiven for being a tad overprotective. Willow has his heart, and he plans to marry her. But with a brand new security firm with Jamal and Jackson and their very first case, Logan’s best intentions to do right by Willow are strained. Can their relationship survive a dangerous stalking case at a strip club? And can the security firm’s first client, the sexy Lanier, survive the case herself, even with Jackson at her side? Book 3 Love is in the air, but it’s not the same for everyone. While Willow and Logan are married in a beautiful ceremony, and Jamal meets curvaceous Camille, Jackson and Lanier’s relationship is on the rocks. It’s obvious to Lanier that Jackson is still in love with Willow, even after all this time. But life must go on, especially with the security firm’s next case — one that stays in the family. Logan’s brother, Steven, asks for protection, convinced that something or someone is after him because of information he possesses. Logan has trouble believing his brother, at first, but when Steven is charged with murder, everyone must accept that they might be a part of something much more sinister than they thought. Book 4 The case with Datacom is intensifying, especially when it comes to light that Steven was concealing vital information from the security firm. It’s Logan who pays for that, taking a pair of bullets that seriously injure him, calling into doubt that he might ever recover. As everyone reels from the attack, no one is more affected than Willow, seeking comfort with Jackson. But as Lanier enters into a whirlwind romance with a man who isn’t who he says he is, and Steven decides to go out on his own to deal with the sensitive information he has, it becomes apparent that no one is in control of a destiny that seems to be rushing toward them. Book 5 Logan struggles to regain his life — and his marriage — as he recuperates from the shooting. With Willow by his side, he attempts to figure out just what is it he wants with his career and the remainder of his time on this planet. No one knows just how long that time will be, though, with the threat of a truly nefarious plan financed by Datacom that Steven and Jackson are rushing to expose. With aid from a source Lanier taught to love again, the race against time to preserve life as they know it is real — and deadly.

    Some faithful readers struggle through its pages and conclude that they must obey its moral laws but may disregard its ceremonial and civil laws. Others abandon its teaching altogether in favor of a strictly New Testament ethic. Neither option, argues Chris Wright, gives the Old Testament its due.In this innovative approach to Old Testament ethics--fully revised, updated and expanded since its first appearance in 1983 as Living as the People of God (An Eye for an Eye in North America) and including material from Walking in the Ways of the Lord--Wright examines a theological, social and economic framework for Old Testament ethics. Then he explores a variety of themes in relation to contemporary issues: economics, the land and the poor; politics and a world of nations; law and justice; society and culture; and the way of the individual.This fresh, illuminating study provides a clear basis for a biblical ethic that is faithful to the God of both Testaments.

    The words, the miracles, and overarching message of the Messiah come alive in flowing and detailed chronology, set against the cultural, political, and religious setting of his day. You'll gain new understanding of why Jesus came, how he operated, and what he accomplished. Above all, you'll acquire a deeper appreciation for the love that guided his path, beginning in a manger in Bethlehem, leading through three and a half years of ministry that ended abruptly at the cross on Golgotha, and blazing forth in eternal triumph at the resurrection. Drawing liberally on the works of others who have written about Christ, such as Alfred Edersheim, J. W. Shepherd, W. Graham Scroggie, and Frederick Faraar, Dr. Pentecost reveals in his own writing a familiarity with the subject that comes from years of teaching. Yet he writes, not as one who knows all there is to know about Christ, but with the restraint of one who knows that Jesus is to be worshiped and adored as the great King, and that no book can do more than begin to tell all the wonders of his being and his love.