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The book of Judges contains some of the most famous of the Bible's stories, as well as some of the least known. They show us the deepest sins of humanity but reveal them in the light of God's abundant grace. Behind human leaders such as Deborah, Jephthah, and Samson stands the principal actor in this drama: God as Judge, discerning and deciding. Michael Wilcock astutely explores ...
In the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, we witness the transition of Israel from tribal confederacy to established monarchy. And, as Mary Evans shows in this passage-by-passage commentary, during such a transition questions of identity and power are unavoidable.
In the aftermath of the decline of the judges, priests abuse their priestly privileges; Israelites covet the centralized ...
Michael Wilcock sees Chronicles first and foremost as a sermon. Its object: to foster a right relationship between God and his people. The Chronicler finds in the records of Israel the great overall pattern of God's hand in history. The Lord's constant mercy, love, and faithfulness shine through. With great perception, the Chronicler first selects and then proclaims this vibrant ...
Few sermons or Bible studies focus on Ezra or Haggai, two brief Old Testament books named for relatively unknown figures. But the message of both of these books—their emphasis on building for God, obedience to his Word, and openness to his Spirit—is one that needs to be heard clearly today.
In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Robert Fyall's pairing of Ezra with Haggai enhances ...
The book of Nehemiah is about starting over again. Nehemiah, one of Israel's great leaders, tells firsthand the powerful story of rebuilding ancient Jerusalem's walls after the exile. In the face of great odds, this rebuilding represented the people's renewal of faith, their overcoming of national shame, and the reformation of their conduct.
In this volume, Raymond Brown ...
The book of Esther tells the dramatic story of how the destruction of the Jews was averted through the bravery of Esther, the wisdom of Mordecai, and the unity of the Jewish people. Yet Esther is a rather strange book to find in the Bible. Not only is it set entirely outside of the Promised Land, it also shows no interest in that land. More than that, Esther is the only book in ...
Where do we come from? What is our purpose? The key to how and why we are is found in the early chapters of Genesis. In The Message of Genesis 1–11, David Atkinson explores how the first eleven chapters serve as an overture to the rest of the Bible. They evoke wonder as God is portrayed in his creative power and beauty. They reveal God's loving mercy and salvation, even ...
Genesis sets the scene for the whole of the Bible, and indeed the entire human drama. It is a book both of beginnings and of a new beginning—the dawn of the gospel. In this Bible Speaks Today commentary, Joyce G. Baldwin shows how the vivid narratives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph still speak to us today, highlighting God's ways of dealing with ordinary, imperfect people ...
The whole story of the book of Exodus is a covenant narrative. In Moses' story, the pledges that God made to Abraham are honored and fulfilled as the Israelites are saved from Egypt and guided to the promised land. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, J. Alec Motyer explores what this key part of Scripture testifies about the God of the Bible. Considering the meaning that Exodus ...
What does it mean to be pilgrims in a confusing world? What vision of the good life drives us? In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Raymond Brown explores how the book of Numbers offers a picture of a better life. He shows how its message is eminently suited to our world today, a world without firm spiritual and moral foundations. Numbers pictures life as an accompanied journey, ...