The book of Isaiah presents one of the most challenging pieces of literature in the Hebrew Bible. Over a period of some four hundred years (from the end of the eighth century down to the end of the fourth century BCE), the great prophet Isaiah and his disciples in the Assyrian period, as well as later scholars in Babylonian and Persian times, worked on this marvellous prophetic text. In its final form it resembles a mediaeval cathedral constructed by many gifted people across the centuries. Each piece has its own history, place and function in the whole structure. In this lucid study, Berges interprets the scroll of Isaiah as a 'literal cathedral', written by many hands and empowered by the experience of sorrow and disaster, liberation and joy. In the centre of the book (Isaiah 36-39) and of its theology stands the threat to Zion and the promise of its redemption. The nations that in the first part were taking action against God's city are invited to join the exiled and dispersed people of Israel as it travels home. The reader too is called to journey the same path and to join the congregation of Israel and the nations on their way to the New Jerusalem - not in heaven but on a renewed earth. Methodologically, the book combines synchronic and diachronic perspectives and paves the way to a fruitful conversation between them. The vast reception history of the Book of Isaiah in the Septuagint, the New Testament, and in rabbinic and Christian traditions, as well as in painting and music, is also illustrated by some of the most illuminating examples.

Imagine a life of true happiness, a life of complete honesty with God. Through this study of the Scriptures, you learn how to live a life of gratitude while producing actions that honor God. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. This eight-week volume is part of the Immersion Bible Studies series. Inspired by a fresh translation, the Common English Bible (CEB), Immersion stands firmly on Scripture and helps you explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of your personal faith. Whether you are using the CEB or another translation, Immersion will offer new insights into God s Word, your own life, and your life with God. Psalms features eight sessions."

"The Book of Job in Form" presents to the reader a platform for a personal and intensive encounter with a great work of art. Its bilingual centre offers the text in Hebrew and English, and shows the forty poems in their original form, in 412 strophes and 165 stanzas. The commentary points out how these proportions and the remarkable precision of the poet (who counted syllables on all text levels) affect the thematics of the book, so that the portrait of the hero can be redrawn; his stubbornly defended integrity meets vindication and his last words, generally misunderstood, require a positive understanding. The poetry and its slim framework in prose are a unified composition which deserves a synchronic approach.

2012 Reprint of 1899 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This book is a series of eighteen meditations contrasting the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Murray shows us the blessings God has given us, along with the conditions necessary for the full and continual experience of those. Murray's discussion of covenants is instructive, describing the nature of a covenant, the difference between the two covenants, and the transition between them. His ultimate goal, however, is to show "what exactly the blessings are that God has covenanted to bestow upon us." And here Murray's spiritual insight and ability for profound teaching shines through. His "humble attempt" to instruct the believer can have a renewing and transformative effect.

Dale Patrick examines the first five books of the Bible--the Pentateuch--the Law.He provides an effective method for studying and understanding this vital part of the canon. His introduction concentrates on the exposition of the major thrust of Old Testament Law: the Ten Commandments, the Book of the Covenant, the Deuteronomic Law, the Holiness Code, and the Priestly Law.Law--rules and regulations, concepts and principles, legal codes--written and unwritten. Patrick tackles important questions surrounding the formation of the Law. What is the Law? How was it formulated? What implications does the Law of the Israelites have for Christians today? Patrick's deft handling and answering of these questions results in a book that provides a means to understand the specific rules governing the concepts and principles of the written law so that we may grasp the unwritten law; i.e., the justice, righteousness, and holiness required by God.Patrick offers critical exposition in a format that makes a seemingly difficult and esoteric part of the Bible accessible to the reader. This introductory text serves as a springboard to further study.

To whom is Moses speaking in Deuteronomy? This question is controversial in OT scholarship. Some passages in Deuteronomy indicate that Moses is addressing the first exodus generation that witnessed Horeb (Deut 5:3-4), while other passages point to the second exodus generation that survived the wilderness (Deut 1:35; 2:14-16). Redaction critics such as Thomas Roemer and John Van Seters view the chronological problems in Deuteronomy as evidence of multiple tradition layers. Although other scholars have suggested that Deuteronomy's conflation of chronology is a rhetorical move to unify Israel's generations, no analysis has thus far explored in detail how the blending of "you" and the "fathers" functions as a rhetorical device. However, a rhetorical approach to the "fathers" is especially appropriate in light of three features of Deuteronomy. First, a rhetorical approach recognizes that the repetitiveness of the Deuteronomic style is a homiletical strategy designed to inculcate the audience with memory. The book is shot through with exhortations for Israel to remember the past. Second, a rhetorical approach recognizes that collective memory entails the transformation of the past through actualization for the present. Third, a rhetorical approach to Deuteronomy accords well with the book's self-presentation as "the words that Moses spoke" (1:1). The book of Deuteronomy assumes a canonical posture by embedding the means of its own oral and written propagation, thereby ensuring that the voice of Moses speaking in the book of Deuteronomy resounds in Israel's ears as a perpetually authoritative speech-act. The Rhetoric of Remembrance demonstrates that Deuteronomy depicts the corporate solidarity of Israel in the land promised to the "fathers" (part 1), under the sovereignty of the same "God of the fathers" across the nation's history (part 2), as governed by a timeless covenant of the "fathers" between YHWH and his people (part 3). In the narrative world of Deuteronomy, the "fathers" begin as the patriarchs, while frequently scrolling forward in time to include every generation that has received YHWH's promises but nonetheless continues to await their fulfillment. Hwang's study is an insightful, innovative approach that addresses crucial aspects of the Deuteronomic style with a view to the theological effect of that style. Jerry Hwang (Ph.D., Wheaton College) serves as Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Singapore Bible College.

So resounding is its message that echoes of the Exodus are heard throughout the Old and New Testaments and the present. Exodus names and terms permeate our biblical and liturgical vocabularies: Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron, burning bush, I AM," plagues, Passover, manna, Ten Commandments, forty days and forty nights, Ark of the Covenant. The Exodus experience, indeed, is central to both Jewish and Christian traditions. Exodus is, as Mark Smith reminds us, not only an ancient text but also "today's story, calling readers to work against oppression and to participate in a covenant relationship with one another and God." With Smith as their experienced guide, readers are able to march through this basic book of the Bible with textual difficulties solved and stacked up like a wall to their right and left, just as the Israelites "marched on dry land through the midst of the sea with the water like a wall to their right and to their left" (14:29). Undoubtedly, when finished, readers will be closer to the Promised Land than when they started.

"Mark S. Smith is Skirbal Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at New York University. He has served as visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Smith was elected vice president of the Catholic Biblical Association in 2009.""

Comprehensive and understandable, the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series brings the timeless messages and relevance of the Old Testament to todays readers. With recent scholarship, this series provides vital background and addresses important questions such as authorship and cultural context. The New Collegeville Bible Commentary books use the New American Bible translation and will appeal to preachers, teachers, Bible study groups, and all readers of the Bible. First and Second Samuel tell the story of the beginnings of monarchy in ancient Israel. These two powerful narratives present many great figures of biblical historySamuel, Saul, and Davidand explore the complex interaction of historical developments and human fidelity under God. In the books of Samuel, characters interact to influence and persuade, to express motivation and desire, and to shape the readers understanding of the issues that faced the Israelites as they responded to Gods invitation to covenant. Through the medium of story, the reader shares in the perennial struggle to discover, in the midst of personal and political conflict, God's ways for humanity.

Synopsis: Although the book of Psalms is a collection of ancient hymns and poems originally written in Hebrew, it continues to be a source of fascination and inspiration. The psalms live on because they reflect a profound belief in a God who was involved with people and with human affairs-a God who had done wonderful things in the past, for which he should be praised and held in awe; a God to whom complaints could be addressed because of apparent inactivity on behalf of those loyal to him in the present; a God who, despite the distresses and difficulties of those who called upon him, could be trusted to ensure justice in the future. The Psalter contains some very human responses to a God who was sometimes very real to those who addressed him and who sometimes seemed deaf to their cries. Adrian Curtis invites his readers to enter into the world of the Psalms and to find there, sometimes surprisingly, experiences and emotions that resonate with their own. Author Biography: Adrian Curtis is Honorary Research Fellow in the Department for Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester.

How does someone obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? How do they apply them to their lives? This volume of Immersion Bible Studies focuses on touchstone Scriptures that reveal the essence of wisdom as found in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Written in a conversational tone, this study engages readers in the virtues shared while deepening their love of the Bible. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided, as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they ll be able to discover God s revelation through readings and reflections."

The narrative of the book of Ruth is a drama of ordinary human life, but the drama unfolds against a background of the providence and purposes of God. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld has written a commentary that makes very clear why the book of Ruth has such great importance as literature and as Scripture. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

The oracle against the King of Tyre, found in Ezekiel 28.12-19, is a difficult text that inspired diverse interpretations in Late Antiquity. For example, according to one rabbinic tradition the text spoke of the first man, Adam, while the Church Fathers found in the same text a description of the fall of Satan. This book studies the rabbinic sources, patristic literature, the Targum, and the ancient translations, and seeks to understand the reasons for the diverse interpretation, the interaction between the exegetical traditions and the communities of interpreters, in particular between Jews and Christians, and the effect the specific form and wording of the text had on the formation and development of each interpretation.

Many Christians wrestle with biblical passages in which God commands the slaughter of the Canaanites-men, women, and children. The issue of the morality of the biblical God is one of the major challenges for faith today. How can such texts be Holy Scripture?In this bold and innovative book Douglas Earl grasps the bull by the horns and guides readers to new and unexpected ways of looking at the book of Joshua. Drawing on insights from the early church and from modern scholarship, Earl argues that we have mistakenly read Joshua as a straightforward historical account and have ended up with a genocidal God. In contrast, Earl offers a theological interpretation in which the mass killing of Canaanites is a deliberate use of myth to make important theological points that are still valid today. Christopher J. H. Wright then offers a thoughtful response to Earl's provocative views. The book closes with Earl's reply to Wright and readers are encouraged to continue the debate.

W. Eugene March shares the amazing journey of God s chosen people from slavery in Egypt to the freedom before entering into the Promised Land as described in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This eight-week study focuses on real life issues such as conflicts, leadership, holy living, and offerings. While these books of the Bible take a scholars approach to the story of the Israelites, Immersion Bible Studies: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers is written in easy to understand language that explains and clarifies the Scripture and helps grow our faith. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided, as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation the Common English Bible stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they ll be able to discover God s revelation through readings and reflections."

Though Christians believe themselves to be held in the care of the of the God of love and strength, yet they find that sufferings come their way. Moreover, whole communities, even whole nations, experience sufferings - all of which frequently raises the question, 'Where is the God of Justice?' This book explores this question.

Take a Refreshing Plunge into theBible

Journey inside the pages of Scripture andyou ll meet a personal God who enters individual lives and begins a creative workfrom the inside out. Immersion Bible Studies is your guide forthat journey. Shaped with the individual in mind, Immersionencourages simultaneous engagement both with the Word of God and with the God of theWord to become a new creation in Christ.

Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation, the CommonEnglish Bible, stands firmly on Scripture and helps you explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of your personal faith. More importantly, you llbe able to discover God 's revelation to you through readings andreflections.

So, take the plunge and find the transforming loveand knowledge of a personal God. Job features 6 sessions.

Full of Judgment, Full of Eyes When it comes to the Hebrew prophets of old, few can match the obscurity of Ezekiel, the son of Buzi. Largely ignored by New Testament writers, he is thought to have seen a UFO and provided an archaic description. The rabbis of Israel thought otherwise, convinced that Ezekiel's merkebah held the secrets of all creation. But there is much more than chariots here, as author Joe Conti deftly explains: > Why the cherubim are the essence of life, reflected in life below > Why their 3-to-1 grouping validates the quadriform gospel accounts > Why the fall of Tyre confirms his writings, together with Babylon's tree > Why Gog and Magog are not Russia - Turkey is the nation to watch This is a game of last man standing, as the Son of man gets a glimpse of glory, plunges the nations into the pit, breaks the idolatry of the Jews, and brings them back in fear to Zion, the mountain of the Lord.

2011 Reprint of 1944 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. In "What Religious Science Teaches," Ernest Holmes references the great spiritual texts of the world, from the Upanishads to the Kabala, showing us how we are the masters of our own fate. According to Holmes, shorn of dogmatism, freed from superstition, and always ready for greater illumination, Religious Science offers the student of life the best that the world has so far discovered. Holmes shows how the ideas of Religious Science have been treated by Taoism, Hindu scriptures, the Koran, the Talmud and other great teachings of the world.

Drawing on both pastoral and scholarly experience, John Holbert offers a fresh approach to the preaching of a familiar scripture.To be a Joban preacher, he says, is to draw on the pain and honesty inherent in the text. Holbert understands the preacher's task as interpreting the whole of the book of job, not just the narrative and the poetry.This integrative approach allows the book's entire theology to inform sermons. Included for illustration are an embodied sermon and a narrative sermon based on passages from Job.

"The purpose of this collection of Brueggemann's essays is to bring to the fore a much more extensive critical engagement on his part with the current discussion about the Old Testament, its character, its authority, its theology, and especially its God.... Readers of these essays who think they may have grasped what Brueggemann has to say about the theology of the Old Testament from reading his magnum opus will find that he is still thinking, still listening, and still helping us understand the scriptures of Israel and the church at an ever deeper level."