Understanding the Old Testament is the crucial problem for the Christian. The three parts of this book (the Old Testament and scholarship, the Old Testament and theology, and The Old Testament and life) present issues rarely discussed by Christians, as well as models and solutions for age-old dilemmas.
A reprint of a classic exposition of the understanding of the Old Testament. Rowley brings the Old Testament back to the forefront of Scholarship and finds rich meaning in much of what has previously been buried. Increasingly men are turning their thoughts to the deeper message of the Old Testament, and finding richer meaning in the light of all work that has been done. The Old Testament need not to be buried beneath the weight of scholarship, but may rather stand on the foundation of scholarship, sustained by it and firmly upheld before men - from the Preface.
In this six week video study, Adam Hamilton explores the key points in his new book, Making Sense of the Bible. With the help of this Leader Guide, groups learn from Hamilton as his video presentations lead groups through the book, focusing on the most important questions we ask about the Bible, its origins and meaning.
In 1929, a remarkable discovery was made by archaeologists at Ras Shamra in syria; beneath the soils of a small hill, they discovered the remains and libraries of the ancient city of Ugarit, which had been destroyed by barbarian invaders shortly after 1200BC. This book tells the story of that discovery and describes the life and civilization of the ancient city of Ugarit. In addition to updating the story with more recent archeological finds, this study recounts and assesses the extraordinary impact that the rediscovery has had on the last 50 years of the Old Testament studies. Written in a non-technical fashion, Ugarit and the Old Testament should be of interest to all readers of the Bible, particularly students and pastors concerned with the impact of contemporary archaeological discoveries on Old Testament studies.
One hundred and fifty years of sustained archaeological investigation has yielded a more complete picture of the ancient Near East. The Old Testament in Archaeology and History combines the most significant of these archaeological findings with those of modern historical and literary analysis of the Bible to recount the history of ancient Israel and its neighboring nations and empires. Eighteen international authorities contribute chapters to this introductory volume. After exploring the history of modern archaeological research in the Near East and the evolution of biblical archaeology as a discipline, this textbook follows the Old Testament's general chronological order, covering such key aspects as the exodus from Egypt, Israel's settlement in Canaan, the rise of the monarchy under David and Solomon, the period of the two kingdoms and their encounters with Assyrian power, the kingdoms' ultimate demise, the exile of Judahites to Babylonia, and the Judahites' return to Jerusalem under the Persians along with the advent of Jewish identity. Each chapter is tailored for an audience new to the history of ancient Israel in its biblical and ancient Near Eastern setting. The end result is an introduction to ancient Israel combined with and illuminated by more than a century of archaeological research. The volume brings together the strongest results of modern research into the biblical text and narrative with archaeological and historical analysis to create an understanding of ancient Israel as a political and religious entity based on the broadest foundation of evidence. This combination of literary and archaeological data provides new insights into the complex reality experienced by the peoples reflected in the biblical narratives.
The contemporary church dismisses Christianity's foundational Scriptures at its own peril. However, the teachings of the Old Testament are less and less at the center of congregational preaching and conversation. The early church fathers--visionaries such as Augustine, Origen, and Tertullian--embraced the Hebrew Scriptures, allowing the Old Testament to play a central role in the formation of their beliefs. As today's Christians struggle to relate to concepts such as the Jewish law and the prophets, pastors and laypersons benefit from looking through the lenses of these thoughtful pioneers. This latest volume in the Evangelical Ressourcement series helps the Old Covenant to come alive.
There’s always more… What’s to be learned from walking a well-worn trail? Much! What’s to be discovered by exploring a 2,000-year-old story? A lot! Ancient Paths: The Rediscovery of Delight in the Word of God is a prophetic call to return to the ancient paths of finding God through long and loving meditation. In this urgent hour, the Lord is calling a people to pull away from the busyness of our culture, and learn to hear again through the word of God. Revolutionary chapter topics include: The crisis in the church with the Word How to go beyond knowing the Scriptures to actually hearing them Meditation and the Word Breaking Strongholds Messengers who "eat the scroll" In this critical moment, God is drawing His people back to the source, His word. This alone will restore our souls, our lives and our witness in the earth, while awakening our ears to hear again.
Creation Rediscovered, by Jeffery M. Leonard, guides readers through a contextual reading of the Bibles creation stories. Over the last two centuries, few subjects have generated as much controversy for Christians as has creation. The whethers, whens, and hows of creation have often become a battlefield in which the pitched forces of competing sidesDarwinists and creationists, young-earthers and old, figurativists and literalistshave struggled for the upper hand. Like most battles, this fight has tended to inflict a fair amount of collateral damage along the way. This is especially true for those put in the terrible position of feeling they have had to choose between the Bible they have fallen in love with and the science they have studied. In this book, Jeffery Leonard writes to fellow travelers in the faith who want to take the biblical text seriously, while at the same time appreciate sciences exploration of what we consider to be Gods creation. It is his contention that setting the Bibles creation texts back within their ancient context allows us to do both of these things. Indeed, Leonard believes that when we reread what the Bible has to say about creation in its original setting, we find meaning in the text far more profound than what we have previously imagined. Key points and features: • Written by a Bible scholar • Unique, timely, and fresh interpretation • Helps readers see the Bibles creation stories as vessels of healing and hope in Gods larger plan for humanity • Attempts to redirect Christians to read the ancient creation stories within the context in which they were written