Biblefaktor

Suppose you find, in an old trunk, a thick packet of letters written by your great uncle. You soon realize they are all out of order. One he wrote from the trenches of Franceduring World War I. The next also refers tons war, but from the references to British prime minister Winston Churchill you soon recognize it as World War II, over 20 years later. Those letters might contain the whole of your uncle's life, but to get his story straight, you'd have to read the whole packet. A reader of Jeremiah finds a very similar situation. The book is an anthology of prophecies given at different times. They jump forward and backward in history, and if you imagine that the book is in chronological order, you will become very confused. Fortunately, it is not hard to reconstruct the order of the main events of Jeremiah's life. Jeremiah spoke to a nation about to be destroyed by war. Three hundred years before him, the Israelites had split into two countries, Is real in the North an...

In the eighth century B.C., about the time Homer was writing The lliad and The Odyssey, Isaiah wrote the book that bears his name. It is arguably the most eloquent book in the Old Testament, and you will likely recognize many verses and phrases. Isaiah is full of profound insights into the nature of God and his plan for the earth. Due to its length and its peculiar organization, however, the book may seem hard to grasp. Remember that Isaiah consists of a collection of many messages on various topics, pulled together into groupings. To understand Isaiah, it helps to think of “road markers” that set off the major groupings. Here is a summary of them: Isaiah 1-12: Isaiah’s call and messages of warning to Judah during the prosperous days of the kingdom. (These came mostly in the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz. Isaiah 13-23: Isaiah's messages to all the nations around Judah-including enemies and close allies. Isaiah 24-35: A view of the earth’s future (24-27) and specific...

Since love songs are always popular, many people approach Song of Songs with great expectations. However, readers often find the book different from what they had expected. Two main problems may hinder today's reader. One is the poetic imagery. No modern lover would say, "Your hair is like a flock of goats" (4:1), "Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon" (7:4). While some images in Song of Songs appeal-"His banner over me is love" (2:4) or "Love is as strong as death" (8:6)-the majority of the book's metaphors sound strange to our ears. Most of the comparisons aren't visual, but emotional. For instance, when the lover tells his beloved that "your two breasts are like two fawns" (4:5), he isn't saying that her breast looks like deer. Hhe is saying that they bring out the same tender feelings baby deer do. When you read strange-sounding metaphors in Song of Songs, don't ask, "What did these things (pomegrana...

Ecclesiastes attracts extreme reactions. For several hundred years, Jewish scholars fiercely debated whether the book should even be included in the Old Testament. Yet American novelist Thomas Wolfe said of it, "Ecclesiastes is the greatest single place of writing I have ever known, and the wisdom expressed in it the most lasting and profound." Because of the book's unique nature, it is important to keep certain principles in mind while reading it. Consider Ecclesiastes as a whole. The teacher was exploring various philosophies of life. During his search, he tried different approaches, including hedonism, the unrestrained pursuit of pleasure. The book honestly records the authors search without endorsing it. At times then author concludes with despairing statements that directly contradicts other parts of the Bible (for example, the recurring phase, "Everything is meaningless"). Read such individual statements in their context. Just as the book of Job cont...

People love to quote proverbs. Often the express truth about life in an elegant, witty kernel. You’ll find more humour in Proverbs than anywhere else in the Bible. Yet Proverbs may as well be the most abused books in the Bible. People often quote the proverbs as though they were absolute promises from God or rigid rules for living. In fact, few of the proverbs should be read that way. And some proverbs, read alone, would give you a distorted point of view. To understand Proverbs, you should no hunt through it for proverbs you like. You should study the whole book to get its overall point of view. This takes time, for Proverbs covers dozens of subjects in subtle detail. Each oif the more than 500 proverbs is a tough but you have to crack before you get the inner meat. Read Proverbs slowly, but not for too long as one sitting. Some people like to read a small number of proverbs each day in addition to their regular Bible readings. Others concentrate on memorizing proverbs, so...

The best way to read the psalms is also the most common way to make these ancient prayers your own and speak them directly to God. So many of the poems catch such deep human feelings that you can’t help being moved by them. But not all the psalms seem attractive. Some sound harsh, self-congratulatory, or boring. You will not find it easy to pray these until you understand them. And there are so many psalms! This is the longest book in the Bible. To compensate, many peoplke read only selected psalms, skimming over the others. But then they miss the deeper messages found there, including the messages that the New Testament writers saw when they quoted Psalms more than any other Old Testament book. The richest lessons from Psalms may come from particularly difficult poems you must read again and again until you begin to see what the author had in mind. The original Hebrew of these poems probably used no rhyme or strict rhythm as traditional English poems do. Instead the psalmists...

The book of Job is regarded as one of the world's truly great literacy masterpiece. It contains some of the finest, most expressive poetry in the Bible. Yet first-time readers of Job can easily get lost because the complete "story line" is found in the first two chapters and the last one. Everything in between consists of a series of speeches. Rather than reading large sections of the book, read one entire speech by Job, or a speech by Job and a rebuttal from one of his friends. It may help if you try to summarize the statement behind each speech in one sentence and write that sentence in the margin (for example, "Job protests that he's innocent"). Speakers of that day impressed their audience more by eloquence than by rigorous logic, so the speeches may seem flowery. The issues Job and his friends address, however, are life-and- death ones. As you read the speeches of Job's friends, remember that their views do not necessarily reflect God's. The...

Esther makes such suspenseful reading that most people will find it hard to quit. As in a detective story, every detail folds into another. You don't know, from one page to the next, how the drama will turn out. The essence of Esther lies in its characters. Study Esther, Mordecai, Haman, and King Xerxes. What kind of people were they? What were their ambitions? What were their strengths and weaknesses? What crucial moment showed the true character of each? What do you learn from them that can help you rise to the challenge when you are "the right person at the right place at the right time"? Knowing the historical setting for Esther's story can enrich your study. A good commentary or Bible dictionary (under "Esther") will illuminate many of the details that make Esther sch a convincing historical document. People You'll Meet in Esther - Esther - Mordecai

Nehemiah's personality is the outstanding quality of the book that bears his name. No other biblical character gives such clear information about how to "practice the presence of Good" while carrying a leadership role. As you head, take note of the qualities that made Nehemiah successful as a leader and man of God. You may also so wish to contrast his leadership with Ezra's. They worked in tandem but had very different styles. Nehemiah was an activist, Ezra a student; Nehemiah was outspoken, Ezra more withdrawn. Yet both faced similar problems and had similar success- and the two worked smoothly together. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah both tell how the disgraced and chastened Jews returned from exile to rebuild their country. As history, Nehemiah includes some long lists of different family groups, as well as a detailed description of who built which parts of the Jerusalem wall. Unless you are an advanced student, you should skim this lists mainly to get an underst...

The book of Ezra describes several highly emotional events. Yet it reads like a historical report, citing official documents, letters, and lists written over an 80-year span. You are often left to imagine for yourself the feelings of the retuning exiles. The book can, therefore, seem confusing and dry unless you take time to imagine how the scenes must have looked and reflect on how people must have felt. The three distinct periods Ezra deals with all have the same theme: a new beginning for God's people. In each situation God gave opportunity and the outside world threatened it. God's people drifted back and forth in their response. Carefully take note of the "messages" from bothe God and the world, and how the Israelite responded. Examine Ezra's model, as an unwavering man of the law as well as of deep personal faith. To understand how Ezra fits into Israel's long-term pattern of response to God and the world, read some historical background. A...

You will recognize many of the stories in 2 Chronicles-about half of it closely follow other Bible passages. The author freely admits he has relied on he books of Moses, Samuel, and Kings. He also quotes from Judges, Jeremiah, Psalms, Isaiah, an Lamentations, as well as many books that have been lost to history. But 2 Chronicles does not merely repeat. It weaves together stories and facts to a specific purpose: a Jewish philosophy of history. Chronicles sheds new light on that history by highlighting rare moments of peace and posperity. Worship of the true God had made Israel strong. As you read, notice how 2 Chronicles underscores that fact by stressing the temple and priests. For comparison, you may want to read companion passages in the book of Kings. Read side by side, the accounts clearly reveal the distinct purpose behind the book of Chronicles. Look past all the names and events for the few kings who rights. What made them successful? What lessons about faith c...

Few will enjoy reading 1 Chronicles' many lists and geneologies straight through. You should approach them more like a puzzle. Don't get lost in the hundreds of names. Instead, try to understand how the different parts of 1 Chronicles fit together. For each section ask, "Why was this included? What did it mean to the original audience-to the Israelite who had returned from exile in Babylon? How did it encourage them as they made a new beginning?" First Chronicles divides cleanly into two parts. The first nine chapters are mainly lists of names. In these, the Israelites read their family tree and discovered their heritage. Chapters 10 to 29 tell David's story, focusing on the legacy he left behind for future generations-especially the temple. David, a founding father of Israel, transformed the nation in a way that lasted hundreds of years. People You'll Meet in 1 Chronicles Joab Abishai Asahel

The first eight chapters of 2 Kings, full of excitement and adventure, read easily. They focus on the last days of the prophet Elijaah and on the long life of his successor Elisha. But beginning with chapter 9, the book can become very confusing. It switches back and forth between two histories: that of Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Israel was strong initially, with 10 of the 12 tribes united there. But it proved less faithful to God and was ultimately destroyed by Assyria. Chapters 18-25 cover the period after the Assyrian invasion, when only Judah existed. One important reason for studying the books of Kings and Chronicles is that they give historical background on the prophets. Elijah and Elisha appeared at a crucial turning point in the history of the Northern Kingdom, just as Ahab was changing the official religion from worship of God to worship of Baal. Other prophets, who wrote books of the Bible, were also active during this time. Amos and Hosea concentrated...

First and Second Kings were originally one book: The same Hebrew scroll contained both. Hebrew, having no vowels, is a very compact language, and when the book of Kings was translated into the wordier Greek and Latin, more space was needed. Translators arbitrarily split Kings. The two books, however, should be read as one. First Kings divides neatly almost in half, with mostly good news in the first half. It tells of Israel’s Golden Age, when King Solomon brought peace and prosperity to the nation. But he also sowed the seed o the calamities to follow. Chapter 12 marks the beginning of a civil war that ruptured Israel into two nations: Is real in the North and Judah in the South. The rest of 1, 2 Kings describes, ruler by ruler the signs of 19 kingsin the North and 19 kings and one queen in the South. Another book, 2 Chronicles, covers the exact same historical period as 1, 2 Kings. In some cases, 2 Chronicles adds ore details, so if the story interests you, read the parallel accou...

Second Samuel continues without a break, the story begun in 1 Samuel-the two were originally one book. The difference is that David, who once sought only to survive now seeks to unify a badly divided country. His greater responsibilities put extra stress on his leadership qualities. You can study his life with leadership in mind. You can also study chapters 11-20 to see the cancerous effects of a leaders sins and poor family leadership. Chapters 21-24 seem to be an appendix, bringing in other important events and facts of David’s reign. Much of 2 Samuel’s story is also told in 1Chronicles 11-21 often word for word the same. People You'll Meet in 2 Samuel David Abner Nathan Bethsheba Absalom

Phrases in the first two paragraphs of Joshua hint at the tone to follow. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God promised. “I will give you every place where you set your foot.” “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you….. that you may be successful wherever you go.” Often the Israelites offer examples of what not to do. Already the books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy have given negative examples, and the historical books to follow will describe further failures in lurid detail. But the Old Testament does offer a few bright spots of hope, the book of Joshua being one of the brightest. (The “good news” character of Joshua causes some people to compare it to the New Testament books of Ephesians and Philippians, which share its success-and-triumph tone. You may want to read one of those New Testament books along with Joshua.) Fast-paced battle action appears in chapter 1-11, “the book of war.” The latter chapters, “the book of distribution,” mostly conce...

Some of the stories of 1 Samuel-David and Goliath, for instance-are justly famous as great adventures, but you should read for more than excitement. Look for insights into the character for leadership. Samuel and David were great leaders. Saul, on the other hand was a miserable failure. These men led Israel during a crucial, bloody period. Israel had been dominated by a foreign power and, partly because of this, was changing its government to a monarchy. This change in governmental institutions, along with tribal tensions, forms the background of the book. A good commentary can help explain this, but you can get much of it by yourself by asking, as you read, three questions: What are the most important national problems facing Israel? What kind of leadership is needed? How do these three leaders (and numerous smaller figures) respond to these needs? People You’ll Meet in 1 Samuel Hannah Eli Samuel Saul Jonathan Abigail

Ruth, brief enough to read in 15 minutes, is a delight. The German poet Goethe called it “the loveliest complete work on a small scale.” But because Ruth’s author didn’t hammer his points home, it is possible to overlook his deeper meaning. As you read, concentrate on the loving bond between Ruth and Naomi. This love, which thrived in suffering, is the root of the book. It offers hope for other people in hard circumstances. The author of Ruth assumed that readers understood the cultural and historical background of Ruth’s time. You may need to read about it for deeper understanding. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 describes the background on marriage for a widow with a member of her husband’s family, the kinsmen-redeemer.” Leviticus 25:23-28 gives background on a poor person’s property. The introduction to Judges Offers historical perspective, for the book of Judges is an overview of the difficult times Ruth lived in. People You’ll Meet in Ruth Ruth

You can read Judges as a collection of heroic stories, the most famous of which are Gideon’s and Samson’s. But together the tale tells a less heroic story. Read Judges, therefore, on two levels at once. On one level focus on the new beginning God repeatedly offered by sending a judges to rescue Israel. These are character stories with great fascination. You can gain a great deal by studying the strengths and weakness of the individual judges. On another level, read of the deterioration of a nation that quickly forgot what God had done for it. This will help you understand why, in the next stage  Israel’s history, God gave the Israelite a king. For background on this change of government, read “The first King,”. Another interesting study is the book of Ruth, a lovely story from the time of Judges that shows a softer, more hopeful side. People You’ll Meet in Judges Deborah Gideon Samson

Early in this century archaeologists began turning up samples of Near Eastern treaties. These “suzerainty treaties” set down in official form the relationship between a powerful king (suzerain) and the people he ruled over. Such treaties shed new light on the book of Deuteronomy, which seems to follow very closely the pattern of such treaty. Typically, a treaty with a powerful king consisted of the following element: A preamble identifying the parties of the treaty, such as king and a small cluster of treaties who want his protection. A capsule history describing previous relations between the two parties. Rules defining each party’s obligations. The king may swear to defend some tribes with his armies in return for allegiance, taxes, and a percentage of produce. Witnesses to the treaties, including, in many cases, a list of gods. Curses and blessings specifying what will take place if one of the parties breaks the treaty. The king may promise the people prosperity and...

People who read straight through Numbers very often come away confused or discouraged. The begins with a long description of a census and proceeds into lists of laws and rituals. These were the official records of a nation, and each word had great significance for the Israelite. (Imagine how our Yellow Pages or Congressional Record would appear to people 3,000 years from now.) Yet, unlike Leviticus, Numbers does not consist mainly of these long descriptions. Rather, it focuses on stories, with laws and rituals sprinkled in at various points. The stories are exciting, and some, such as the story of Balaam, are quite remarkable. The action in Numbers takes place in three different settings: Chapters 1-14 begin in the same place Exodus ended: at the foot of Mount Sinai. Chapters 15-19 cover a period of 37 years, the time of the desert wanderings. Moses’ summary in chapter 33 lists 42 stops in the desert, but Numbers details very few of them. Chapter 20-36 concern a who...

Many well-intention-ed readers, determined to read the Bible from the beginning to end, bog down in Leviticus. It’s a law book, a procedural manual for getting along with a holy and powerful God. Sheer detail can bore you, especially if you miss the point behind it. When you read the Bible, careful attention to detail is usually key to understanding. In Leviticus, however, you will get more from looking at the big picture than from studying the details. Some laws we simply don’t understand. But Leviticus as a whole shows what kind of people God wanted the Israelite to be. As you read, keep your mind on the big picture. Try to imagine how these laws affected everyday life. Keep asking yourself: How would these laws make the Israelite different from other people-and why were those differences important to God?

Exodus divides neatly into two parts. The first 20 chapters, on the Israelite's flight from Egypt, read like an exciting novel. Movies based on the action here have strained Hollywood special-effect crews. Everything else in the Old Testament flows out of the events of the exodus-these 20 chapters simply cannot be missed. As you read Exodus, look for important lessons that apply to your life. For example, study the life of Moses, one of a handful of truly great leaders in history. Chapter 18 shows Moses learning an important leadership principle, and chapter 32-35 encounters and conversations with God that have no equal in the Bible. Exodus contains much material about the nature of God. Search for each place where God makes an appearance. Exodus shows a greater proportion of miracles-direct supernatural acts of God-than any part of the Bible except the Gospels. Why were these miracles done? Can you see a pattern? What should the Israelite have learned from them? ...

Genesis is one of the most enjoyable Old Testament books, full of memorable stories of people and events. It is a crucial book to know, for the rest of the bible often refers back to it. Genesis tells the story of many beginnings-the beginning of the universe, the beginning of sin, and perhaps most important, the beginning of God’s work to restore a sinful humanity. The book breaks into two major sections. The first 11 chapters take a big view. They give the origin of human society, including the familiar story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah’s ark, and the tower of Babel. Here, a few words carry great significance. You need to read slowly and reflectively, for what happens in a single line may echo off events for centuries to come. For instance, Adam and Eve’s sin, because it was the first sin, became an emblem of disobedience against God. Beginning at chapter 12, Genesis tells a different kind of story-that of a single family. The pace of the story slows to d...