Table of Contents
Introduction xv
About: The Pentateuch 2
The Days of Creation Genesis 1:1-2:4 3
Adam and Eve Genesis 2:4-24 5
The Fall of Adam and Eve Genesis 3 7
Cain and Abel Genesis 4 9
Noah and the Flood Genesis 6-9 11
The Tower of Babel Genesis 11 13
About: The Fertile Crescent 15
The Call of Abraham Genesis 12 18
About: Melchizedek 22
God's Covenant with Abraham Genesis 15 24
Hagar and Ishmael Genesis 16; 21 26
Abraham and Isaac Genesis 22 28
Sarah Genesis 12; 21 30
Finding a Wife for Isaac Genesis 24 32
About: Family in the Old Testament 34
Jacob and Esau Genesis 25:19-34; 27 36
Jacob's Vision of God Genesis 28:10-22 39
About: Leah, Rachel, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel 41
Jacob Returns to the Land of His Fathers Genesis 31-33 43
Joseph and His Brothers Genesis 37 45
About: Egypt in the Time of the Patriarchs 47
Joseph and Pharaoh Genesis 39-41 49
Joseph and His Brothers Are Reconciled Genesis 42-45 51
About:From Joseph to Moses 54
The Birth of Moses Exodus 1-2 56
Moses Meets God in the Burning Bush Exodus 3 58
Pharaoh's Contest with God Exodus 5-6 60
About: Election in the Old Testament 62
Passover Exodus 11-13 64
Journey to the Sea Exodus 14:1-15:21 66
Testing in the Desert Exodus 15:22-17:16 68
About: Miriam 70
The Hebrews Meet God at Sinai Exodus 19 72
About: The Sabbath 74
I Am the Lord Your God Exodus 20:1-11 76
About: Law in the Old Testament 79
Loving the Neighbor Exodus 20:7-21 81
About: The Book of Leviticus 83
Into the Wilderness Number 14 85
About: The Book of Deuteronomy 87
About: The Historical Books 89
Rahab and the Fall of Jericho Joshua 2; 6 90
About: Joshua 92
Joshua Renews the Covenant Joshua 23-24 94
About: The Settlement of Canaan 96
Deborah, Barak, and Jael Judges 4-5 98
About: The World of the Judges 100
Gideon's Small Army Judges 6-8 102
Samson the Flawed Hero Judges 16 104
Naomi and Ruth Ruth 107
Hannah's Song 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11 110
About: Women in Old Testament Times 113
God Calls to Samuel 1 Samuel 3 115
Samuel and Saul 1 Samuel 10-12 118
The Young David 1 Samuel 16-17 120
David and Jonathan 1 Samuel 18 122
Saul and David 1 Samuel 24; 28 125
David and Abigail 1 Samuel 25 127
David the King 2 Samuel 5-6 129
About: Jerusalem 132
David, Bathsheba, and Nathan 2 Samuel 11-12 134
David and Absalom 2 Samuel 18 137
David's Later Years 2 Samuel 19-24 139
The Wisdom of Solomon 1 Kings 3 141
About: The Temple 144
Solomon Builds the Temple 1 Kings 8 146
About: Sacrifice in the Old Testament 148
Solomon Neglects God 1 King 11 150
The Division of David's Kingdom 1 Kings 12:1-19 152
Jeroboam Is King of Israel 1 Kings 11:26-40; 12:20-13:34 154
About: Ahab, Jezebel, and the Gods of Canaan 156
Elijah Is Fed by God 1 Kings 17 158
About: Prophets and Prophecy 160
Elijah Confronts Baal 1 Kings 18 162
The Still Small Voice 1 Kings 19 164
Elisha and the Healing of Naaman 2 King 2; 5 166
About: Assyria 168
Amos Denounces Empty Religion Amos 5 170
Hosea and His Unfaithful Wife Hosea 1-2 173
About: The Kingdom of Judah 175
Isaiah's Vision Isaiah 6 178
About: The Three Isaiahs 180
Isaiah's Message Isaiah 1-2 182
A Savior Will Come Isaiah 9; 11 185
Micah's Call for Justice Micah 6 188
About: Care for the Poor 191
The Promised Ruler from Bethlehem Micah 5 193
About: Hope in the Old Testament 195
The Rule of Manasseh 2 Kings 21 197
Nahum Celebrates the Fall of Nineveh Nahum 200
Zephaniah Attacks Complacency Zephaniah 202
King Josiah's Reform 2 Kings 23 206
About: The Rise of Babylon 208
Habakkuk's Reprimand Habakkuk 210
The Sack of Jerusalem and the Fall of Judah 2 Kings 24-25 212
About: Jeremiah 214
Jeremiah's Temple Sermon Jeremiah 7; 26 216
Jeremiah Speaks against Jerusalem Jeremiah 28 218
Sorrow for the Fall of Judah Lamentations 1 220
Jeremiah's Message of Hope Jeremiah 29; 31 223
The Anger of Obadiah Obadiah 225
About: Jews in Exile 227
The Call of Ezekiel Ezekiel 2-3 229
Ezekiel on Individual Responsibility Ezekiel 18 231
Creating a New People Ezekiel 36-37 233
About: The Priestly Writers 235
The Time for Consolation Isaiah 40 237
The Power of God's Word Isaiah 43; 55 240
About: The Rise of Persia 243
A God for All the Nations Isaiah 43 245
The Suffering Servant Isaiah 52:13-53:12 247
About: The Return to Jerusalem 249
Baruch's Message to Refugees Baruch 251
Haggai and the Temple Haggai 254
Zechariah's Visions of Hope Zechariah 1-2 256
Malachi's Warnings Malachi 258
Ezra and the Gentile Spouses Ezra 9 260
About: Nehemiah 262
Ezra and the Law Nehemiah 8-9 264
Joel's Call to Repentance Joel 266
About: The Synagogue 269
Jonah's Mission to the Gentiles Jonah 271
About: Persian Influences in the Old Testament 273
Esther Saves the People Esther 275
About: The Greeks 277
The Faithfulness of Tobit Tobit 8-9 280
About: The Books of Maccabees 283
The Mother and Her Sons 2 Maccabees 7 285
About: The Romans 287
Daniel the Wise Hero Daniel 6 289
About: The Pharisees 292
About: The Psalms 294
Human Dignity Psalm 8 296
A Song of Repentance Psalm 51 298
The Lord Is My Shepherd Psalm 300
Does God Forsake Us? Psalm 22 302
Job and His Friends Job 20-21 304
Job Speaks to God 40; 42 306
About: Proverbs and the Song of Songs 309
Ecclesiastes on Vanity Ecclesiastes 1-3 311
About: Jewish Life in Alexandria 314
The Meaning of a Good Life Wisdom 3-4 316
The Misuse of the Tongue Sirach 19-20 318
Glossary 321
Suggested Reading 327