The Bible Jesus Read
Why the Old Testament Matters
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4.6 • 18 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Take a pilgrimage through some of the most challenging—and rewarding—parts of the Old Testament with bestselling author Philip Yancey.
Because it is often daunting, many Christians approach Old Testament carefully. Or avoid it altogether. But each of the books of the Old Testament—"the Bible Jesus read"—contains an essential part of the story of grace.
"The more we comprehend the Old Testament," Yancey writes, "the more we comprehend Jesus."
In The Bible Jesus Read, Yancey challenges the perception that the New Testament is more important than the Old. Writing with keen insight into the human condition and God’s provision for it, he sets off on a personal journey through the parts we most like to keep at arm’s length—Job, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Prophets—and he asks us to bring our own questions, concerns, and our openness to the wonders of God.
We may discover that this set of writings that comprise the Old Testament is at once as mystifying and strangely satisfying as life itself—that it’s worth the effort it takes to read and wrestle with. Because reading the Scriptures that Jesus so revered gives us a profound new understanding of Christ, the Cornerstone of the new covenant.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Yancey is an astute author who challenges Christians' assumptions without alienating them. In The Bible Jesus Read, Yancey encourages readers to consider how Hebrew Scripture--what Christians call the Old Testament--is relevant to their own lives. His premise is that although many Christians tacitly consider the New Testament more important than the Old, the New Testament was written after Jesus' earthly ministry, making the Old Testament "the Bible Jesus read." Hebrew Scripture was the greatest influence on the mind and spirit of the founder of Christianity, a fact that, in the author's estimation, obligates Christians to know it well. Yancey acknowledges the difficulty of transcending the cultural gulf between modern civilization and ancient Israel and seeks to bridge the gap by highlighting sections of the Old Testament that he initially found hard to appreciate. The writings of the Prophets were particularly obscure to Yancey because of the nonnarrative style and assumption of a warrior culture. However, he gradually discovered the passages' deep relevance to, and resonance with, his own experience. He came to love these Old Testament books when he realized that many of their concerns, such as justice for the poor and faithfulness to God, are timeless. Yancey's lucid style and honest handling of difficult ideas ensure that readers who have enjoyed his earlier books will not be disappointed in this one. FYI: Zondervan will simultaneously release an audio version, read by the author (two cassettes, 2 hrs., ).
Customer Reviews
A Basic Look at the Old Testament
The Bible Jesus Read is a book that I picked up 5.5 years ago, and its purpose is to help us make more sense of the Old Testament. Like most people, I know and understand the New Testament far better than the Old Testament so I thought Yancey could help me better appreciate some of those confusing books of history and prophecy. I did not enjoy this book as much as some of his other books, but I have always benefited from sitting down with a Yancey book. "The more we comprehend the Old Testament," Yancey writes, "the more we comprehend Jesus." The Bible Jesus Read was named the top Christian Living book of 1999.