The book of Nehemiah is one of the historical books in the Old Testament. Chronologically, Nehemiah picks up slightly after the book of Ezra and over a century after the conclusion of Second Kings and Second Chronicles. The books of Esther and Daniel give us some insight into what happened during this time, when the […]
The book of Esther is a rich and intriguing story of obedience, duty, risk, and love. It centers on the Jewish girl Esther (her Hebrew name was Hadassah). This book paints a powerful and compelling picture of how one person can make a difference – a huge difference. Especially noteworthy is that she did this […]
The book of Job (rhymes with robe) has often been called the literary masterpiece of the Bible and is part of the collection of wisdom/poetic writings. Job powerfully and poignantly delves into the question of suffering and explores various understandings and responses to it, along with the help of his so-called friends. The bulk of […]
The book of Psalms is a collection of songs (poetry) of the Hebrew people. It boasts a multitude of authors over many centuries, some unidentified, though many are attributed to King David. There are three basic styles of Psalms: hymns of praise, laments, and songs of thanksgiving. Some Psalms mention not only the author but […]
The Old Testament book of Proverbs is another wisdom/poetry book in the Bible. It contains mostly the wise sayings of King Solomon, King David’s son. Solomon’s sage advice is formatted in a series of concise and direct statements of truth and fact. Some of these sayings are religious in nature, whereas others are more earthy, […]
The book of Ecclesiastes, likely written by King Solomon, the wisest man ever (1 Kings 10:23), is a curious book. It’s essentially his ponderings into the age-old question, “What is the meaning and purpose of life?” In this regard, Ecclesiastes records the meanderings of Solomon’s stream of consciousness. It bizarrely bounces between doubt and faith, […]
The Song of Songs, sometimes called the “Song of Solomon,” is traditionally attributed to King Solomon. Its content is perhaps a bit too explicit for some people’s sense of appropriateness and certainly not what many would expect to find in the Bible. On the surface, it is a frank poem exalting courtship, sexual desire, and […]
The book of Isaiah is so named because it contains the prophecies of Isaiah. It is a beloved book due to its many glowing promises about the future and frequent allusions to the future ministry and work of Jesus. As such, it is not surprising that Isaiah is one of the four most quoted books […]
The book of Jeremiah is so named because it contains the prophecies of Jeremiah. The book also provides a great deal of information about Jeremiah’s life and person. As a result, we know more about Jeremiah than any other prophet. Jeremiah’s messages were not well received, and as a result he was shamefully mistreated by […]
The book of Lamentations is a series of five poems or laments, formatted not unlike a funeral dirge. They are generally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah and focus on the sorry state of Jerusalem, its people, and God’s pending judgment. Each of the book’s five chapters corresponds to one of the five poems.