A college-level introduction that invites students into biblical studies through creative, humorous re-telling of the basic biblical narratives. The Bible is foreign territory for students encountering it in introductory classes. Even those who have spent many years in church have rarely read much of it. To most of us it looks like a big collection of rules, lists, and theological arguments. But in reality, most of the Bible is made up of stories. Sometimes they re inspiring, sometimes they re funny, sometimes they re weird, but they re never dull. The best way to get into the Bible, says Robert Darden, is to get to know its stories. In this new approach to introducing the Bible to students, Darden covers the major biblical stories and characters, retelling them in such a way as to bring out their original humor and pathos, and inviting the student to encounter them more fully by moving into the text itself.

In their commentary on the Book of Jonah, Uri Brito and Rich Lusk outline the ways in which the prophet to Nineveh embodies Israel's disobedience to testify to the Gentile nations and how God's lovingkindness exceeds that of His stiff-necked people. Bible-reading is more of an art than a science. The Bible is a story, not a lexicon of systematic theological definitions. With this in mind, the Through New Eyes Bible Commentary Series builds on the foundational Biblical-theology work of James B. Jordan and other like-minded scholars in bringing you a set of commentaries that will help you read, teach and preach through the Bible while picking up on the rich symphonic themes and the literary symbolism of the Scriptures. Because they are written for thoughtful Christians without being overly academic, these commentaries will serve as valuable resources for family worship, Sunday school or Bible studies.

In Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet, Dr. Erica Brown takes us on a journey over land and sea, in the footsteps of the Bible's most recalcitrant prophet. Melding traditional commentators, rabbinic literature, modern biblical scholarship, psychological sensitivity, and artistic imagination, Brown travels through the four chapters of Jonah's story tracing his call to leadership, his subsequent intransigence, his momentary rise to duty and his tragic resignation in an effort to discover God's ultimate lesson for him. With insight and feeling, Brown provides us with a glimpse into the tormented soul of the prophet as he grapples with the notion of a forgiving God who is concerned even with the welfare of Israel's strongest adversary. As God struggles to teach His prophet to expand his vision and take up his divine mission, we come to understand the Divine call given to each of us to rise up to the possibility of greatness. After all, if God can change His plan, we can change as well.

Jonah's struggle is our struggle. His pride and presumption is a reflection of our heart. His reluctance to do what God asked of him is a reminder that we too find it difficult to trust God when we do not understand His ways. By examining God's work through the reluctant ministry of Jonah, this book will strengthen the faith of every serious student of God's word whose desire is to better understand His heart for all people and our responsibility to reach them with the gospel.

The Book of Jonah is a unique text in the Jewish canon. Among the shortest books in the Bible, it is also one of the most mysterious and morally ambiguous. Who is this prophet running from God, hiding at the bottom of the ocean? Why does he struggle with God's mission to save and forgive Israel's enemies? In this volume, Rabbi Dr. Yanklowitz shows that the Book of Jonah delivers a message of human responsibility in a shared world. Illuminating such contemporary ethical issues as animal welfare, incarceration, climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and Jewish-Muslim relations, this social justice commentary urges us to join in repairing a broken world--a call that we, unlike Jonah, must hasten to answer.

Turn your reluctance into boldness by walking in the footsteps of Moses.

An angry prophet. A feared and loathsome enemy. A devastating storm. And the surprising message of a merciful God to his people. The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known parables in the Bible. It is also the most misunderstood. Many people, even those who are nonreligious, are familiar with Jonah: A rebellious prophet who defies God and is swallowed by a whale. But there's much more to Jonah's story than most of us realize. In The Prodigal Prophet, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller reveals the hidden depths within the book of Jonah. Keller makes the case that Jonah was one of the worst prophets in the entire Bible. And yet there are unmistakably clear connections between Jonah, the prodigal son, and Jesus. Jesus in fact saw himself in Jonah. How could one of the most defiant and disobedient prophets in the Bible be compared to Jesus? Jonah's journey also doesn't end when he is freed from the belly of the fish. There is an entire second half to his story--but it is left unresolved within the text of the Bible. Why does the book of Jonah end on what is essentially a cliffhanger? In these pages, Timothy Keller provides an answer to the extraordinary conclusion of this biblical parable--and shares the powerful Christian message at the heart of Jonah's story.

The Revelation Study Set provides the home study component of Revelation: The Kingdom Yet to Come. Its ten lessons draw participants into the Revelation to John verse by verse, drawing on pertinent passages from the Old Testament and Catechism of the Catholic Church to help people understand what they read and apply it to their lives. Group discussion of the questions reinforces the lesson, while the suggested responses provide additional insights and explanations. Each lesson should be concluded with the corresponding presentation from the DVD or CD series, which contains expert commentary presented by Jeff Cavins.

Workbook - Jonah, the reluctant prophet, was called to prophesy against the pagan capital of the world, Nineveh. He attempted to shun the assignment until God explained it to him a little more clearly! His message to Nineveh:40 days and you get yours! The greatest miracle in the book of Jonah was Nineveh's repentance, within the allotted 40 days, on speculation! They reasoned that maybe, if they repented, God might change His mind. They did. And He did.A century later, Nahum was sent to ask them to repent and Nineveh failed. Judgment resulted.Obadiah prophesied against Israel's enemies. His book provides insights into the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and why some countries will apparently escape the rule of the Antichrist. These are three small books of the Bible that contribute a critical perspective for all of us.