This is a new edition of a book originally published in 1994. I am pleased that it has been made available again.
Many people, particularly new or young Christians, find the Old Testament daunting. They find it difficult to piece together the details of the historical accounts. They may struggle to link the poetic, wisdom and prophetic literature. A scenic route through the Old Testament provides help.
The book has six chapters and an extensive appendix. The chapters include: The voice of — history, religion, worship, prophecy, wisdom and God. These six chapters provide a broad, interesting overview. The reader is taken through critical parts of the Old Testament without getting bogged down in detail.
Six guided daily readings have been added to the end of each chapter in this new edition. Each of these is related to the contents of the chapter and has relevant passages of Scripture, along with a brief yet informative commentary.
Additionally, the appendix has four weeks’ worth of short daily Bible readings, together with brief notes which further explore the material covered in the book.
It is intended that the reader would read each chapter followed by the six daily readings, to absorb and understand the areas that have been covered before proceeding to the next chapter. This is a wise strategy. Readers are often tempted to move on too quickly when reading books like this. Taking a slower approach has much to recommend itself.
Alec Motyer was an excellent communicator and this book is readable, although not simplistic. He was committed to the Bible as the Word of God, which comes through clearly in his commentary and is a much-needed emphasis in our day.
This book deserves to have a wide readership. It will be useful for anyone wanting to have a better grasp of the Old Testament, as well as being an introduction for people preparing for formal biblical studies or courses.
It could also provide the basis for a comprehensive weekly church Bible study, as there will be no shortage of discussion material. Highly recommended!
Graham Kissack
Accrington
