C. Hassell Bullock

Hassell Bullock has studied, taught, and written successful texts on the Psalms for forty years. In this book, he walks through how the Psalms convey the grand story of creation and redemption, Scripture's two theological ends, and the underlying story of God and humanity in relationship.Bullock explains how the literal and metaphorical language in the Psalms work together to articulate the message and deepen our understanding. He presents interpretive principles gleaned from the psalmists themselves and shows how these writers make intertextual connections to other Scriptures, sometimes quoting but mostly alluding, which can help us make corresponding connections between Old and New Testament teachings. The Psalms are examples of applying wisdom and Scriptures to personal and national issues and of how God interacts and intervenes in real-life situations, which help us apply the Bible today.Bullock's mature reflections and guidance on understanding and applying the Psalms' theological message will complement any traditional introduction to the Psalms.

Ecclesiastes is a persuasive speech with a rhetoric so unique that it can be easily misunderstood. It speaks powerfully to believers as well as nonbelievers because it addresses the question of the meaning of life in the most satisfying way. The heart of this book is an expositional commentary that interprets Ecclesiastes as authoritative Scripture. It seeks to recover the rhetoric of the speech in terms of its comprehensive message on the meaning of life as well as its compelling force to get the message across. Preceding the expositional commentary is an introduction to Ecclesiastes that presents a new approach to outlining and reading Ecclesiastes as a coherent speech. It also presents an overview of the forest--the overall rhetorical flow of the speech from beginning to end. This is to prevent one from getting lost when immersed in the trees of the expositional commentary. Following the expositional commentary are two topical studies to give Ecclesiastes the breadth and depth of coverage it deserves. The first is an interdisciplinary exposition on the meaning of life. The second is an interpretive essay to defend exegetically the interpretation of Ecclesiastes as a coherent speech.

Ecclesiastes is a persuasive speech with a rhetoric so unique that it can be easily misunderstood. It speaks powerfully to believers as well as nonbelievers because it addresses the question of the meaning of life in the most satisfying way. The heart of this book is an expositional commentary that interprets Ecclesiastes as authoritative Scripture. It seeks to recover the rhetoric of the speech in terms of its comprehensive message on the meaning of life as well as its compelling force to get the message across. Preceding the expositional commentary is an introduction to Ecclesiastes that presents a new approach to outlining and reading Ecclesiastes as a coherent speech. It also presents an overview of the forest--the overall rhetorical flow of the speech from beginning to end. This is to prevent one from getting lost when immersed in the trees of the expositional commentary. Following the expositional commentary are two topical studies to give Ecclesiastes the breadth and depth of coverage it deserves. The first is an interdisciplinary exposition on the meaning of life. The second is an interpretive essay to defend exegetically the interpretation of Ecclesiastes as a coherent speech.

Though the Psalms are perhaps the most familiar portion of the Hebrew Bible, they are also among the most difficult to interpret. In this new, thoroughly updated edition of a successful textbook, a respected evangelical Old Testament scholar offers a guide to the book of Psalms that is informed by current scholarship and written at an accessible level. Designed for the undergraduate classroom, it includes photos, sidebars, and other pedagogical aids and features a new interior design.

The Teach the Text Commentary Series utilizes the best of biblical scholarship to provide the information a pastor needs to communicate the text effectively. The carefully selected preaching units and focused commentary allow pastors to quickly grasp the big idea and key themes of each passage of Scripture. Each unit of the commentary includes the big idea and key themes of the passage and sections dedicated to understanding, teaching, and illustrating the text.

The poetic books of the Old Testament--Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon--are often called humankind's reach toward God. The other books of the Old Testament picture God's reach toward man through the redemptive story. Yet these five books reveal the very heart of men and women struggling with monumental issues such as suffering, sin, forgiveness, joy, worship, and the passionate love between a man and woman. C. Hassell Bullock, a noted Old Testament scholar, delves deep into the hearts of the five poetic books, offering readers helpful details, like: Hermeneutical considerations for each book Theological content and themes Detailed analyses of each book Cultural perspectives. Hebrew is a language of "intrinsic musical quality that naturally supports poetic expression," says Bullock in his introduction. That poetic expression comes from the heart of the Old Testament writers and reaches all of us exactly where we are in our own struggles and joys.

The Old Testament prophets spoke to Israel in times of historical and moral crisis. They saw themselves as being part of a story that God was weaving throughout history--a story of repentance, encouragement, and a coming Messiah. In this updated introductory book, each major and minor prophet and his writing is clustered with the major historical events of his time. The Neo-Assyrian prophets and the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel). Prophets include: Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, and IsaiahThe Neo-Babylonian prophets and of the fall on the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Prophets include: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Nahum, Ezekiel, Obadiah, and LamentationsThe Persian prophets and the Jewish return to Israel. Prophets include: Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, and Malachi Our generational distance from the age of the prophets might seem to be a measureless chasm. Yet we dare not make the mistake of assuming that passing years have rendered irrelevant not only the Old Testament prophets, but also the God who comprehends, spans, and transcends all time. In these pages, C. Hassell Bullock presents a clear picture of some of history's most profound spokesmen--the Old Testament prophets--and the God who shaped them.