Walter C. Kaiser

A young shepherd named David, from the family of Jesse, is called "the man after God's own heart" by God himself. Samuel the prophet is instructed by God to stop grieving over the divine rejection of Israel's first king, Saul, whom Samuel helped appoint as king at the demand of the people, Instead, Samuel was to go to Bethlehem to anoint Saul's successor. But once this successor to the kingship of Israel was found, he was not left with nothing to do; instead, David, though he came from humble and somewhat uncultured circumstances of the shepherd's fields outside Bethlehem, he nevertheless found his way immediately into the court of King Saul by the providential working of God. The establishment of the monarchy under David begins with the narrative of his slow rise to power that is closely connected with the decline of Saul's tenure as king. Hence, the stories of Saul and David crisscross each other at a number of points in the rest of the chapters of 1 Samuel and therefore make for some of the most exasperating, yet fascinating, portions of the book of Samuel.

The first two chapters of 1 Kings are truly transitional, for they mark the move from the rule of King David to the next in line in his family, King Solomon. King David appears to have little zest for life in his senior years, with a result that matters of state were beginning to slip and events were about to preempt any wish or instruction David might give about who was to be the future king. It was time someone took action and that person seems to have been Nathan the prophet. David's son Adonijah puts himself forward as the new leader asserting, "I will be king," but the prophet Nathan and David's Queen Bathsheba halt Adonijah's quest for the throne by pleading with King David to act immediately and decisively on naming a successor; David, therefore, declares Solomon to be king; Adonijah's coronation festivities are suddenly halted with the news of Solomon's installation as king in Israel and King David's charge to Solomon and David's death. And now we examine and discover the character and life of Solomon.

In this study of the life and character of the prophet Ezekiel we have selected some outstanding highlights--the call of the prophet, the departure to heaven of the glory of God, the prophecy of Tyre's fall, the restoration and redemption of the Jewish people back to Israel, and some beautiful insights into the coming eternal and world-wide rule and reign of the LORD over his kingdom.

The name and man Moses towers over all of Pentateuchal history for he is mentioned almost 300 times in the book of Exodus alone and almost 750 times in the entire TaNaKh (OT). But this fails to account for the fact that he is further mentioned over 700 times in the rest of the Old Testament, as a whole and some 80 times in the New Testament. In fact, Moses is accorded a unique status among mortals in Deuteronomy 34:11, which noted that, "No one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel." Moses was a man of many tasks: he was a prophet, a priest, a leader of Israel, a poet, a miracle worker, a hero of the exodus, a receiver of God's word, and the founder of God's law as well as being a savvy political administrator. He is the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, and he is variously described as "a man of God," and "a servant of the Lord" (Neh. 10:29). No wonder he is so highly regarded in Scripture.

Ruth found favor with Boaz when her first priority was her relationship with God and serving her mother-in-law. Esther found favor with the King when her first priority was her relationship with God and serving Mordechai. Neither woman saw themselves as someone God would choose to affect the entire nation of Israel. But God worked providentially in each woman's life.

Daniel trusted God when circumstances uprooted his life completely, and he always chose peaceful means to win over the opposition without being confrontational. He sought God's wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and allowed God to work through him for the good of the people that he was among. 188 pages.

The Minor Prophets is a distinction that does not refer to the importance or significance of these books, but refers only to the general size and length of the books. The prophet's function was only to call men and women back to the word God had given to Moses and to pray for the people he served. The words taught by the prophet were to agree with what had already been revealed by God, and should be able to accompany the words he taught with signs and wonders that would back up and authenticate that word as being from God. Moreover, the truthfulness of a prophet's ability to predict the future was to be seen in the fulfillment of near events that he predicted. If these came to pass, then his long-range projections into the future could then also be trusted. The near and close fulfillments served as the reason why their audiences in their day and in our own times were to trust the prophet's long-range predictions (Deut. 18:15-22). In this way the more immediate fulfillments confirmed the truthfulness of those that were distant to the prophet and happened after he had passed from this life.

The book of Nehemiah's opening verse immediately declares that "Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah," contrary to other so-called historical books of the Old Testament, is named as the author of this book. Nehemiah's name means "Yahweh/Jehovah comforts," and his father's name means "Yahweh/Jehovah is hidden." Thus, Nehemiah began his own personal account of his memoires as directed by the Holy Spirit. The first seven chapters of Nehemiah are all written in the first-person pronoun, as well as the material in Nehemiah 12:31-13:31. Therefore, we are given an unusual and unique look into the heart and life of an outstanding servant-leader of God. Nehemiah combined a steady life of prayer, a deep trust in the Lord, along with unusually careful planning, good organization skills and energetic action in the twelve years of his administration over the province of Judah.

The story of Joseph is one that describes God's interaction in a way that is as intimate and as humanly sensitive as few stories in the Bible. However, at the same time, this narrative has features in it that sound so familiar and so real that most of it could have easily happened in our own day So, let us immediately dig into this narrative and see why Scripture has dedicated such a large block of content to Joseph.

Elijah and Elisha are among the most influential prophets of Israel, and their narrative serves as part of the structure of key sections of the Gospels. Welcome to the enjoyable adventure of exploring these key figures with Dr. Walter C. Kaiser. Great for: - Personal devotionals - Bible Study - Group discussion - Classroom lectures - Sermon series

Is the Old Testament relevant for today? Yes Discover the unifying theme of the ""Old"" and ""New"" Testaments -- and of history -- in God's promise-plan first given to Abraham in Genesis 12. Cross-cultural workers and students of the Bible will discover valuable insights and new zeal for searching and communicating the Scriptures in this very readable book based on years of massive scholarship. ""No single question about the Bible is more crucial, more basic, more troublesome, more significant, more complex, more profound, more weighty or more urgent than the question of the true nature of the connection between the religion/faith of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament. . . . It cuts to the heart of the often misunderstood dynamics of the global mission movement. It sheds light on practically every page of the Bible. Here Kaiser is at his best, warmly down to earth, personable, exuberantly encouraging, making profound insights plain. . . . We are not talking now about common knowledge, widely accepted perspective; in these talks you will find unusual and crucial insights that are not common although they ought to be and must be."" Ralph D. Winter, PhD, U.S. Center for World Mission Walter C. Kaiser Jr. is President Emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament. He is also a former board member of Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF). Dr. Kaiser is the author of over fifty books including, The Journey Isn't Over, The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching, Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation, Toward an Old Testament Theology, A Biblical Approach to Personal Suffering, Ecclesiastes: Total Life, Toward an Exegetical Theology, Biblical Exegesis for Preaching & Teaching, Hard Sayings of the Old Testament, The Messiah in the Old Testament, and A History of Israel (Second Edition).

Is the Old Testament relevant for today? Yes Discover the unifying theme of the "Old" and "New" Testaments -- and of history -- in God's promise-plan first given to Abraham in Genesis 12. Cross-cultural workers and students of the Bible will discover valuable insights and new zeal for searching and communicating the Scriptures in this very readable book based on years of massive scholarship.

""A useful and up to date commentary . . . that not only discusses the lexical, syntactical and theological problems of the original text but also consistently attempts to bridge the historical gap by applying the message of the book to the contemporary reader. . . . This] commentary is a valuable and needed addition to the literature available on Malachi]"" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society ""A demonstration model for the application of the principles of exegesis described by the author in his Toward an Exegetical Theology. . . . Kaiser's two volumes should prove helpful to seminarians."" Society for Old Testament Study Book List ""Stands in dialogue with some recent scholarship and offers interesting structural observations. . . . The book will be of most value for use within ecclesiastical circles. Nonetheless, it will also be of interest to the scholar working on the minor prophets."" Religious Studies Review

Psalms 120-34--the ""Psalms of Ascent""--are a hymnal within a larger hymnal. They are also an intensely practical travel guide. The Journey Isn't Over warmly invites us to discover how these psalms can help us navigate through trials such as suffering, insecurity, slander, and family problems. These reflective devotionals help us experience more fully the blessings of worship and family life, finding forgiveness, cherished memories, and loving unity. Included in this unique devotional commentary are incisive questions for thought and reflection. Isaac Watt's metrical versions of the psalms in each chapter encourage readers to offer God a great doxology of praise. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Ph.D., is President Emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament. He is also a board member of Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF). Dr. Kaiser is the author of over fifty books including, The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching, Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation, Toward an Old Testament Theology, A Biblical Approach to Personal Suffering, Ecclesiastes: Total Life, Toward an Exegetical Theology, Biblical Exegesis for Preaching & Teaching, Hard Sayings of the Old Testament, and The Messiah in the Old Testament: A History of Israel.

With his usual scholarship and vision, Dr Walter C. Kaiser Jr. reveals spiritual principles inherent in the great awakenings of the Bible and shows us how to prepare the way for revival today. Revivals like those led by Moses and by John the Baptist provide us with clear examples of what God can do when His sovereign will is acknowledged and obeyed. Read this book and help prepare the way for revival in your community, your church and most importantly your heart.

Most of us will have faced that most delicate situation of meeting a person who is suffering. We tend to go down one of two different avenues. One is to offer well-intentioned advice - often in the form of well-worn cliches that the person will have heard several times before. The other is not to say anything at all - risking the danger of leaving the person under the impression that God has no idea what is going on and is unable to help.How are we to understand suffering and its place in our lives? Should we try and rationalise it away, trying to come up with a solution that sits as comfortably as possible? Surely we should look to Scripture first? This is what Walter Kaiser does here. Looking at the Old Testament book of Lamentations Kaiser does not offer any easy solutions - but rather shows us how a Sovereign and Loving God can work through even the most painful moments. "In the book of Lamentations, more than perhaps anywhere else except for its individualistic expression in the book of Job, we are led into an experience of suffering and communal pain on a scale seldom endured by many individuals or nations. All too frequently the subject of suffering is avoided, or the realities of human pathos and divine involvement are minimized. Lamentations will not yield to any of these cheap 'cures'. Instead of panaceas, it will direct us to the faithfulness and gracious character of God." Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.