The Message

The Message
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The Message: The Old Testament History Books in Contemporary Language

Description of The Message:

Written in the past, but meant for today. Among ancient people, no one was more interested in history than the Hebrews. In fact, they were the world's first historians. But their historical records reveal far more than a chronology of significant events; they reveal how the events related to God. God was constantly active and involved in the lives of his people. He was always and everywhere working his will, evoking faith and obedience, and showing his love and compassion––just as he does in our lives.Thankfully, to our benefit, the Hebrews' accounts were recorded. By observing how God and our ancestors dealt with each other, we realize the active presence of God in our times. In The Message: Old Testament History Books, Eugene Peterson recounts the Bible's historical books (Joshua through Esther) in the language we use today. Come, celebrate as Joshua, a man of courage and strength, leads the people of Israel in settling the Promised Land. Watch as God weaves the quiet, ordinary life of Ruth into his great plan of salvation. Observe God's way of dealing with human sin as Saul's arrogance and disobedience cost him his dynasty. Join King David on his path of both sweet prosperity and bitter failure. And rejoice as the wise Solomon builds the long-awaited temple and dedicates it to God. Peterson's vivid, easy-to-read paraphrasing translation brings these long-ago events to life in the present, helping us understand and assimilate God's ways in our unfolding history.

Information on The Message from the publisher:

If the Old Testament Prophets always seemed distant and dusty then you haven't read The Message. Translating directly from the original languages, Eugene Peterson recounts the stories of God's judgement and action in such a way that you will be unable to escape the reality of God's character and his involvement in our lives today. The prophets of the Old Testament weren’t particularly popular. Their messages—straight from God—made the people of their day very uncomfortable. When God spoke through his prophets, he didn’t pull punches. He told his people exactly what he thought of them, using images and language that were powerful, graphic, and sometimes shocking. And while the prophets proclaimed a message of comfort, they never compromised the truth in order to make people feel comfortable. Eugene Peterson restores the passion and power of the prophets’ message to a generation that has become perhaps a bit too comfortable with God. The words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, and others cut through our defenses, pierce our hardened hearts, and open our eyes to see ourselves as God sees us—and to see him as he really is. It’s not comfortable, but it is a message of great comfort. More than six million readers have rediscovered the powerful, life-changing truths of the Scriptures through The Message, Peterson’s contemporary rendering of the New Testament. Translating directly from the original languages, he brings new life to the seemingly distant and dusty prophets of the Old Testament. God’s judgments and actions leap off the pages in such a way that we cannot escape the reality of his character and his passionate desire to be involved in our lives today.

About Eugene H. Peterson:

EUGENE H. PETERSON is a writer and poet. He is a contributing editor to Leadership Journal and has authored more than twenty books, including A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, The Contemplative Pastor, and Leap Over a Wall. He is Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. Eugene founded Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, where he was the pastor for twenty-nine years. He lives with his wife, Jan, in Montana.

Description of Eugene H. Peterson, author of The Message:

Ruth's devotion, Saul's arrogance, Solomon's wisdom---from Israel's Promised Land conquests to her Babylonian captivity to her rebuilt temple, experience the chronicles of the Hebrews in the page-turning intensity of Peterson's powerful contemporary paraphrase! With verse numbers omitted, the ancient passages from Joshua through Esther flow like a story---God's story of his people. 496 pages, hardcover from NavPress.