Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to sit and have the Scriptures explained to you by a rabbi?

I am currently in the middle of Reading The Bible With Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg. The problem with this book is it is easy to read and hard to put down.

The Scriptures spring open to life when we understand and bridge the cultural gap between the Middle Eastern, Jewish world and our own today. The author leads us to imagine how the people in Scripture approached life differently than we do and how God spoke to them on their terms. Often we miss the hidden hues because we do not understand their culture and their days.

The author encourages us to be there when reading the Bible. asserting that this is the best advice she can give us. We need to make a lifelong project out of understanding what the Scriptures meant in their day and then consider the implications for our own days now.

The author explains:

“Over and over I discovered that when I read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century listener, the earth-shattering ideas I found in the New Testament had deep and winding roots in the ancient soil of the Scriptures that Jesus read.”
(page 43)

The author takes us through looking more intently into the culture and meanings of words:

“Getting a sense for the Bible’s ancient Hebraic style of thinking is a critical key for unlocking the text as a whole.”
(page 85)

Without this sense, we will miss out on the significance of metaphors , imagery, and emotions meant to be conveyed and experienced.

I will admit, I am still in the middle of reading this book. However, I cannot say enough about it. This is one of the best books I have read to help  convey meaning and context from the times and lands in which Scripture is set. I am finding myself understanding so much more depth of meaning from my reading. Truly my American thinking is a hindrance if this is the only perspective with which I read.

Each chapter includes Tools and Reflections with recommended Scriptures and questions. Also included are Thoughts for Going Deeper which are helpful for deeper study.

This book is a wonderful resource for everyone and is one I will refer to time and time again.

** I was provided a copy of this book by Baker Books Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash