Book "Listening to the Language of the Bible" by Lois Tverberg with Bruce Okkema

About the Book: Listening to the Language of the Bible is a guide for discovering the richness of the Scriptures in their Hebraic setting.

The book contains more than 60 brief, illustrated devotional articles that unpack the meaning of biblical words and phrases for life today. By examining the Hebrew and Jewish cultural context of some of the Bible’s seemingly odd phrases, it shares insights that clarify reading and deepen Bible study.

Listening looks at many topics from the perspective of the ancient writers, including prayer, family and the promised Messiah. It also looks at the words of Jesus in light of first-century Jewish culture. The book can be read by itself for a brief overview, or with the Companion Bible Study as a guide to explore the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective.

About the Authors:
Lois Tverberg - Lois Tverberg has been teaching and writing about the Jewish background of Christianity for the past fifteen years. She has always enjoyed discovering the answers to head-scratching questions and sharing the "ah-hah" moments with others. For years she did this as a professor of Biology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, USA, after receiving her Ph.D. in Physiology. Her career as a professor took a turn, however, when she discovered the importance of the Bible's Jewish setting, and began learning Hebrew and Greek and studying in the land of Israel.

With Ann Spangler she authored the best-seller, "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus" (Zondervan, 2009). The book explores the first-century world of rabbis and disciples, festivals, prayers and the Torah, and how restoring Jesus to his Jewish reality sheds light on his life and ministry.

In 2012 Lois released "Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus" (Zondervan). There she asks, what are the implications of Jesus' Jewish context for how we live today? She contemplates Jewish ideas that deepen our understanding of Jesus' words and yield fresh, practical insights for following him in our modern world.

Her most recent work (2014) is "5 Hebrew Words that Every Christian Should Know," a bite-sized Bible study of five flavorful Hebrew words. Readers explore the breadth of each word by examining it in various passages and by comparing Bible versions.

Lois is the co-founder of the En-Gedi Resource Center (www.egrc.net), an educational ministry that seeks to teach Christians about the Bible's ancient cultural and Jewish context. She headed that ministry until 2007, and since has been writing independently. In 2004, En-Gedi published her first book, "Listening to the Language of the Bible: Hearing it Through Jesus' Ears." This is a devotional guide to Hebrew words and cultural ideas that unlock the Scriptures.

Lois currently lives in Holland, Michigan, USA. For more information, visit her website, Our Rabbi Jesus: His Jewish Life and Teaching (http://ourrabbijesus.com).

Bruce Okkema - One of the founders of the En-Gedi Resource Centre and former Executive Director. He has held leadership roles on several non-profit boards and assisted ministries in the U.S., Dominican Republic, Philippines, Uganda, Kenya, Honduras and Israel. He has participated in several Israel tours, most recently in 2006. He and his wife Mary have four daughters and two sons-in-law. Bruce wants to help people study Jesus through the eyes of His culture to better understand His teachings and expectations with the goal of applying His words to our lives as disciples. He is passionate about serving with his head, heart, hands and feet.

My Review: This is a must have book to any Christian that wants to understand better the Word of God. With an amazing simplicity the authors explain the significance of some key Hebrew words used in the scriptures, that at the end have a deeper cultural meaning than the simple translation to a single English word. After reading their explanation for many different verses, things get so clear that the next time you read the Bible, it will not be in black and white, but you will be reading in colors!

I really recommend this book to the permanent library of all Christian readers that are willing to improve their knowledge on the Scriptures.

If you read this review, feel free to write a comment!