Nancy Guthrie - The Word of the Lord (A 10-week Bible Study): Seeing Jesus in the Prophets

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The Word
of the Lord

Seeing Jesus in
the Prophets

(A 10-Week Study)

nancy guthrie

The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets

Copyright 2014 by Nancy Guthrie

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover image: The Bridgeman Art Library

First printing 2014

Printed in the United States of America

The maps on pages 21, 37, and 164 are taken from the ESVStudy Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2008 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NKJV are from The New King James Version. Copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NLT are from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Ill., 60189. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-3660-1
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3663-2
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3661-8
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3662-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Guthrie, Nancy.

The word of the Lord : seeing Jesus in the prophets / Nancy Guthrie.

1 online resource. (Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series)

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4335-3661-8 (pdf) ISBN 978-1-4335-3662-5 (mobi) ISBN 978-1-4335-3663-2 (epub) ISBN 978-1-4335-3660-1 (tp)

1. Bible. ProphetsTextbooks. 2. Bible. ProphetsCriticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Jesus ChristBiblical teaching. I. Title.

BS1506

224'.064dc23 2013049398

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To my friends at Crossway who entrusted me with the privilege of writing the Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series.

To Al Fisher, who has guided so much solid Christian publishing over a long career. I am so grateful for your initial invitation to write for Crossway and all of your wise guidance and gracious encouragement along the way.

To Lydia Brownback, who brings so much experience and insight to every project she touches. You have not only been a terrific editoryou have become my trusted friend.

To Jon Marshall, who has brought creativity and commitment to the most agonizing part of the projectputting it on video. Just thinking about you makes me smile.

And most of all to Amy Kruis, who has championed this series from the get-go and over the long haul. Your enthusiasm has encouraged me, your professionalism has impressed me, and your friendship has blessed me.

Its not hyperbole to say, Its about time. While there are good books out there telling pastors how to preach Christ from all the Scriptures, there have been very few Bible studies for laypeopleespecially for womenalong these lines. Nancy Guthrie does an amazing job of helping us to fit the pieces of the biblical puzzle together, with Christ at the center.

Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; author, Calvin on the Christian Life

I am thankful to God to be able to offer Nancy Guthries series Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament to the women of our church. For too long, studies have led us only to see what we are to do. Now we can see through the pages of this series what Jesus has done! With Nancys help, the story of redemption jumps off the pages of the Old Testament, and the truths of the gospel are solidified in womens hearts and lives.

Jo Coltrain, Director of Womens Ministry, First Evangelical
Free Church, Wichita, Kansas

Nancy takes us by the hand and the heart on an exegetical excursion to see Christ in the Old Testament. The beauty of Guthries writing is that you are certain she has met him there first.

Jean F. Larroux, Senior Pastor, Southwood Presbyterian Church,
PCA, Huntsville, Alabama

There are many great Christian books but not many great Bible studies. Nancy is a master of getting the Word of God into the mouths, hearts, and lives of her students. I cannot wait to share this study with my people.

Donna Dobbs, Christian Education Director, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

Other books in the
Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series:

The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis

The Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

The Son of David: Seeing Jesus in the Historial Books

The Wisdom of God: Seeing Jesus in the Psalms and Wisdom Books

The Prophetic Books of the Old Testament are the books of the Bible I have understood the least and avoided the most. And maybe you can relate to that. The prophets have strange names and do some strange things and communicate in some strange ways. But I dont want to be a stranger to them anymore. Since the whole of Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:1617), why would I want to say there is an entire section of it that I dont really need to know about? Because I want to know God, I want to hear everything he has to say to me, and perhaps you can relate to that too. In this study were going to dive into these challenging books with the aim of emerging with a sense of not only what God, through these prophets, had to say to his people in their own day, but also what he has to say to you and me.

There are three essential parts to this study. The first is the personal time you will spend reading your Bible, seeking to strengthen your grip on its truths as you work your way through the questions provided in the Personal Bible Study section of each weeks lesson. This will be the easiest part to skip, but nothing is more important than reading and studying Gods Word, expecting that he will meet you as you do. Because we will cover large chunks of Scripture that I will not be able to read through and explain in the Teaching Chapters or videos, the foundational understanding you will gain through your time doing the Personal Bible Study is essential.

As you work on the Personal Bible Study, try not to become frustrated if you cant come up with an answer to every question or if youre not sure what the question is getting at. The goal of the questions is not necessarily to record all the right answers but to get you into the passage and thinking it through in a fresh way. Certainly some answers to your lingering questions will become clearer as you read the chapter or watch the video and as you discuss the passage with your group.