Greg Harris - The Bible Expositors Handbook, OT Edition: Old Testament Edition

The Bible Expositor's Handbook Copyright 2017 by Dr. Greg Harris

Published by B&H Academic Nashville, Tennessee All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4336-9240-6

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee.

All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain).

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the book's publication but may be subject to change.

First published in 2017

"Everyone aspiring to expound the Bible should read The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament . One of the crying needs in our day involves the shameful neglect of adequate preparation both in personal spirituality and in interpreting the Bible with accuracy. Such neglect leads to a denial of biblical unity and continuity. Greg Harris instructs the expositor by exemplifying the process and explaining the foundation for each step. He studiously ties exposition to the text by means of a sound hermeneutic. May God prepare many more such expositors of his Word by means of this volume."

William Barrick, faculty associate, Old Testament, The Master's Seminary

" The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament will be used in our student ministry as a resource to help our students faithfully and accurately read the Old Testament in its proper context and gain a new, more thorough understanding of the Old Testament as it relates to the New Testament... and it certainly does.

This book is packed full of Scripture and a proper hermeneutical method that points directly to the God of the Bible. Its readers will be left with a greater reverence of God, a deeper understanding of the faithfulness of God, and an impassioned desire to study (or re-study) the Old Testament, especially its connection with the New Testament.

Thank you, Dr. Greg Harris, for your commitment to the faithful study of God's Word. And, thank you for providing this resource for both the novice Bible student and the seasoned Bible student... and all those in between."

Ed Braswell, student pastor, Woodlawn Baptist Church, Conover, NC

"As a seminary student and a pastor, two interrelated issues are continually present in my own life and ministry to others: a complacency to study the Bible without the Bible and a confusion about how/whether the Bible fits together. The unique form of The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament allows the primary text to be the biblical text instead of commentary references with footnotes. Additionally, its approach to the biblical text may be compared to a topographic map. While tracing the overall biblical landscape, it identifies biblical elevation points and the hermeneutics needed to properly interpret the storyline of biblical theology. The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament will serve as a ministry resource for any 'Berean' seeking to properly exposit the Word of God prior to teaching/preaching the Word of God."

Brad Canalejo, minister to children and families, Ellisville First Baptist Church, Ellisville, MO

"I consider it an honor to endorse The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament . I am absolutely thrilled that this volume has been written! Dr. Greg Harris is by far one of the best expositors of God's Word. At The Masters Seminary, I had the privilege of taking seven classes under him. His decades of study and teaching bring with it great wisdom and insights. My own understanding and view of Scripture has never been the same.

Dr. Harris has written an easy to read masterpiece that opens the readers to the glory and wonder of Christthe OT is the story of Jesus. He writes with clarity and wisdom about topics that puzzle, fragment, and frustrate many, yet make perfect sense when explained biblically. The study questions at the end of each chapter are well thought out and ready to be used in a classroom setting.

The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament deserves to be widely read and will be an invaluable tool for all those who seek to understand and expound the Scriptures. I plan to use this book to teach at our College as we train the next generation of church leaders here in the South Pacific. It is a must read because of its Bible-centered approach. Highly Recommended!"

Premendran Choy, vice-president and senior lecturer, College of Theology & Evangelism Fiji

" The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament is a tremendous tool for every expositor who desires to gain an intricate yet expansive understanding of the Old Testament. Dr. Greg Harris clearly presents the unbroken unity and consistent nature of Scripture by showing how the major facets of the Old Testament perfectly fit into the panorama of God's revealed truth. This is an invaluable tool for every serious student of the Bible."

Carlos Chung, pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA

"Thanks to Dr. Harris, you can stay freshly focused on the faithfulness of our great God through 4,000 years of sacred history! I warmly commend The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament to help you do just that. Carefully interpreted and promise-fulfillment-focused, this refreshingly God-centered handbook deserves its rightful place in the hands of every student of Scripture. As one of many students deeply impacted by the doxological living and teaching of Dr. Harris, I warmly commend this volume to your reading and rereading , to the glory of God!"

William Costello, pastor, Faith Bible Church of Jackson, NJ, and host, The Inner Revolution Podcast

"Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book. I look forward to having all the future volumes. In The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament , Dr. Greg Harris clearly and logically leads the reader through the Old Testament promises of God and clearly demonstrates the need to use a normative, literal-grammatical hermeneutic for understanding the Old Testament. In addition, he clearly explains the passages from the Old Testament which look forward to Christ. I have often wished I could have been on the road to Emmaus with those disciples hearing Jesus 'explaining to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.' While not the same as hearing the Master in his own voice, this handbook goes a long way in fulfilling that wish for me and for many others."

Johnny Hewett, senior chaplain, Emergency Chaplains, Durham, NC

"The Old Testament was once the treasure of the earliest communities of Jesus' followers. Two millennia have passed and, while Christians acknowledge its value and firmly believe in its divine inspiration, it has been too often neglected. For many the story of Jesus begins with Matthew. But for Jesus and his earliest disciples the story of his redemption began long before that first Gospel was penned. The Old Testament really is the story of Jesus. In this volume of The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament , Greg Harris demonstrates how to study the Old Testament with precision and faithfulness. All of us should want to be better students of God's Word. And there's no doubt God will use this book to that end."

Thomas W. Hudgins, assistant professor of biblical and theological studies, Capital Seminary and Graduate School

"Greg Harris has taught his students consistently what they need to be students of Christ and not merely students alone. The Bible Expositor's Handbook, Old Testament is a culmination of the most precious gold given in his classes now made available to the public. I highly recommend every person read it, especially those going into pastoral ministry."