60 Years ago today

7"Before she travailed, (S)she brought forth;
Before her pain came, (T)she gave birth to a boy.
8"(U)Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.
9"Shall I bring to the point of birth and (V)not give delivery?" says the LORD.
"Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.
Isaiah 66:7-10 NASB

(S) Is 37:3; 54:1 (T) Rev 12:5 (U) Is 64:4 (V) Is 37:3



Today marks the 60^th anniversary of the modern state of Israel. Despite the annniversary, there still are issues to be dealt with. Issues with no easy solutions.

It seems like yesterday, but I went to Israel over twelve years ago. It still remains the best vacation I've ever taken. Once you visit, Israel becomes a part of you forever. There is no doubt that the Land is special, and you can feel God's presence there. I know I did, hard as that may be to explain.

The existence, history and legacy of this great nation is amazing, and so ingrained into the fabric of the Jewish culture. It is amazing to see a nation come together, as Israel does, to observe and celebrate it's sabbaths and religious holidays.

I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you ever get the opportunity to travel to this country, do it. DO. IT. It is a journey that you'll never forget.

Books of the Month - May 2008

Wow, it's hard to believe that, with this month's selections, May 2008 begins the second year of my Books of the Month feature. I invite you to the sidebar on your left to review the selections I've featured in the past 12 months.

This month, the modern nation of Israel will celebrate it's 60^th anniversary, on May 14^th, so I think it's appropriate that we focus this month on the history of Israel and it's people.

There have been many good books written on the history of Israel, both ancient and modern. I've simply selected three that I think give a good representation of the subject. I hope you enjoy reading them them as much as I will.

From Amazon.com: "The story of Israel is one of the outstanding tales of human history. Israel, occupying a narrow strip of land between sea and desert, was positioned on an international highway of commerce and warfare. This was a people whose future would be intertwined with the stories of nations great and small. Historian and Bible scholar F.F. Bruce shapes the daunting complexities of this history, nearly fourteen hundred years from the Exodus to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, into straight prose that sparkles with clarity. More than half of the book is devoted to the postexilic history of Israel, the "intertestamental" period and the first-century history that forms the backdrop of the New Testament. First published in 1963, Israel and the Nations has achieved wide recognition as an excellent introduction to the history of Israel. This new edition, carefully revised by David F. Payne, includes some new material and a revised bibliography."

Purchase your copy here and here.

From the book's dust jacket: "In Kingdom of Priests, Eugene Merrill follows a sound methodology that uses explicitly stated and well-reasoned principles in analyzing Old Testament events. He demonstrates how the 'facts' of Old Testament history emerge only after sound hermeneutics that give attention to issues of style, genre, and rhetorical strategies are applied to the biblical text. Merrill provides historical background for each biblical book and period of Israel's history and gives up-to-date information from extrabiblical sources regarding nations and rulers with whom Israel often found itself in conflict. This work is a crowning achievement of a distinguished career devoted to the study of Old Testament history and is destined to become the standard evangelical treatment of biblical history for decades to come." --Mark F. Rooker, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Purchase your copy here and here.

"The book contains over 350 maps and illustrations. It is, as the author says, 'a verbal/visual feast of the chosen people's story over the last 4,000 years.' There is full coverage of the biblical, Mishnaic, talmudic, medieval, and modern periods based on the latest detailed research. Shmuel Ahituv is one of Israel's most respected scholars."

Purchase your copy here. Amazon.com does not list this title.