Bible Speaks Today
6 total works
The book of Nehemiah is about starting over again. Nehemiah, one of Israel's great leaders, tells firsthand the powerful story of the rebuilding of ancient Jerusalem's walls after the exile. This rebuilding, in the face of great odds, represented the people's renewal of faith, their overcoming of national shame and the reforming of their conduct. In sizing up Nehemiah the man, Raymond Brown surmises: "He must surely be regarded as one of the most inventive and resilient personalities in the rich tapestry of Old Testament biography." Brown vividly sketches Nehemiah's historical and social setting and demonstrates the striking relevance for today of his dominant themes: Nehemiah's doctrine of God, his passion for Scripture, his experience of prayer and his example of leadership.
The book of Numbers, Raymond Brown reveals, offers a portraiture of a better life. Its message is eminently suited to our contemporary world, a world without firm spiritual and moral foundations. The country ahead is the pilgrim's goal and anchor. In contrast to contemporary thinking, Numbers pictures life as an accompanied journey, and not a meaningless maze.
