The Bible Jesus Read: Why the Old Testament Matters

I feel a need to apologize for what you will not find in this book.

Though I am writing about the Old Testament, I feel neither qualified nor inclined to delve into such matters as author, date of composition, and the insights of literary or form criticism. I read the Bible as any ordinary reader does, interacting with the content, trying to understand the author’s original intent. I also peek “behind the curtain” to speculate why the author used a certain illustration, chose an unusual metaphor, or started here and not there.

After a chapter introducing the Old Testament as a whole, I have chosen a sampling from each of its major sections: history, prophets, poetry, and wisdom literature. Why these particular books?

I’m afraid I made my selections out of my own doubts and struggles, not because I expect these books to teach me the secrets of life. I find in these particular books companions for my pilgrimage. In them, I discover myself — and for this reason I have written about them personally and subjectively, not analytically.

—Philip Yancey