Called by God Stories from the Jewish and Christian Bibles

by Robinson, Alan

• ISBN13: 9781898595403
• ISBN10: 1898595402
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-31
• Publisher: The Alpha Press

Summary

Tells of the life and work of thirty characters in the Bible who were convinced that they had received a divine calling. The author, a well-known poet and former lecturer in Religious Studies, has set these stories in a modern verse style, and in accessible language. The text brings out, in a poetic and highly readable way, the personal thoughts and tribulations of the characters as they seek to fulfil God's command and to follow the path of their vocation. While the text follows the Old Testament and Jewish biblical narratives, it adds dimensions of poetic licence to bring out the characterization of the personalities and their stories in a way that highlights their conviction that God supports them in all their activities. Essentially, the text is a celebration of the imaginative powers and insight of these characters, achieved through a structured, rhythmical, poetic verse form. The book is an ideal introduction to the OT stories, and can be used for teaching purposes prior to reading the Bible proper, or as verse prose in their own right.

Table of Contents

Preface

Abraham father of many nations*

Isaac bearer of the covenant*

Jacob whose name is Israel*

Joseph the dreamer*

Moses leader of the Exodus*

Joshua victorious general

Deborah and Barak freedom fighters

Gideon saviour of his country

Samson man of strength

Ruth a woman of love and loyalty

Samuel, prophet and king maker

David, founder of a dynasty*

Solomon the wise*

Elijah the prophet*

Elisha the prophet*

Amos the prophet

Hosea the prophet

Isaiah of Jerusalem

The unknown Isaiah

Jeremiah the prophet

Ezekiel the prophet*

Haggai the prophet

Zechariah the prophet

Ezra, man of God

Nehemiah, great leader

Esther, Jewish queen in Persia

Job, a righteous man*

Habakkuk the prophet

Jonah the prophet*

Daniel, prophet and sage

Malachi the prophet