The NIV First-Century Study Bible from
Zondervan gives us an edition of the New
International Version which broadens present-day understanding of
the Bible by including “Ancient Texts Relating to the Old Testament,” Hebrew
words studies, “Day in the Life Articles,” and other study notes, sidebars,
timelines, and illustrations meant to introduce us to biblical times, places,
and peoples.
For example,
the word study for Genesis 16:13 says:
GOD WHO SEES
el roi אל-רועי
"This has a double meaning: 'God of seeing” and “God of my seeing'.”
In Ruth 4:1,
the word study sidebar offers this description of a word familiar to Christians
yet perhaps not with the full understanding of the original biblical perspective:
GUARDIAN-REDEEMER
goel גואל
"The goel fulfilled the legal obligation of reacquiring property
lost by family members because of difficult times."
Most
Christians who have read the books of the Hebrew prophets see the connection
between Isaiah 40:3 and John the Baptist who was likened to “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness
prepare the way for the Lord…” The footnote for that verse tells us, “This was an important passage for both the
Dead Sea Scrolls community and John the Baptist…” Then the opposite page has a photograph of “The Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found,”
which helps us to envision that place.
Just prior
to this illumination of the text, however, the footnote for 40:1-2 refers to
“The consolation of Israel,” which brings to mind the fulfillment acknowledged
in Luke. As that footnote states:
“The idea that Israel had served its time of hard service and
would be restored and comforted seems to have influenced a man named Simeon who
recognized Jesus as the coming Messiah (see note on Luke 2:25-35).”
Turning,
then, to that footnote in Luke 2, we read:
"The ‘consolation of Israel’ (v. 25) probably alludes to Isa
40:1-2, which not only has Messianic implications but also inspired the Dead
Sea Scrolls community to flee to the desert to await the consolation, or
salvation, expected in the Messianic age. Simeon’s words in verse 32 went
further than predicting the salvation of Israel; they included the salvation of
Gentiles….”
Looking for
an example of the “Day in the Life,” my Bible opened
to an article on the “Galilean Fisherman,” relevantly placed alongside John’s account of the apostles’ fishing after Jesus’ Resurrection. The
article details the many aspects of a fisherman’s day, while the adjacent page
illustrates “An artist’s reconstruction of a first-century fishing boat.” The
article also informs us that Bethsaida “where
at least three of the disciples were from…” means “house of fishing.”
In the back
matter of this edition, the “Study Helps” section lists a “Topical Index to
Articles” as well as a glossary, concordance, index to the maps that were scattered
throughout the text, and full-page maps of world empires and the travels of
God’s people.
Those
travels come full circle in Revelation 22, when Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and
the Last, the Beginning and the End,” (v. 13.) The footnote for that verse
goes on to tell us:
“Here Jesus
takes on the title used for God at the beginning of the book…. This appears to
be a culmination of John’s revelation, not an afterthought. Jesus is synonymous
with the one Lord and God.”
Amen.
Mary Harwell Sayler,
©2020
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