Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible (Volume 15)

New Studies in Biblical Theology #15

by Stephen G. Dempster, D.A. Carson (Series Editor)

Christian theologians rarely study the Old Testament in its final Hebrew canonical form, even though this was very likely the Bible used by Jesus and the early church. However, once read as a whole, the larger structure of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) provides a "wide-angle lens" through which its contents can be viewed. In this stimulating New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Stephen G. Dempster argues that, despite its undoubted literary diversity, the Hebrew Bible possesses a remarkable structural and conceptual unity. The various genres and books are placed within a comprehensive narrative framework which provides an overarching literary and historical context. The many texts contribute to this larger text, and find their meaning and significance within its story of "dominion and dynasty," which ranges from Adam to the Son of Man, from David to the coming Davidic king. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Old Testament, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Biblical

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Stephen G. Dempster is professor emeritus of religious studies at Crandall University, where he taught for 37 years and held the Stuart E. Murray Chair in Religious Studies. With academic degrees in kinesiology, biblical studies, theology, and classical Hebrew from institutions including Westminster Theological Seminary and the University of Toronto, Dempster is widely respected for his work in Old Testament theology. He is the author of Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible, a well-regarded contribution to biblical theology, and a contributor to Biblical Theology: Retrospect and Prospect. He also founded and coached Crandall’s men’s baseball team.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not every book lives up to my expectations; this one far exceeded them. Put this book at the top, or at least near the top, of those studies that provide the reader of the OT with the wide-angle lens through which to view all the twists and turns of the biblical narrative, from Genesis onward. Here is the big picture of how the twin themes of geography (Dominion) and genealogy (Dynasty) begin in Eden with Adam, stretch to the Promised Land and Abraham, narrow again in the temple and David, and find their culmination in Christ, the Son of David, who brings a kingdom that becomes worldwide.

[Ched Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A now classic evangelical theology of the OT from a canonical and literary approach.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Probably the best OT Theology I’ve ever read. Dempster, in an amazingly concise way, shows what the primary focus of the Old Testament is, and how its contents - and their order - contribute to this focus. Ultimately, this focus is the coming Davidic Messiah, who will rescue God’s people from sin and death.

I didn’t want this to end. Though the conclusion does give a small picture of how the New Testament fulfills the epic sweep of the promises of the OT, I wanted more. Hoping the NSBT series eventually releases a sequel NT Theology to this excellent OT Theology.

Also - this would be great reading as section introductions while reading through the OT. I may work it into my OT reading plan on the next go around.

[Tim Casteel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding overview of the Old Testament- it put together so many pieces of the puzzle for me. This is not my first book on Biblical Theology. I’ve read some really good ones- GK Beale’s Temple, Munther Isaac on the Land, Dodd’s According To The Scriptures, Morales’ Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord, FF Bruce's This is That…

Maybe it’s the culmination of all those other phenomenal books, but Dempster provided so much clarity as to the theme of the Old Testament (let’s be honest, for the whole Bible): The presence of God in the land for the people of God.
The land= the dwelling place of God. The place where God is king.
Who gets to live in that land? The people of God.
Who are the people of God - well, I’d argue that’s the main message of the Bible!
But in short - it’s those who live under the reign of God.

It's not the easiest of reads - you have to endure some wooden writing: "The point of the foregoing discussion is to show that the structure of a literary work…"
But once it gets going, it's a page turner! Walks through every book of the OT looking through two lenses: geography and genealogy; land and seed. These two add dramatic tension. As you read you are always asking:
- Things look bleak, how in the world is the seed going to continue?
- When will they be given/return to the land?
We should be on the edge of our seats wondering how, against all odds, the twin promises will be fulfilled.

[Benjamin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, simple, and readable, yet profound. Very illuminating as to the coherence of the OT, particularly when read in the original order.

Made a good Sunday-afternoon-companion to my Bible reading plan this year, but clarified the structure and main themes of the text in ways that will bear fruit over years of continued reading and study.

[Brian Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 10 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Dempster’s approach to OTT.

He explores the theological themes of the OT as presented in the Hebrew canon. The genius of his interpretation is not based on the order of the Hebrew books (though he may differ). I felt that his connections between the sections of the Tanakh were forced and not that helpful. However, the way he developed the redemptive story line of the OT was beautiful. The best parts of the book were the Torah and the Former Prophets.

This is a book that I will keep close at hand and reference again and again.

[Jeff Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best I have read in a long time. Every person who loves the OT should read it. The author mastered an incredible amount of literature to write this book. A true labor of love! My only critique would be of his reading of the Song of Songs and the conclusion of the book. Other than that it is hard to find something to disagree with.

[Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's somewhat ironic that the year in which certain preachers are calling for Christians to "unhitch" themselves from the Old Testament is the same year that I decided to read a number of books to better help me understand the Old Testament (that wasn't planned; it just kind of happened that way). But out of the books I've read this year to achieve that goal, I can honestly say that the most helpful has been Dominion and Dynasty. In this book, Dempster argues for three basic theses: first, that the Old Testament should be understood as a "Text" (i.e. a single literary whole) and not simply as a "ragbag" of individual books; second, that the order in which the books are read impacts the way we understand the overall Story (thus, he argues for the use of the Hebrew order as opposed to the standard English order); and third, that the two themes that are woven throughout the individual books and bind the entire Story together are "dominion" and "dynasty." Dempster does an amazing job traversing the entire Old Testament in less than 250 pages, highlighting the above themes and showing how each book fits into the whole. Because he focuses on the OT primarily from a literary perspective, he does an excellent job pointing out repeated themes (in addition to his two main themes) and literary devices that connect the books together, demonstrating that the authors and editors of the OT frequently make subtle call-backs to previous books in the canon. His last chapter, which briefly touches on how the themes of dominion and dynasty find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, was very helpful as well. Given its shorter size, the book does have its limitations. Those who would want to study the historical and cultural contexts of the OT books would want to look elsewhere, as Dempster focuses on the content of the books themselves. But for those who want to cultivate a better understanding of the Old Testament's theology and storyline, I can think of no better book to check out.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dempster traces the twin themes of geneology and geography (seed and land/dynasty and dominion) throughout the Old Testament Hebrew canon (the order of the books in Hebrew is different from our English canon) and shows them to be the unifying themes of the Old Testament.

Dempster's book did something more for me than even Graeme Goldsworthy's excellent book Gospel and Kingdom (which hitherto has been my favorite book on the Old Testament). Goldsworthy's book gave me an understandable outline of redemptive history in broad brush strokes. And it was invaluable to me, and really the foundation for understanding Dempster's book. But Dempster added to those broad brush strokes color and texture. Whereas Goldsworthy framed the puzzle for me, Dempster started putting significant pieces into place. So, really the two books complimented one another.

Goldsworthy writes for the layman, but Dempster writes on a more academic level. But that doesn't mean his book is boring. Far from it! It really is one of the most compelling books I've read. If you want to read a book that will help you make better sense of the Bible and open your eyes to see just how interwoven the tapesty of the Old Testament actually is, get Dempster.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 Stars

"Dominion and Dynasty" by Stephen Dempster is a magnificent work of biblical theology that approaches the Old Testament through a canonical lens. Dempster argues that the Old Testament (OT) is a unified whole and that analyzing its original arrangement helps illuminates its central storyline. This story is one of dominion and dynasty: of God establishing a kingdom on earth through Adam, of Adam's rebellion and God's judgment through exile, and the redemption and salvation through a Davidic dynasty who will restore man's dominion and dynasty.

Dempster's book is simply marvelous. His book is filled with page after page of OT connections, typologies, images, and shadows. Dempster is well versed in the message and language of the OT and can communicate effectively how it all connects. As well, Dempster succeeds in proving the central thesis of his book. Dempster demolishes several arguments that disjoint or disconnects the many parts of the OT, and in contrast, show the beauty and harmony of the OT. Of particular benefit to me was Part 2 of Dempster's book with explained the Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom writings as commentary on the exilic situation of Israel - where we are left at the end of 2 Kings. This brings many of the Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom writings into a whole new light and has enhanced and illuminated my engagement with this portion of Scripture.

The book's main weakness and I felt like it was a glaring one, is the breakneck speed Dempster works through some dense Old Testament theological topics. There were some paragraphs that after reading I wished that Dempster had rather made them a whole chapter. The book is short at around 230 pages, and I felt that it would not have been a disservice if this book was twice as long to allow Dempster to delve more deeply into some grand OT theological topics.

Overall, I think this is a great book and a must-read for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of the Old Testament. Stephen Dempster has done us a great service by writing a majestic book that offers compelling evidence for the harmony and unity of the Old Testament. Those who read this book will go away in awe of the divinely inspired Scriptures that show us God's mercy and grace in salvation.

[Michael G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a right banger. What a phenomenal overview of the theology of the Old Testament (with a helpful link to Jesus and the New Testament at the end). It's also perfectly accessible, being not too complex and academic-y, and just the right length. How did so much good stuff get loaded into something so compact?

There's plenty of helpful stuff in here but unsurprisingly the main hooks are dynasty and dominion - that being the seed (Abraham/David) and the land/geography/rule. One takeaway that I only just really understood was how the return from exile in the OT isn't really a true, proper, return from exile. They go back but there's no Davidic king and they've still got some major sin problems going on. So it's not a real return from exile. Then it's different with Jesus. We have our Davidic king who is reigning, and his kingdom is eternal and growing. That's just one example. There's plenty more!

Do read it. If you're a member of St Helens church in London it's an absolutely brilliant companion to RML Overview and I'd really recommend picking it up and reading it over the summer or as you begin.

[Collin Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just great biblical theology. Dempster carefully and clearly articulates the dual meaning of the “house of David” through dominion and dynasty, scion and Zion, genealogy and geography.

This house (both senses) of David is fulfilled in Christ.

So many great insights along the way that gave me a better understanding of the Old Testament, especially the fundamental insight of reading the Old Testament in the ordering of the Tanakh. This greater shows that the Bible is not a ragbag of texts but is a Text that tells a Story.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book feels like sitting down with a really smart person and they just tell you the story of the Old Testament. Dempster’s work is accessible and helpful as he highlights the comprehensive themes and connections throughout the biblical narrative. He clearly shows how the Tanak is one unified book and that God’s purposes have never wavered in restoring humanity back to His good design. This book is very helpful for developing a wide-angle framework for the whole biblical narrative by better understanding the unified message of the OT upon which the NT builds and continues.

[James Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Oren tells you to read something - you do it.

[Jacob Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as everyone says it is. Very helpful for showing the literary continuity in the literary diversity of the OT.

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this volume, Dempster has provided a good and edifying read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The opening chapter lays out the hermeneutical apparatus (of reading the Tanakh as a Text/unit), and the exegetical work is impressive throughout the rest of the volume. The book is broken up into chapters lining up with the divisions of the Tanakh.

The strengths of this book include Dempster’s engaging and fast-paced style, his focused prosecution of his task, his exegetical insights and use of secondary sources, and organization.

His weaknesses include an at-times too-casual style and word choice; a failure to emphasize enough the ultimate doxological note of Scripture as his focus on royal themes overshadow liturgical/priestly themes; and, a lack of care in describing God’s attributes (he never once mentions the concepts of anthropomorphism, anthropopathism, and impassibility). Dempster’s handling of the wisdom literature was not as compelling as his treatments of the other parts of the Tanakh. The book implies “man’s chief end” (the ultima of creaturely existence) while making explicit only the setting and means of “man’s chief end” (the penultima of the creation mandate as applied to David: dominion/dynasty).

I would recommend this book alongside of L. M. Morales’s contribution to the same series. The latter serves as something of a counterbalance or corrective.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO good. Dempster walks through the entire Hebrew Bible, developing the internal themes that Scripture itself develops and connects, emphasizing the ideas of dominion (essentially land) and dynasty (seed or descendants). He connects inter-textual themes so well and lets them happen naturally, never forced. The section on the Pentateuch is especially good. The chapter on Genesis alone is worth the price of the book. Fantastic stuff.

[Samuel Bierig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. If you are trying to understand the sweep of the OT and how it eventually ties into the NT, then this is one of the finest, tried and true Biblical Theologies out there.

[Tim Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cracking book!

Stephen Dempster’s purpose is to show the way that the Hebrew Bible (Genesis-Chronicles) fits together as one developing story, and the result is a carefully-crafted demonstration of how the Old Testament holds together under the themes of dominion (geography) and dynasty (genealogy). Although some ideas were considered too briefly to be convincing, I was frequently struck by connections between passages throughout the OT canon that were simultaneously persuasive and profound. He combines some excellent, more-detailed exegesis (e.g. of Psalm 89, or Lamentations 3) with a bird’s eye view of vast swathes of Scripture, and I left feeling edified and eager to read more of these too-unfamiliar books.

If I were to criticise the book at all, my two reservations would be its focus on ‘purpose’ over ‘character’, and it’s shallow read of some books. In both cases, the criticisms are only slight. Regarding its focus, it would be an overstatement to say the book was anthropocentric; God is inevitably the hero and accomplisher of all that is going on, His purposes are the focus of the whole book. But it leant slightly more towards "what He is doing for/with us" than "what that reveals about Him" - the focus more on the plans than the Planner. Regarding its shallowness, there were books that Dempster treated more fleetingly than others - “the Twelve” (minor prophets), and wisdom literature were only briefly discussed. Of course, that's necessary when you've got a page-limit - and the book could easily have become 10 times as long; indeed, Dempster made good choices in dwelling longer on the Pentateuch, and the major prophets. But it also meant that I left unconvinced over his conclusions for a few books - especially where they are books I know well.

Any yet, in spite of any criticism, I was overwhelmed by how useful the book is - both as a point of reference when I return to any of these Old Testament treasures - and as a presentation of God’s amazing purpose through history. A book like God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts would be a better introduction to the single overarching story of the Bible; but for those seeking something more stretching, I know of nothing that reaches as high as this.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book fifteen in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, Stephen Dempster’s Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible offers a compelling biblical theology of the Old Testament. Following the order of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), Dempster submits two, overarching propositions. First, he maintains that the Bible must be seen as a Book – one book made up of many books, but not without a startling unity. Second and more specifically, he argues for a dual-theme theology of “dominion” (land/geography) and “dynasty” (rule/genealogy). This nine-chapter, 234-page nugget fleshes out these two ideas, providing a fresh resource for Old Testament understanding.
Chapter one, “A literary approach to Old Testament theology,” focuses on Dempster’s first proposal. Rather than jumping straight to the conclusion that the Bible must be read as a whole, he spends twenty-eight pages showing the reader why he should do so. Presenting the various approaches to theology, Dempster shows the weaknesses of each one and points to the need for reading and re-reading God’s Word. The literary component cannot be bypassed in the interpretive process. Reading and re-reading surfaces the text’s theme(s) naturally, helping avoid the ever-present tendency to read into a text personal paradigms and opinions. And as a result of this approach, one is able to see the Bible as a whole. Throughout this chapter and the rest of the book, Dempster capitalizes on specific examples from the Text to prove his points. Yet he does this succinctly, offering a resource that is manageable for many readers.
Chapter two builds on the first and provides a brief discussion of the setup of the Tanakh. If one approaches the OT like a unified book, he should see the components of a good story, especially a plot that begins the story and carries it through to the end. Dempster suggests that the two themes of dominion and dynasty carry the plot through within the narrative bookends (Genesis and Chronicles) as well as the middle of the story with its commentary format.
Following the Tanakh’s order, Dempster starts at Genesis and spends the next three chapters presenting the dual themes found in the first narrative portion: the Torah, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. He makes much of the nine genealogies found in Genesis and shows how creation has an anthropological goal. Then, he works his way through each of the books of the Torah, highlighting how major and seemingly minor events center around geography and genealogy – dominion and dynasty. The covenants, genealogies, stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, the exodus, Sinai, and the developments at the end of Deuteronomy all serve to advance these themes as well, and Dempster seems to uncover them with little effort. With the sequential narrative of the Former Prophets, Dempster shows how Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings advance the storyline from Moses’s death to Israel’s death (exile). The themes of dominion and dynasty are abundantly conspicuous: Joshua’s near-total conquest of the land of Canaan, the raising up of a generation that did not obey or remember the works of Yahweh, the quasi-leader judges, many of whom God used to display His strength in their obvious weakness, the people’s call for a human king, and God’s gracious provision of king after king, even though their effect was largely negative. It is during this period that God renews His covenant promise first given to Abraham by extending it to David and his descendants. Nevertheless, the downward spiral picks up speed with subsequent rulers, Israel is divided, and both Israel and Judah are taken into exile. Having reached the mid-point of the story, all would seem quite hopeless, but for the ending of 2 Kings – the preservation and kind treatment of one king of Judah. Dominion and dynasty are not without hope.
Chapters six and seven show the “suspension” of the Hebrew storyline, offering insight on what has taken place, and foreshadowing what is to come. The literary structure is much more poetic than narrative. However, the first portion – the Latter Prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the Twelve) – does not offer the flowery, poetic norm. Rather, it is God’s just judgment on the nation for their disobedience to His will regarding their responsibilities in the land and rule of it for His glory. But just as Kings ends with a glimmer of hope, the prophets offer a few, brief glimpses of hope for God’s restoration of His people and His kingdom. Following the Latter Prophets are the Writings (Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), which continue the poetic (as well as some narrative) commentary before resuming the storyline. Some of the books such as Ruth serve as flashbacks, some spread the gamut of past, present, and future like Psalms, others clearly portray God’s design for human mastery in the world, such as Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, and some, like Lamentations, bemoan the present condition of the nation. Throughout this section of the Tanakh, Dempster again shows how clearly the themes of dominion and dynasty run through each book, adding greater evidence for a literary “whole.”
Chapter eight focuses on the final section of the Tanakh where the storyline resumes with Daniel and concludes with Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. Dempster points out that its beginning finds similarities to the very first chapters of Genesis, helping the reader once again see the unity of the Story. Daniel details a framework for organization of the prophecies already read in the Latter Prophets, and Esther details the effects of exile and persecution of God’s people, as well as God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise, though indirectly. For the final two writings in the canon, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles, the kingdom of God becomes the focus that gives greater clarity to the dual themes of the OT. While Ezra-Nehemiah precedes Chronicles in terms of order, chronologically speaking it follows. Chronicles ends with Cyrus’s decree to allow the exiles to return to Judah, and Ezra-Nehemiah picks up the story there. However, the latter ending is bleak, so the reversed order allows the reader to see that God’s promise still awaits something future. Chronicles, like Genesis, makes much of genealogies, and takes the geographical focus to Jerusalem and the temple. As Dempster excitedly remarks, “The world’s hopes are found in genealogy and geography, scion and Zion. David has arrived. The temple has been built. The world is well on its way to being restored. If there was ever any doubt about these points, Chronicles removes it” (226).
In chapter nine, Dempster takes a few pages to speak to the typology of the OT and show its connections to the NT. In many ways, the structure is very similar with story-commentary-story. However, the NT concludes with much greater resolution. Dominion and Dynasty will be fulfilled. God will dwell with and rule His people. Although the story will not be fully concluded until the end of the NT, Dempster offers enough in his conclusion to remind the reader once again of the importance of whole-Bible theology. Without forcing the themes of dominion and dynasty, he lets the text speak for itself and provides a concise, thought-provoking understanding of the OT by tracing these two themes from beginning to end.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many young Bible-students embark on pilgrimage from Genesis to Chronicles with fervor before finding themselves drowning in the swamps of Genesis’s genealogies. Even the most zealous may find themselves lost in the valley of uncertainty before Numbers 11, or the monotonous maze of condemnation in the Latter Prophets. To budding Bible-readers, however, Stephen G. Dempster’s Dominion and Dynasty offers a well-crafted exposition of the Hebrew Bible that demonstrates Dominion and Dynasty as its foundational marks. Dominion and Dynasty argues that this book is not a ragbag of religious writings, but a grand tapestry of texts that describes a narrative (Torah), explains through poetic commentary (Prophets and early Writings), then concludes and summarizes (latter Writings). Through the bulk of the volume, the author exposits this many-yet-one story, demonstrating that dominion and dynasty are the principle organizational categories of the Hebrew Bible. Bible-readers both new and old would profit from Dempster’s guidance as they traverse the Hebrew Bible.

[Danny Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. Excellent tracing of the two themes of dominion and dynasty (or genealogy and geography) in the Old Testament. Dempster’s exploration of the Old Testament helped me see even more clearly how the hope of the Gen. 3:15 serpent crusher is traced from Adam to David, and the centrality of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants in this regard, as deeply important for the rest of the Old Testament. I found Dempster’s exploration of the promised land, mountain of the Lord, and future renewed creation (especially seen in Isaiah) as even more fascinating, as these were themes I’ve traced less in my personal reading and study. Lastly, Dempster’s explanation of the Hebrew division of the Old Testament and how it is designed canonically to tell one complete story was very helpful, and something I think more Old Testament readers should consider. At only 250 pages, it’s incredible how much was packed in here that will contribute to your understanding of the Old Testament, which has so many treasures just waiting to be discovered.

[Konrad Helliesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veldig mye godt i denne! Liker hvordan han tvinner hele GT rundt tvillingtema: dominion og dynasty. Guds løfter om et land og en slekt følges og utvikles gjennom historien. Dette er naturligvis også svakheten til boka, i den grad han forsøker å gi en helhetlig GT-bibelteologi basert på to tema. Mange gode oppbyggelige poeng underveis.

[Sarah J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a helpful read! It has a very specific and compelling thesis stating that the Hebrew order of the OT books were written to highlight the two themes of land and nation (dominion and dynasty). This is a well written, detailed topical glance at the Hebrew OT (Tanakh).

[Nisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Ben Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well to the point and well written overview of the many connecting themes of the OT, as it would have been understood to Jesus. In light of the order of writings of the Tanakh, unifying themes are evident.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good biblical theology volume reviewing the entire Old Testament through the lens of dominion (geography) and dynasty (genealogy). Dempster has some really good insights.

[Rui Cadima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great stuff here. I particularly enjoyed the constant linking of chapters to one another. It made the book much more cohesive.

Also, I found the idea of the OT starting with a David figure and anticipating a new David by the end to be really interesting.

I think the glaring weakness of the book was the bit about Proverbs-Song of Solomon. It felt much less developed than the others. Maybe because the author himself doesn't seem to be fully clear on how those books relate to the rest of the Hebrew Bible.

So, 4 stars it is.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Dempster has so much knowledge to share and it's amazing to see how the Old Testament comes together. This book really gave me a new perspective on Biblical Theology and on viewing the OT as a whole. He condenses a lot of information into one book with helpful Bible references.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let this series name fool you. This book is very easy to read with amazing insights. Dempster masterfully takes you on a journey of biblical theology in the Old Testament and shows how “many stories together constitute a single Story” (231).

There are many things I benefited from this book. Most of all, I think, is the significance of the Tanakh’s structure. Differing from the Christian structure of the Old Testament (Genesis to Malachi), the Jewish Bible (Genesis to Chronicles) is structured so that the readers can follow the history and theme of God’s work in Israel. For example, it is no coincidence that Song of Songs and Lamentation are placed right next to each other, and both of them are filled with feminine metaphors. In result of this intentional structuring order, Song of Songs shows the ideal and right relationship between God and Israel, while Lamentation shows the grim reality: Israel has forfeited her true lover and is now suffering the consequences (208). There are many more examples like this.

Dempster also follows the theme of dominion and dynasty – the Old Testament is one story of Adam, Abraham, and David’s Son (Dynasty) ruling the whole world in the latter days (dominion). The author’s scholarly insights are easy to read and it helps you understand and read the Bible in a different light.

I highly recommend this to anyone because this book will help you read the Bible better.