Immerse: Kingdoms

Immerse: The Reading Bible #3

by Anonymous

Part of NLT The Reading Bible, Complete Set, the Winner of the 2022 Christian Book Award for Bible of the Year!Kingdoms is the third installment of the six volumes of The Bible Reading Experience program. Kingdoms tells the story of Israel from the time of its conquest of Canaan (Joshua) through its struggle to settle the land (Judges, Ruth) and the establishment of Israel’s kingdom, which ends in a forced exile (Samuel–Kings). The nation of Israel, commissioned to be God’s light to the nations, falls to division and then foreign conquest for rejecting God’s rule.Kingdoms delivers Scripture to the reader as it was originally without chapter or verse breaks. While references are made available for ease of finding specific Scripture references, those references do not appear within the actual text of Scripture. This makes for uninterrupted reading of God’s Word. Created with the look and feel of a paperback book, and written using the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, the most readable translation available, Kingdoms enables you to easily read and understand the Bible.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2017

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Melissa]

At the end out of nowhere they decided to use the Gregorian Calendar which is highly anachronistic, a strange choice, regardless of whether they were trying to make it more like readable. I wonder if the NLT Bibles have that strange change of a historically wrong calendar on a handful of dates, even if they did the math and those are the correlating dates, it's odd. Other than that, I don't know what to say, it's simply a section of the Bible printed without chapter and verse.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second volume of the Immerse New Living Translation. I enjoyed reading this. It is a readers version where there are no verse breaks which makes the reading of it seem less. I wish the materials were a little more sturdy, I took this in my bag on a family vacation and I was seriously worried that it would not survive. But it did. Good book!

[Josh Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, by far, the best way to read the Bible!

Especially if you been to a lot of these cities in Israel, you can visualize what actually happened. And even if you haven’t been, it is a reminder of how rooted in actual history it is. Reading the Bible has never been more fun. I’m going to read it this way for the rest of my life and teach others to do the same!

[George P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my goals this year is to read the Bible cover to cover twice. I read The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible (review) in the first half of the year, and the second half I’m reading Immerse: The Reading Bible (review). Obviously, I’ve read both multi-volume series before.

I just finished reading Kingdoms, the third volume in Immerse. (The series begins with Messiah, the New Testament). Kingdoms presents Joshua–2 Kings in canonical order. These biblical books outline the history of the children of Israel from their entrance to the Promised Land to their exile from it. They present a unified story that centers on God’s faithfulness to Israel despite its wavering faith.

Another theme that is very apparent is the establishment of the Davidic monarchy. I have read the Bible several times, but I was struck anew by how these books present a unified story of the rise and fall of the Davidic monarchy. Judges shows the social anarchy that led to Israel’s call for a king. Ruth provides an interlude that focuses on David’s history, which includes his Moabite great-grandmother. 1 Samuel presents the rise of Saul’s house and explains why David replaced him. 2 Samuel details the course of David’s rule and the multiple threats to it. And 1–2 Kings shows the fate of his house after his death.

One more theme that emerges from 1–2 Kings is God’s faithfulness to the Davidic monarchy despite the wavering faithfulness of its successive kings. After Solomon, who began the trend of unfaithfulness, the kingdom divides into the northern kingdom of Israel, led by a succession of non-Davidic dynasties, and Judah, led by David’s descendants. As far as 1–2 Kings is concerned, there are no good Israelite kings, and seemingly few good Judean ones. Nonetheless, out of faithfulness, God keeps David’s dynasty as rulers.

Second Kings ends with Jehoiachin in exile in Babylon, which is bad, obviously, but the last word of the book is one of hope. Evil-merodach ascends the Babylonian throne, releases Jehoiachin from prison, and gives him a place of honor at his royal table. This foreshadows the eventual return of Judean exiles to the Promised Land.

Kingdoms covers the bloodiest episodes in Israel’s history. Much of the Old Testament violence that bewilders readers in found in these episodes. So, caveat lector. What struck me as a reader is that throughout, God demonstrates love and faithfulness to flawed humanity as it exists. That’s good news for us, it seems to me. We are not who we should be, we do not do what we should do, but God doesn’t give up on us.

For more about the six-volume Immerse series, read my review.

Book ReviewedImmerse: The Reading Bible, Vol. 3, Kingdoms (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017).

P.S. If you liked my review, please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never get tired of reading the Bible. I find that each time I reread a passage, God always has something new to show/teach me. This is my first encounter with the New Living Translation, and it seems well suited to this format -- no chapter or verse, just read the story. Kingdoms is Joshua through Kings, and I read it in preparation to teach it to a class of 7th and 8th graders over one semester. I think this format will work well with them.

[Jane Riordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Immerse Bible series which I have read and, once again, I find the concept so inspiring.

This is the Bible, but with all the chapter and verse removed, so that it reads just like a novel. And the concept works, I find myself just reading on and on for far longer than I would do normally and the story flows so much more easily, you become invested in it.

Everyone should read the Bible like this.

[Cynthia L. Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great way to read the Bible. No chapter or verse markings so it reads like a book. The fact they are in six installments makes it feel more accessible. I usually stick with NASB for translation, but I’m okay with the NLT in this case. If I am studying I just switch to a different translation. But for reading purposes this fits the bill. Highly recommend.

[Bob Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent Way to Read the Bible

The Immerse approach to presenting the Bible is excellent. Use of the New Living Translation makes the text very approachable while maintaining a high level of faithfulness to the original texts. Removing chapter and verse numbers as well as footnotes and commentary allows the reader to focus solely on the text. Our church has been enjoying the use of the Immerse books through small group study.

[Karrel Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

This is the third In the Immerse series I have read. I am rereading Messiah. The Bible stories and histories flow so much easier without looking ahead...how many more verses? How many more chapters? Instead you get hung up in a story and it all flows together.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this version of the Bible told as a story/novel. It really brought this part of the Old Testament to life for me and I realized I had missed so many details when reading through the traditional Bible. Great for group studies!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love reading the Bible in this format. Gained new scriptural insights in this Old Testament study. Found myself fascinated by the overall narrative of just how much God loves his people and restores them to himself again and again.

[Mackenzie Oswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed a different reading experience of the Bible. It was different from what I was used to, but it gave me a broader view of the context of the stories. I really enjoyed it! Plus, it's the Bible, the best book in the world!

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth Immerse volume finished. Very cool to be able to read these stories in book format without the distraction of headers/verses.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

NLT BIBLE books Joshua to Judges.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I read this, but the subject matter was tough to get through. Times were tough back then.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m enjoying reading this Bible series without notations, it seems to go much quicker without distractions.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely Helpful

I have been reading this whole series of Immerse: The Reading Bible daily, along with my daily Devotional and my primary daily Bible readings. I have found all of these books extremely well written and very helpful to my overall Christian life. Very Recommended Series! Not Just THIS particular book , but the entire series will endeavor towards making each and every person a better and more knowledgeable Christian who can work closer to our Lord Jesus Christ !

[Janet Yonkheym Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this version of the Bible.