The Message of Genesis 12--50

The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament

by Joyce G. Baldwin

Abraham―called out of Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan, there to found a great nation, a blessing to all peoples. Isaac―his son, taken to be sacrificed by his father, until God provided a substitute. Jacob―Isaac's son, the schemer who cheated his older brother of his birthright but whose thigh (and heart) was broken as he wrestled all night with God's messenger. Joseph―the dreamer sold into Egypt by his brothers, who meant it for evil while God meant it for good. These are the patriarchs whose stories are told in Genesis 12–50. Why have these accounts been preserved? What importance do they have in the development of Israel's understanding of God? What message from them does God have for us today? In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Joyce Baldwin skillfully weaves her answers to these questions, bringing the history of an ancient people to bear on our lives.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read some of the other commentaries in this series and they generally make good devotional commentaries, but this one was disappointing. The author does not provide much in the way of insight or application beyond what you can read in the text of Genesis 12-50 itself.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice supplement to individually searching each thing I wanted to know about in the biblical hermeneutics stack exchange.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bible Speaks Today is one of the greatest introductory commentaries on Holy Scripture that has even been produced.  Eddied by the revered John Stott, this series is very through having (almost) a work per book in scripture.  One of the books which has two volumes in the series is the book of Genesis.  Genesis is fifty chapters in length and is written in historical narrative, therefore there is much to be explained for those who do not have the benefit of understanding the cultural context of the ancient near east.  Thankful the Bible Speaks Today (BST) helps not only explain the cultural context to a reader but why it matters to them in their current cultural context.

While both of the volumes on Genesis are beneficial, the one before us today is the second volume containing Genesis 12-50.  This covers from the life of Abraham through the life of Joseph.  While most entries in the series can be praised for expositing in some depth various periscopes, I found this volume to be severally lacking in that department.  The author Joyce Baldwin does an admirable job in exegeting the passages, yet it is still lacking.  It most likely is due to the format of the series, keeping books shorter and more to the point, yet for those who wish to slowly teach or preach exegetical though shorter passages at a time this work is not a great as it could have been.

This is not to say that I did not enjoy reading Baldwin's exegesis, nor did I not find many nuggets of information and practical application, which I had not though of before.  The problem is her work is wonderful, I just wish there was more of it.  Therefore while this is work is suitable to personal study, I would advise pastors and teachers to use this work in conjunction with another commentary to help them in the dutiful task of expositing God's Word.

This book was provided to me free of charge from IVP Academic in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.