For many Christians, the First or Old Testament is unknown territory, even among preachers. Cutting out two-thirds of the Bible by not reading and searching for meaning and application it, would leave us with many clueless stories and phrases in the New Testament. Jason S. DeRouchie offers help in How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament. In this book, he examines twelve steps from exegesis to theology to travel through Text to Observation to Context to Meaning to Application.

DeRouchie presents his findings on multiple levels, to facilitate readers without any knowledge of Hebrew and Greek as well as theology students capable of reading and understanding these biblical languages. The author highlights the importance of genre, literary units, the original wording, translation, and grammar. He explores the arguments or inner logic of the texts, word and concept studies, and historical context. Reading the Bible itself instead of relying on all kinds of external sources will help you to come to unearth the grand story of the Bible and its key concepts. As a final step, you're challenged to apply the text to yourself, the church, and the world. Jesus Christ is central in both Old and New Testament. DeRouchie spends many pages in revealing the prophecies pointing to Christ, and the way Jesus Christ actually fulfills the prophecies, the various roles of e.g. priest, prophet, shepherd, and savior. A wealth of information and food for thought and practice. ( )