HOST: Michael Whitworth
1. Pray that God will make you a persistent and humble daily Bible reader.
2. Set a regular time to read the Bible.
3. Set a place for regular study, one that keeps distractions to a minimum.
4. Move towards seeing daily Bible reading as an escape to be enjoyed, rather than a chore to be rushed through to completion.
5. Use a translation that is both understandable and reliable.
Recommended translations:

English Standard Version
New International Version
New American Standard
Study Bible: ESV Study Bible

Websites:

http://www.biblegateway.com
http://biblehub.com
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-versions/

6. Keep a journal of how much you read daily, interesting details you come across, questions that are raised, and any prayers prompted from your reading.
7. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask someone to explain a passage you find difficult to understand.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17).
This podcast is brought to you by Start2Finish
Website: start2finish.org
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Episode #3: “Let’s Get Specific”

The "Eat This Book" podcast is dedicated to supercharging your study of the Word of God. In each episode, host and best-selling author Michael Whitworth explores a Book or passage from the Bible, discusses important Bible study tips, and reviews helpful resources for further study. Make the "Eat This Book" podcast a part of your regular Bible study.

The show's title is taken from Ezekiel 2:3—"Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!” So I ate it. It tasted so good—just like honey" (The Message).

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

HOST: Michael Whitworth
SPONSOR: BibleTalk.tv
Lamentations is one of the darkest books in the Old Testament. Along with Job and Habakkuk and others, Lamentations refuses to play by the usual rules of piety. It is fearless in its screaming out to the heavens at God as the author witnesses the despair and disappointment of a destroyed Jerusalem. Lamentations is raw and disturbing for those unacquainted with grief and loss. But for those who have walked the valley of the shadow of death, Lamentations is a strangely comforting. It will dredge up painful emotions, but it will also refresh us with the knowledge that it is OK to complain and be angry at God as long as we continue to trust Him and respect his sovereignty.
Lamentations was written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple about 586 BC. Its author has traditionally been identified as Jeremiah, though the book is itself anonymous. In fact, it was the Septuagint translators that added this header to Lamentations: “And it came to pass that Jeremiah sat weeping and composed this lament over Jerusalem and said—”
Most all scholars claim that the book could not have been written more than about 75 years after the destruction of Jerusalem—the claim is that the language is simply too emotionally charged or raw to have been written any later than that. Obviously, if Jeremiah was the author, the book was written in or shortly after 586 BC.
Key Themes:

We must recognize God’s justice.
Sin mars and destroys God-given beauty.
Mercy sustains us through mourning.
Sin steals freedom and enslaves the sinner.


Episode #27: "Fake It 'Til You Make It"

HOST: Michael Whitworth
SPONSOR: BibleTalk.tv
Jeremiah was a priest from Anathoth, a city near Jerusalem in the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Most scholars believe that he was in his 20s when he received the call to ministry. He is brutally honest and sincere in his relationship with both God and man.
The public ministry of Jeremiah began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (about 627 B.C.). Jeremiah’s prophetic work continued through the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. Shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.), Jeremiah was carried by fellow Jews into Egyptian bondage and ended his life’s work there. All told, the work of Jeremiah spanned four decades.
Key Themes:

Jeremiah's message was constant, regardless of who was in power. When we become entangled in politics and sideshows we can lose sight of the real issue—glorifying God through our love for others and our relationship with him.
Though he bore God's message of judgment and destruction, Jeremiah did not do so from a position of moral authority. Rather, he wept for and interceded on the behalf of the people. Like Jeremiah, when dealing with those enslaved to sin and sinful practices, the church must retain a healthy dose of humanity.
Many false prophets in Jeremiah's day put an unhealthy emphasis on the Temple, believing that God would never allow his House to be destroyed or see ruin. But they were wrong. We must beware lest we deceive ourselves with a false sense of security, resting upon the laurels of previous generations and pointing to a restored Christianity as evidence of God’s favor. Our ears and eyes must be attentive to God’s message, and our hearts must be ready to make reforms when the need arises.
Though Josiah and Jeremiah led some reforms, they did not take root in the heart of the people of Judah. Obedience that is not from the heart is not obedience.

Keys to Reading:

Read 2 Kings 21-25 for the historical framework of Jeremiah
Note how politically inept Judah becomes as various kings refuse to fear the Lord.
Note how Jeremiah opens with God holding out the offer of hope and redemption to the people if they repent, but how later chapters concede that destruction is inevitable.
Finally, note how the people became incapable of believing and obeying the word of the Lord, even when it was spoken for their good.


Episode #26: "Man of Constant Sorrow"

HOST: Michael Whitworth
SPONSOR: BibleTalk.tv
The book of the prophet Isaiah might be the most magisterial book in Scripture. Isaiah lived 2,700 years ago, yet his is unquestionably among the most modern books of the Old Testament. His impact on the New Testament was enormous. Yet there are aspects to Isaiah's preaching that remain a mystery to some Christians today. Isaiah is the first of the prophets in the canon of the OT, not because he is first chronologically, but because he sets the tone in a powerful way for all that follows. In some ways, Isaiah is a guidebook for the rest of the prophets.
The prophet Isaiah ministered to the southern Kingdom of Judah during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. and early 7th century, during the reigns of Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. In Isaiah 6, we actually learn that Isaiah's call to ministry and the Lord's service came in the year that King Uzziah died.
Isaiah's name means "Yahweh saves," and God's salvation is indeed the theme of the book. In addition to the book that bears his name, Isaiah also wrote the biographies of Kings Uzziah and Hezekiah according to 2 Chron 26 and 32.
Many scholars believe that the book of Isaiah should actually be divided into 2 parts, and some further subdivide the second half into two more parts, making 3 total. The allegation is that Isaiah did not author the entire book, but only a portion of it. There are several reasons why I believe Isaiah wrote the entire book that bears his name, but the primary one is that the NT quotes more from Isaiah than any other prophet, and its writers do so with the belief that Isaiah wrote the whole book.
Keys to Reading: Four Themes of Isaiah

The Holiness of God
God's Holy People: Israel
God's City/Mountain: Jerusalem
The Inclusion of the Gentiles


Episode #25: "The Holy One of Israel"

HOST: Michael Whitworth
SPONSOR: BibleTalk.tv
The Book of Song of Solomon is one of the most neglected books in Scripture. Many are scared off by its sexual nature...so much so that, in the Middle Ages, anyone who suggested that the book was NOT primarily about Christ and the church was excommunicated!
But the book wasn't meant to be read that way exclusively. Rather, it is a celebration of human sexuality in the context of marriage. Given the fact that we live in a world that has perverted sex, perhaps we should be MORE open and candid about God's will for this very special blessing that pre-dates the Fall of Adam and Even in the garden.
There are a lot of reasons to believe that Solomon wrote this book. He mentions several species of plants and animals, of which he knew a lot (1 Kgs 4:33). There are also several locales mentioned throughout Israel that might not have been named had the book been written after the division of Israel in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
When you read the book, pay attention to who is speaking. Most of the book is written from the perspective of the woman. But there are times when the man speaks, as well as the woman's companions, sometimes known as the daughters of Jerusalem.
Also, there is a debate as to Solomon's exact role in the story. Is he the man? Or is he a spectator, watching these two in his poetic mind's eye? Is Solomon trying to communicate how much marital love can make both individuals feel like a king and queen?

Episode #24: "Sing Me a Love Song"

"The Hymnbook of Israel"
HOST: Michael Whitworth
SPONSOR: BibleTalk.tv
I find it intriguing that—in our modern church culture—we sing Psalms instead of pray them. Many Christians are of the mindset that the Psalms are songs in which we sing. While that may be true, they are also intended to be prayers. When one realizes that Psalms are prayers, some interesting questions come to mind. For one, if prayers are supposed to be filled with nice, flowery language and never critical of God, what do we do with Psalms 10 and 142? If prayers are intended to be from nice people with polished and polite wording, what do we do with Psalms 32 and 51?
Authorship & Date
Of all the books of the Old Testament, Psalms can best be defined as an anthology—that is, a collection of compositions. In this case the works of many poets are included so one should speak of a multi-authored production. In addition, evidence exists that editors took up the individual psalms and collected and arranged them into their present order in the book (cf. Psa. 72:20). Many of the psalms are of anonymous authorship and of the others David is most prominent with at least 72 credited to him. Other contributors were “the sons of Korah” (Psa. 42, 44–49, 84–85, 87–88), Asaph (50, 73–83), Solomon (72, 127), and even Moses (90).
2 Helpful Resources

Hymns of the Heart by Adam Faughn **disclaimer: published by Start2Finish**
How to Read Psalms by Tremper Longman III

8 Types of Psalms

Psalms of urging or admonishing (Psalms 1)
Psalms of praise and adoration (Psalms 8)
Psalms of thanksgiving (Psalms 107)
Psalms of penitence (Psalms 51)
Psalms of Hebrew history (Psalms 78)
Psalms of petition (Psalms 80)
Psalms of trust in the Lord (Psalms 23)
Psalms of prophecy (Psalms 22)


Episode #3: “Let’s Get Specific”

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