An Incredible Biblical Resource for Children and Parents

I never cease to be amazed (and deeply grateful) for God's great mercy toward modern-day parents in the abundance of substantive Bible study resources that are available for teaching children the oracles of God. Through a recent conversation with Paul Tripp, I discovered another incredible resource that had somehow escaped my gaze: a set of Bible commentaries for children. Yes, Bible commentaries for children. Author Nancy E. Ganz has written commentaries on the first four books of the Bible (with many more to come!) that open up Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers to children and parents. They detail, not only the texts, but their place in the storyline of God's redemptive plan that finds its fulfillment in Christ.

Published by Shepherd Press, the series is titled Herein is Love and is designed for parents to read to their children in family worship or in informal or formal Bible study sessions. Each chapter includes additional texts, particularly New Testament texts that show fulfillment in Christ, for study in conjunction with the OT story. The reading level would allow for older children (8-12, depending on how well/much your kids read) to absorb and benefit from the commentaries. There is so much substance in these commentaries, parents will benefit greatly as well. Each commentary includes a helpful teachers guide with many penetrating questions for understanding and application as well as recommended visual aids, memory verses, Psalms to sing and appropriate memory verses. Over the next two days, Gender Blog will provide a few excerpts from first four books to give our readers a bit of the flavor of these excellent books.

From a chapter on the Fall in Genesis 3, "War in Heaven:"

The war in heaven is a battle on earth. It is a war between the Holy One and the Evil One, a battle between good and evil that sweeps the entire span of earth's history. The Bible, from the beginning to en, from Genesis to Revelation, speaks of this battle. In this war Satan is continually, definitively, and ultimately defeated. Satan's "casting out" and "hurling down" seems to be a past-present-future event which has happened, is happening, which will happen.

From a chapter on Genesis 22, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, "The Lord Will Provide:"

On that day God had another Lamb waiting, one who had been waiting from before the foundation of the world, and who was still waiting for the appointed time. The ram slain on Abraham's altar was only a shadow of the One who was to come. Two thousand years later in those same mountains would stand a city called Jerusalem, and on Mount Moriah would stand the temple of the Lord. At that time and place another son of Abraham would be "led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). He would carry a wooden cross upon his shoulders, and this Promised Child, this Son of Abraham, would be sacrificed for sin. There would be no last minute rescue for that son. His body would be broken and his blood would be poured out . . . unto death!

From a chapter on Moses being cast away on the water as a baby, picking up on Hebrews 11, "By Faith, He Left."

Moses was born an Israelite. By God's grace his life was spared and by God's grace he spent the first few years of that life in his own home with his own family. During those few short years, Moses' father and mother must have taught him all they could about the LORD, the God of Israel, and the promises that He had give to His people long ago. They also must have told Moses about his own birth and the amazing way that God had delivered him from death. However, that precious time of loving and learning passed quickly. Too soon the day arrived when Moses' mother could no longer keep him. Once again he had grown too old; once again she had to let him go, entrusting him to the care of Almighty God. Yes, the sad day came when Moses' mother had to take her little boy to Pharaoh's daughter, and he would not come home again, for now Moses would be the son of an Egyptian princess.

All four books are available here from Shepherd Press.