Immerse: Poets Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 11
Introduction to
POETS
T H E F I V E C O V E N A N T S G O D M A D E W I T H H U M A N I T Y —through
Noah,
Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus—provide the deep structure of the
Bible. The vital historic context for the first four of these covenants—
the Flood, the call of Abraham, the Exodus, and the establishment of
Israel’s monarchy—are found in the Beginnings and Kingdoms volumes.
The words and deeds of the prophets who spoke for God to the people
of Israel follow in the Prophets volume.
As the Jewish people assembled their Scriptures over time, they
included another group of books that they called the Writings. These
books from the latter part of the First Testament provide us with a key
link to Israel’s world during and after the nation’s seventy-year exile in
Babylon. By the time these books were collected in final form, Israel’s
political independence had ended and the people were living under
the rule of foreign powers. While some of the Jewish people remained
in their traditional homeland, many were dispersed throughout the ancient Near Eastern world.
The sages and scribes who wrote and gathered the Writings provided stories, songs, and wise words to God’s people to keep them closely
tethered to their ancient identity and calling. The unique stories and
historical records of the Writings can be found in the Chronicles volume. The poetical books from the Writings are collected here in Poets.
The first books in this volume (Psalms, Lamentations, and Song of
Songs) are collections of song lyrics. These song collections reflect the
rich reality of human life and a full range of human emotions. They are
closely tied to Israel’s life and history, expressing the agony of their trials and the joy of their celebrations. Through the deep sorrow of Lamentations; the joyful exuberance of the love songs of Song of Songs;
and the complaints, thanksgiving, exultation, and praise of Psalms, we
enter more deeply into Israel’s story.
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