Wrestling with God: Understanding Difficult Old Testament Passages

Lessing, R Reed

ISBN 10: 0758679858 / ISBN 13: 9780758679857

Published by Concordia Publishing House, 2026

2026. paperback. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780758679857

Synopsis:

The Old Testament has a reputation for being confusing, outdated, or irrelevant. Modern readers have lots of uncomfortable questions: Was the universe really created in six days? Do Christians have to follow Israelite laws? Does God change His mind?

Wrestling with God encourages Christians to tackle these difficult topics and more to get a clearer picture of who God really is. The Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing and the Rev. Dr. Andrew E. Steinmann explore ten topics including Creation, laws, and prophecy and help readers embrace—rather than dismiss—the Old Testament.

Modern Christians are separated from the Old Testament by time, culture, and language. Lessing and Steinmann bridge these gaps and study things like the sexual laws in Leviticus 18, God's mandates for violence against the Canaanites in the book of Joshua, and the true meaning of prophecies in Ezekiel 37-48. Amid it all, the authors point the reader to Jesus, the promised Savior and most complete revelation of God.

The Bible study's conversational writing style and chapter discussion questions are perfect for individual or group use.

About the Authors: R. Reed Lessing serves as the Edwin F. and Esther L. Laatsch chair of Old Testament studies at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He directs the university's Center of Biblical Studies as well as its pre-seminary program. Reed also serves as associate pastor at Cross View Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota. He has authored six commentaries in the Concordia Commentary series and books on Exodus, Numbers, and Jeremiah for a broader audience. He has co-authored three books with Andrew Steinmann

Dr. Andrew Steinmann taught at Concordia University Chicago as a distinguished professor of theology and Hebrew from 2000 until retiring in July 2023. At Concordia, he taught a wide variety of classes, including Hebrew I and II, Hebrew Readings, Readings in Hebrew, and Introduction to the Old Testament. His research interests are focused on Hebrew, Aramaic languages, apocalyptic literature, wisdom literature, and biblical chronology. Throughout his career, Dr. Steinmann has written over fifty articles and book reviews published in national and international journals. He serves as a regular guest on numerous radio programs. Dr. Steinmann holds the following degrees: PhD, Near Eastern Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; MDiv, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana; BSChE, chemical engineering, University of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Wrestling with God: Understanding Difficult ...
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Publication Date: 2026
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: New