A great resource

I'm continuing to enjoy wading through the ESV Study Bible. After reading rapidly through the TNIV, a repackaging of it called The Books of the Bible: a presentation of Today's New International Version, The NIV Archaeological Study Bible, The ESV Reformation Study Bible and the New Jerusalem Study Bible I'm convinced that the ESV Study Bible is a superior aid to understanding the text and message of the Bible. All of the study bibles listed have good qualities, and all are useful to read through, [though you'd need to be reading the NJSB critically, as it does not take a sufficently high view of the Bible as the Word of God], but the ESV Study Bible has so many wonderful treasures: if you could only afford one, I'd definitely tell you to go for this one.

This morning I've been reading Psalms and am very grateful for the terrific job John Collins has done with his introduction and notes. One thing he keeps pointing out is how often the Old Testament writers go back to Exodus 34:5-7

The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Though I've read through 7 other Bibles over the past three and a half years [I've also read through The New Living Translation, 2nd edition and the Good News Bible, Australian edition], I had not picked up on this and am grateful that Collins keeps showing us what a central passage that Exodus one is.

It is going to take another 2 years or more to complete this read through, based on my current slow rate, but the journey is wonderful.