from the STUDY to the PULPIT

An 8-Step Method for Preaching and Teaching the Old Testament

Allan Moseley

lexham press

From the Study to the Pulpit: An 8-Step Method for Preaching and Teaching the Old Testament

© 2017 by Allan Moseley

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

LexhamPress.com

First edition by Weaver Book Company.

All rights reserved. You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.

Print ISBN 9781683592143

Digital ISBN 9781683592150

Cover design: Frank Gutbrod

For my mother,

Adine Horn Moseley,

with much love and gratitude

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. What Does the Text Say?

2. What Is the Text’s Genre? (Part 1)

3. What Is the Text’s Genre? (Part 2)

4. What Is the Text’s Context?

5. What Is the Meaning of Key Words?

6. What Is the Big Idea?

7. What Is the Connection to Jesus?

8. How Do We Apply the Old Testament to Contemporary People?

INTRODUCTION

“Preaching from the Old Testament is hard for me, so most of the time I don’t attempt it.” Over the years I have heard no small number of seminary students and pastors speak words like that. The purpose of this book is to help all of us preach and teach the Old Testament more faithfully and effectively. To that end, in the following pages I offer an 8-step method that I hope will be understandable and workable. In presenting this method I have attempted to strike a balance. On the one hand, I want to set the bar high and challenge readers to grow in exegetical proficiency. On the other hand, I hope to provide a simple, usable process that teachers can put to work right away.

Definitions and Presuppositions

This book is about exegesis, or exposition. It would be helpful to define exactly what we mean by those two terms. First, exegesis is the process of determining what a text says and what it means, getting out of the text what is in it. Darrell Bock points out that exegesis has its roots in a Greek term that means “to lead out of,” and “so it means to ‘read out’ the meaning of the text. It is to explain or interpret a text.” Bock further states that exegesis involves working with the text’s original language, using sound interpretation principles and moving to application.1

Teachers of the Bible sometimes differ concerning how to use the terms exegesis and exposition. For example, Douglas Stuart writes that exegesis is not complete without application and proclamation.2 Robert Chisholm, on the other hand, ...