Preaching Hard Texts of the Old Testament

"Achtemeier launches out on a campaign to stir preachers to preach the toughest texts of the Old Testament with courage and conviction. Her book is a delight and a challenge. She never fails to provoke, enlighten, encourage."
—William H. Willimon, Duke University

Elizabeth Achtemeier has carefully chosen thirty-one Old Testament passages that are difficult to understand and more difficult still to preach. The sacrifice of Isaac, God’s command for Hosea to marry a harlot, Moses’ use of the bronze serpent to heal snake-bitten Israelites—these and many other passages are illumined for the preacher who no longer wants to fear these texts. In each chapter, Achtemeier discusses the text and then offers suggestions for forming a sermon based on that text. In treating specific unsettling passages, Achtemeier also addresses thematic difficulties found throughout the Old Testament, such as the frequent militaristic portrayals of God, the often perplexing behavior of Old Testament prophets, and the many anthropomorphic descriptions of God.

"Many find it hard to preach from Old Testament texts. In this collection of sermons Elizabeth Achtemeier shows that even the hard texts of the Old Testament can produce significant and profound preaching."
—James Luther Mays, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia