From the very beginning, the stories, songs, and other materials of the Old Testament have shaped the faith and imagination of Christian people. Yet the diversity and complexity of the Old Testament can make its pages seem inscrutable to the novice or the ordinary reader. Some guidance through the often rugged terrain of these ancient texts is not only welcome but often necessary. One would be hard-pressed to find more trustworthy guides through the Old Testament than the two authors of the present volume. I am proud to call both of them colleagues, friends, and brothers in Christ.

Don Keyser is an "amateur" student of the Old Testament in the truest sense of that term. Although his doctoral work was in the area of church history, his early teaching assignments were in biblical studies. He fell in love with Old Testament studies and read voraciously in that area for the rest of his career. Throughout his career his two passions have been the church and the classroom, which, in his mind, were never very far apart. Whether teaching a class of college students or a Sunday school class of adult men, his overriding aim has been to make the lesson intensely practical, to find lines of connection between the biblical text and the lives of God’s people. I first witnessed Don’s special teaching skills when I sat in his classes as an undergraduate student at Campbell. Later, I benefited from his gracious guidance when I joined the faculty. Both his teaching style and his lifestyle have been models worthy of greater emulation than I have been able to achieve.

Wayne Ballard is a highly trained student of the Hebrew Bible, with all the expertise that comes from earning a doctorate in Old Testament studies. Now in his fifth year of full-time teaching experience, he has published a growing number of studies and articles. He literally would rather teach Hebrew than eat lunch. He is known on campus as a caring professor who takes personal interest in individual students. Wayne also has the heart of a pastor. With a number of years of pastoral experience before joining the Campbell faculty, he remains a highly sought-after interim pastor and Bible study leader. One of his special gifts is the ability to interpret scholarly insights in ways appropriate for audiences or readers of varying levels of skill.

Both authors have demonstrated Christian faith that has been tested in the trials of life and found genuine. Both are committed to looking honestly at the biblical text and at life and are not afraid to ask hard questions about either. Neither is willing to settle for simplistic answers to complex issues. The present volume may be gauged for beginning students or lay readers, but it will not ask them to be unthinking or to refrain from asking unsettling questions.

Finally, one of Don Keyser’s endearing quirks manifests itself during walks across campus. A consummate storyteller, he regales his companions as they briskly walk along—Don has always been a brisk walker. Then, when he comes to a part of the story he feels especially passionate about, he stops right in the middle of the sidewalk and stands perfectly still until he finishes. My wish for you, the reader, is for a delightful walk with our authors through the Old Testament. Keep alert, however, for those especially passionate passages, and be prepared to linger a while and ponder.

—Donald N. Penny
Buies Creek, North Carolina
September, 2001