Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture

by Ann Spangler, Robert Wolgemuth

Men of the Bible offers both men and women a fresh way to read and understand the Bible--through the eyes and hearts of the men whose stories unfold in its pages. This unique book takes a close-up look at fifty-two men in Scripture--complex flesh-and-blood characters whose strengths and weaknesses will seem strangely similar to your own. Heroes and villains, sinners and prophets, commoners and kings--their dramatic life stories provide you with a fresh perspective on the unfolding story of redemption. Though our culture differs vastly from theirs, the fundamental issues we face in relation to God and the world remain the same. We still reach for great dreams and selfish ambitions. We wrestle with fear and indecision, struggle with sexual temptation, and experience the ache of loneliness and the devastation of betrayal. And, like many of these men, we long to walk more closely with the God who calls us into an intimate relationship with himself and who enables us to fulfill his purpose for our lives. Men of the Bible offers men and women today a unique devotional experience that combines five elements. Each week becomes a personal retreat focused on the life of a particular man: Designed for personal prayer and study or for use in small groups, Men of the Bible will help you make Bible reading a daily habit. Whether you dip into portions or read every page, this book will help you grow in character, wisdom, and obedience as a person after God's own heart.

Genres: Christian, Devotional, Spirituality

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2002

About the author

Ann Spangler is the best-selling author of numerous books, including Praying the Names of God, Women of the Bible, and Finding the Peace God Promises. An award-winning writer, Ann’s books have sold millions of copies over the course of her writing career. The mission of her books is to help readers strengthen their connection with God by encountering him in Scripture.

Before becoming a writer, Ann was an acquiring editor at various Christian publishers. From her unique perspective as an author and publishing professional, she believes readers are looking for well-written books that address the deep spiritual hungers that characterize our world.

She is the mother of two teenage daughters, both of whom were born in mainland China. In her spare time (what is spare time?), she loves to read, have dinner with friends, spend time on Lake Michigan’s beautiful beaches, travel, and stream British TV shows. An admitted Anglophile, she harbors deep prejudices in favor of anything British.

Reviews

[James Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a men's Bible study group. We read a chapter a week, over the course of a year. These are most of the "big hitters" in the Bible. The book is largely chronological with about half devoted to Old Testament and half to New Testament. The book is designed to be read as a daily devotional, with very small readings, for each day. I generally did not read it this way, typically reading a chapter at a time.

There are "dramatized" passages, typically in the Monday or Tuesday readings, speculating about a character's thoughts, motivations, etc. Some of these were interesting and some just seemed pure speculation.

Overall, there were no characters in here that I did not know at all. The stories were familiar. There were some decent insights and the book provided good discussions and focus for our group. I would recommend it to any other similar groups.

[Jess M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Spangler does it again. This is a great study of over 52 men of the Bible. The book is a year long study, one man per week with daily readings broken down for Monday through Friday. Spangler's book Women of the Bible is the same format and I have really enjoyed the deep dive of this format. This book is great for individual study or group studies. I highly recommend it!

[Jennah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this devotional and how the authors organized the information! I learned a lot about the 52 men of the Bible that were talked about in this book. This devotional would be fun to do with a group of ladies, but I used it as a personal devotional. When talking about God they did not capitalize the pronouns, I think it was because of the version of the Bible they were using. That was the only thing I did not like about this book.

Contents

Day 1 (Monday)

- The Meaning of His Name:

- His Work:

- His Character:

- His Sorrow:

- His triumph:

- Key Scriptures:

- His Story:

Day 2 (Tuesday)

- A Look at the Man:

Day 3 (Wednesday)

- His Legacy in Scripture (Group Questions):

Day 4 (Thursday)

- His Legacy of Promise:

- Promises in Scripture:

Day 5 (Friday)

- His Legacy of Prayer:

If you are doing it for a personal devotional as I did, then, I suggest doing those 5 days in one day. I do not like doing questions so I skipped those. It seems like a lot, but it isn't. I did it in 20 minutes.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used this as my daily study guide this year and it had its moments of inspiration but I also found at times that it did not have great depth. The structure of the book would lend itself better to group study where the mid week questions could be part of a discussion where each participant could pull more depth into the readings and learn from others perspectives as well as their own. There are never any simple answers when exploring one's faith.

[Teresa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our present SS book; we are on the last man, Paul this coming Sunday, July 1st, great study, we have a Senior Ladies SS, but this has reminded me of an in depth college study course. We would do extra research on all and the Bible verses. A lot to be learned from this book.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using this book for my Bible study.