About the Book
Book: A People Chosen
Author: Karen Engle
Genre: Non – Fiction / Christian / Bible Study
Release Date: March, 2017
Is God finished with the Jewish people? Understanding Israel according to the Bible and not the media, political views, or personal opinion sheds incredible light on why Israel and the Jewish people exist today. God is not finished with the tiny nation and has a great purpose and plan for Israel that will impact the world. A People Chosen: God’s Purpose and Plan for Israel and the Nations is a self-guided eight-lesson Bible study. You will learn about the creation of Israel in Genesis, God’s promises to Israel and the nations, Israel’s scattering and current regathering to Israel, the return of King Jesus to rule and reign from Jerusalem, and why Israel is pivotal in God’s plan of redemption. It is a love story of faithfulness, mercy, and justice. It is the story of a people chosen by God to be a conduit for God’s blessings to all mankind. It is a weighty call, and it has not come without a price.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Karen earned a master’s in biblical studies from Western Seminary. She is an adjunct writing instructor with Moody Bible Institute, a copy editor for Faithlife Corporation, and owner of East Gate Editing. Her passion is taking study groups to the land of Israel, which she says brings the Bible from “black and white to technicolor.”
More from Karen
There is something peculiar about the Jews. They are one of the few ancient people groups that has endured into modern times, and their religion—Judaism—is one of the world’s oldest.
The Jewish people have been miraculously regathered together into a thriving nation after being scattered throughout the earth. Hebrew, Israel’s official language, was once a dead speech but has been revived and is now an active, living language with more than five million native speakers.
They have been the most persecuted people in history and as such their existence baffles historians and theologians alike. There is no logical rationale for the Jews’ existence. Considering the Holocaust alone, the Jewish people should not have survived. And yet, they do.
In fact, they have flourished and been a blessing to the world.
The narrative of the Bible is centered on this unique nation of individuals established by God thousands of years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. From Abraham to King David to Jesus, the story of the Bible is knit together with a common thread: the Jewish people. It is a love story of faithfulness, mercy, and justice. It is the story of a people chosen by God to be a conduit for God’s blessings to humanity. It is a weighty call, and it has not come without a price.
Yet, many people, even Christians, don’t give this a second thought.
About twelve years ago, God stirred my heart toward this tiny nation, and I subsequently spent years studying the history of the Jewish people and God’s purpose and plan for them according to Scripture. And it rocked my theological world. I was in the middle of seminary, and no one (outside of one professor, who is still my favorite) talked about Israel. And though there were books on the topic, I could not find one Bible study.
When I talk to people about Israel and its importance in Scripture and thus modern-day world events, there seems to be a disconnect—a lack of understanding as to why anyone would bring up the topic. Why should anyone care? What is so significant about Israel?
I wrote this Bible study to answer these questions. It’s a cross between a book and a Bible study and is designed to take participants by the hand and help them understand why God cares so deeply about this peculiar nation. It’s a culmination of many trips to the land and years of personal study—and I’m still learning. Heavy on Scripture, full of beautiful images from around Israel, and focused on Christ, the study will turn the black and white pages of your Bible to technicolor.
I hope that those who do the study will begin to see Israel as a beautiful example of God’s faithfulness to his Word.
Author Interview with Karen Engle
How did writing this book grow you spiritually?
The Lord put Israel on my heart about twelve years ago. It was out of nowhere, but the compulsion to study about Israel, the people, and the land was so strong I couldn’t deny it. I went to Israel for the first time in 2012, and that sealed the deal. My Bible went from black and white to technicolor. As I learned more and more about God’s plan for Israel and the nations, I was struck by how there was so much to learn from a biblical perspective but no clear Bible study to teach about it. After creating a 16-week curriculum for the college level student in my master’s program (which never was used because I don’t teach Bible at the university level), I realized God had outlined the Bible study for me through the creation of that curriculum. A People Chosen was half-written before I even put pen to paper.
I now have a deep love for the culture and context the Bible was written in and helping others to understand it better, too. I also have a passion for helping others to understand why what’s happening not only in the land today but around the world as God brings his Jewish people home is so important. He’s a promise-keeping God, and when he says he will “gather [the] again from all the nations where he scattered [them], he will do it—and is doing it in our day.
All that said, as I studied and researched in preparation for writing this Bible study, my entire approach to the Bible changed. Now I read it not for how I can apply it to me, how it can encourage me or motivate me or comfort me (although it does do those things) but from a literal perspective. It’s God’s blueprint over all time, and he’s not finished with his story! So when I read Scripture, I’m constantly asking God, “What do you want me to learn and know about what you promised, what you already fulfilled, and what you will fulfill one day?” My Bible has gone from black and white to technicolor.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
My most favorite people in the world are my three young-adult kids (two of my own and a son-in-law) and my husband. I love hanging out with them. But I also run quite a bit for stress relief, and I enjoy hiking and biking, too. Anything outside. And there is nothing better than getting lost in a good book on a rainy day beside the fireplace.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson, A. W. Tozer, and anything by Dr. Walter Kaiser
Favorite quote?
The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” The life is in the speaking words. God’s word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God’s word in the universe. It is the present voice [that] makes the written word all-powerful. Otherwise, it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book. —A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
How do you do research for your books? (I answered this, “How did you research your Bible study?)
I spend hours researching the topic of Israel and do it daily (it’s what I love doing in my free time). I’m a fan of Logos Bible Software, which gives me access to thousands of digital books and resources on the topic. I also spend a fair amount of time researching the culture and context of the Bible, and I believe it strongly affects how we interpret the Word of God. But the best “research” happens when I’m in the land of Israel, especially visiting archaeological sites and hearing from those who are (almost) daily discovering artifacts that support the accuracy of the Scriptures.
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, March 26
Inklings and notions, March 27
For Him and My Family, March 28
Blossoms and Blessings, March 29 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, March 30
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 31
Genesis 5020, April 1
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 2
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 3
For the Love of Literature, April 4 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, April 4
Spoken from the Heart, April 5
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 6
Artistic Nobody, April 7 (Author Interview)
SPLASHES of Joy, April 8
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize package of an Israel-themed basket: 6 copies of my book/Bible study A People Chosen, the movie The Hope on the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the book Your People Will Be My People, and a $25 gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/f737/a-people-chosen-celebration-tour-giveaway
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