NCV, Dad's Bible: The Father's Plan

DAD'S

BIBLE

THE FATHER'S PLAN

Presented to:

_____________________________

Given by:

_____________________________

Date and Occasion:

_____________________________

DAD’S

BIBLE

THE FATHER’S PLAN

NOTES BY

ROBERT WOLGEMUTH

Dad’s Bible

Copyright © 2007 by Robert D. Wolgemuth

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Holy Bible, New Century Version®

Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Publisher is pleased hereby to grant permission for the New Century Version to be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission with the following qualifications: (1) up to and including one thousand (1,000) verses may be quoted, except: (a) the verses being quoted may not comprise as much as 50 percent of the work in which they are quoted, and/or (b) the verses quoted may not comprise an entire book of the Bible when quoted; (2) all NCV quotations must conform accurately to the NCV text.

Quotations from this Bible may be identified in written form with the abbreviation (NCV) in less formal documents, such as bulletins, newsletters, curriculum, media pieces, posters, transparencies, and where space is limited.

A proper credit line must appear on the title or copyright page of any work quoting from the New Century Version, as follows:

"Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version®, copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission."

Quotations of more than 1,000 verses, or other permission requests, must be approved by Thomas Nelson, Inc., in writing in advance of use.

The preliminary research and development on the New Century Version was done by the World Bible Translation Center, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas 76182.

Printed in Belgium. All Rights Reserved.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9—10 09 08 07

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Preface

Old Testament

New Testament

Questions & Answers

Topical Index

God’s Word On . . .

About the Author

Endnotes

FOREWORD

What Does It Feel Like to Be a Father?

It doesn’t make any difference how old your first child is as you read these words. You and I remember the breathtaking moment when we first laid eyes on this child. Our sobering memory is as crisp as if it had happened this morning. The conundrum of emotions was palpable . . . a mixture of elation and responsibility.

We looked into the face of this beautiful baby . . . our baby. We examined the intricate details of each wrinkle and fold . . . the dark eyes trying to open and focus . . . the tiny fingers and hands . . . the fragile stratum of velvet fuzz that covered their skin . . . the cheeks so kissable, an enticement to which we helplessly complied.

Shortly after noon on February 3, 1975, my friend Ravi Zacharias kissed a tiny face like this. Dressed in baggy green scrubs and standing in the delivery room of Toronto General Hospital, Ravi was holding Sarah. Thick black hair encircled her countenance. She was so tiny. So precious. So . . . his.

In a few hours, Ravi and his brother-in-law, Sunder Krishnan, were sitting across from each other in a coffee-shop booth. They were talking about what had happened. Not one to engage in small talk or veneered questions, Sunder looked across the table into the eyes of his wife’s little brother, cutting to the chase.

How does it feel to be a father? he asked.

Ravi had come to expect philosophical exchanges with Sunder, but this time he had hoped for something else. How’s Margie? Sunder could have asked. Who does baby Sarah look like? Does she have your eyes? Does she have Margie’s chin?

Instead Ravi got a predictably daunting one.

Because this conversation was so many years ago, Ravi admits that he doesn’t remember how he answered the question. But what he does remember is that he didn’t have much of a satisfying response. He knew that he was a father and that this made him feel very happy. But beyond that, there wasn’t much to say.

So new to this fathering thing, how could he possibly know? But what he also didn’t know was how soon he’d learn. As soon as that very night.

Ravi was sound asleep and alone in their apartment when the phone rang. Through the fog, he reached for the nightstand.

Hello, he said, feigning consciousness.

Ravi.

It was Margie.

Ravi, she repeated.

It’s Sarah, Margie said. Sarah’s in trouble.

Instantly, any sense of sleepiness escaped Ravi’s body. All systems were at the ready.

A registered nurse herself, Margie explained the ABO incompatibility that had turned Sarah’s blood stream into poison in her tiny system. Her own body was slowly strangling life from itself.

Come quickly, Margie said, her voice now revealing the panic that filled her.

Sitting frozen on the edge of the bed, Ravi held the now-quiet phone in his hand. Here was an emotion he had never known before. In the darkness, he robotically reached to the nightstand, returning the phone to the cradle that held it.

And then suddenly and without warning, Sunder’s coffee-shop question came flooding through Ravi’s mind. What does it feel like to be a father?

Ravi’s heart raced with the epiphany. This time he had an answer. In that sacred moment, Ravi experienced something he would never forget.

For the first time, he knew exactly what it felt like to be a father.

DAD’S BIBLE

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Dad’s Bible. Whether you bought this special Bible for yourself or received it as a gift, it’s great to have you along. Remember that the Bible is God’s holy Word. As history’s best-selling book, it’s truth from Genesis to Revelation . . . front to back.

My hope is that you’ll find the notes, features, and ideas I have added to these pages thought-provoking, encouraging, challenging, and even amusing for you as a child of God . . . a man, a husband, and a dad.

God’s grace uncovered in these pages is yours to experience and enjoy.

Introductions to the Books of the Bible

These short paragraphs set the historical, emotional, and spiritual stage for the specific Bible book you are about to read. They include helpful context information, fresh perspectives and useful application to help you get the most out of your reading.

Walking In Authority

What is authority and how does it apply to you as a father? These sections will help you navigate the everyday challenges of fathering. As a man who wants to follow Christ, these articles will also help you apply the wisdom of Scripture.

Godly Character

The more you walk by faith, the more clearly you see yourself. This feature uses the benchmarks of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) as you look for ways for God to show up in the day to day stuff of life . . . love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness and more. It’s a very challenging list. The good news is that it’s what God himself wants to do through you.

Passing It On

These informative segments are loaded with advice about sharing your faith-walk with your children.

Dads in the Bible

Some men whose stories are in the Bible are models of good fathering. Some are not. These profiles help you to learn valuable life lessons from a few famous biblical fathers: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Building Your Children

A handful of articles are placed throughout the text to help you in your role as a father. They cover seven key areas of focus to build character in your children: Protection, Conversation, Affection, Discipline, Laughter, Faith and Conduct.

Insights

Short observations, linked to specific Bible passages, for you to think over and carry with you, at work or at home.

Questions & Answers

Children are notoriously full of tough questions, especially about God and the Bible. From What language did Jesus speak? to What is grace? you’ll find a treasure of answers and their Scriptural basis in these features.

Topical Index

This is a good resource to help you find and use the many features of this Bible.

Your children didn’t arrive with an instruction manual to help you along. Mine didn’t either. So my prayer is that in this Dad’s Bible, you’ll find a resource that will help you with the challenges and pleasures of being God’s man . . . and passing these amazing things on to your own kids.

Dr. Robert Wolgemuth

Orlando, Florida

PREFACE

God intended for everyone to be able to read and understand his Word. The Old Testament is written in Hebrew, the language of the people of Israel. Through the use of vivid stories based on real events and beautiful poetry, it appeals to the minds and hearts of the educated and the uneducated. The New Testament was first written in the simple Greek of everyday life, not in the Latin of Roman courts or the classical Greek of the academies. Even Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught spiritual principles by comparing them to such familiar terms as pearls, seeds, rocks, trees, and sheep. Likewise, the New Century Version translates the Scriptures in familiar, everyday words of our times.

The New Century Version is a translation of God’s Word from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. A previous edition of the complete New Century Version, the International Children’s Bible, was published in 1986.

A Trustworthy Translation

Two basic premises guided the translation process of the New Century Version. The first concern was that the translation be faithful to the manuscripts in the original languages. A team composed of the World Bible Translation Center and fifty additional, highly qualified and experienced Bible scholars and translators was assembled. The team included people with translation experience on such accepted versions as the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the New King James Version. The most recent scholarship and the best available Hebrew and Greek texts were used, principally the third edition of the United Bible Societies’ Greek text and the latest edition of the Biblia Hebraica, along with the Septuagint.

A Clear Translation

The second concern was to make the language clear enough for anyone to read the Bible and understand it. In maintaining clear language, several guidelines were followed. Vocabulary choice has been based upon The Living Word Vocabulary by Dr. Edgar Dale and Dr. Joseph O’Rourke (World-book-Childcraft International, 1981), which is the standard used by the editors of The World Book Encyclopedia to determine appropriate vocabulary. For difficult words that have no simpler synonyms, footnotes and references are provided. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and are indicated in the text by an n(for note).

The New Century Version aids understanding by putting concepts into natural terms. Modern measurements and geographical locations have been used as much as possible. For instance, terms such as shekels, cubits, omer, and hin have been converted to modern equivalents of weights and measures. Where geographical references are identical, the modern name has been used, such as the Mediterranean Sea instead of Great Sea or Western Sea. Also, to minimize confusion, the most familiar name for a place is used consistently instead of using variant names for the same place. Lake Galilee is used throughout the text rather than its variant forms, Sea of Kinnereth, Lake Gennesaret, and Sea of Tiberias.

Ancient customs are often unfamiliar to modern readers. Customs such as shaving a man’s beard to shame him or walking between the halves of a dead animal to seal an agreement are meaningless to most people today. So these are clarified either in the text or in a footnote.

Since meanings of words change with time, care has been taken to avoid potential misunderstandings. Frequently in the Old Testament God tells his people to devote something to him, as when he tells the Israelites to devote Jericho and everything in it to him. While we might understand this to mean he is telling them to keep it safe and holy, the exact opposite is true. He is telling them to destroy it totally as an offering to him. The New Century Version communicates the idea clearly by translating devoted in these situations as destroyed as an offering to the LORD.

Rhetorical questions in many instances have been stated according to their implied answer. The psalmist’s question What god is so great as our God? has been stated more directly as No god is as great as our God.

Figures of speech have been translated according to their meanings. For instance, the expression the Virgin Daughter of Zion, which is frequently used in the Old Testament, is simply translated the people of Jerusalem.

Idiomatic expressions of the biblical languages are translated to communicate the same meaning to today’s reader that would have been understood by the original audience. For example, the Hebrew idiom he rested with his fathers is translated by its meaning—he died."

Obscure terms have been clarified. In the Old Testament God frequently condemns the people for their high places and Asherah poles. The New Century Version translates these according to their meanings, which would have been understood by the Hebrews. High places is translated places where gods were worshiped, and Asherah poles is translated Asherah idols.

Gender language has been rendered in keeping with the principles of meaning-based translation. In the interest of providing the best rendering of the original Hebrew and Greek texts in contemporary English, appropriate gender terms are used whenever it is possible to do so without hindering clarity or accuracy. Masculine terms are used when the meaning of the original has to do with males, including references to deity and to male cultural situations such as the military and the priesthood. Feminine terms are used when the meaning of the original has to do with females. When the meaning of the original has to do with both males and females, nongendered terms are used. (In such cases, the masculine resumptive pronoun has sometimes been preferred to changing person or number.)

The divine name YHWH, the tetragrammaton, has been indicated in the New Century Version by putting LORD, and sometimes GOD, in capital letters, following the tradition of other English versions. This is to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word that is translated Lord.

Proper English style has been maintained while clarifying concepts and communication. The beauty of the Hebrew parallelism in poetry and the wordplays have been retained, and the images of the ancient languages have been captured in equivalent English images wherever possible.

Study Aids

Other features to enhance understanding of the text include subject headings throughout the text to identify speakers and topics and footnotes offering additional information on selected verses.

Our Prayer

It is with great humility and prayerfulness that this Bible is presented. We acknowledge the infallibility of God’s Word, as well as our own human frailty. We pray that God has worked through us as his vessels so that we all might better learn his truth for ourselves and that it might richly grow in our lives. It is to his glory that this Bible is given.

THE PUBLISHER

THE

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

GENESIS

Home          Next

Chapter in GENESIS

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 1

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 2

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 3

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 4

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 6

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 7

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 8

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 9

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 10

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 11

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 12

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 13

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 14

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 15

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20

21

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 16

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 17

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 18

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 19

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 20

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 21

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 22

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 20

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 23

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 24

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60

61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 25

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 26

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34, 35

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 27

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46

Back to Chapters in Genesis

Back to the Old Testament

Back to Table of Contents

Verses in GENESIS Chapter 28

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10