Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 30
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understand God’s work in Africa from Abraham through the year 2010—it is an insightful
overview of all God has done in our continent
over almost 4,000 years.
In addition, maps and other graphical
timelines and features are spread throughout
the Bible to help us understand the locations,
people, time, and structure of the Bible. One
of the features, Harmony of the Gospels, lo
cated at the end of the Gospel of John, gives us
a wonderful overview of how the four Gospels
tell a unified story and also how they tell the
life of Jesus from different viewpoints.
Bible Overview Reading Plan was created
specifically for the Africa Study B
ible. Here is a
plan to give you an overview of the whole Bible
in one year by reading the length of a chapter
six days a week. If you committ to this, you will
receive a wonderful understanding of the story
of God reaching out to us.
All of these features help us understand
the wonder and diversity of the Bible, the rich
Christian heritage of Africa, and the part that
Africa played in the events of the Bible.
Colorful original art in the front of the Africa Study Bible was created to show the beauty
and power of God’s Word. Verses were chosen
that highlight the project’s goals and beloved
verses give encouragement and power as they
are memorized, shared, and hidden in our
hearts. The art is built from many of the scripts,
symbols, colors, and patterns of Africa. Here is
a brief explanation of each piece:
—Mark 12:29-31. The two greatest commandments are illustrated. The spiraling circle at the
top represents the eternal God and the row of
people at the bottom represents our neighbors. The two tablets, also in the background,
remind us of the Ten Commandments which
can be summarized in these two commands
given to us by Jesus.
—Ephesians 2:8-10. A special robe celebrates
the great honour God has given us to be a part
of his family when we trust Christ. The lettering for "God's Masterpiece" is designed to express the uniqueness of each one of us working together to bless the world.
—Galatians 5:22-23. In these verses, we can
imagine various fruits on the same tree. This
illustrates the supernatural nature of these
character traits. The roots of the tree are included at the bottom to remind us that God's
Spirit makes us strong and enables us to live
abundantly.
—Psalm 67. A compass pattern was chosen to
represent God's rule and guidance over all the
world's peoples. The words follow the arc of
the globe, stretching from one end of the earth
to the other. The gold dots radiate from God's
name to illustrate that he is the source of all
blessing.
—Psalm 91. The large background symbol represents the confidence that we should fear no
one except God. The psalmist expresses that
trust in the Most High through the gentle metaphor of a bird's wings. This reminds us that
God's Spirit also revealed himself in the form
of a dove when Jesus was baptised.
—1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Jesus uses two pictures of the great sacrifice he made for us to be
forgiven and accepted by a holy God. The first,
his body broken for us, is illustrated here in a
cross made from staffs of grain which sprout
new life. The second diagonal image is of
Christ's blood poured out freely as represented in the wine shared with his disciples.
—Philippians 4:12-13. A symbol for strength
and humility is shown very large in the background to illustrate the power of Christ to help
us do what we can't accomplish in our own
strength. The cross, centrally located in the design, reminds us of the great cost by which we
have access to His strength.
—Romans 8:38. In lettering art, the artist attempts to make words look like what they
mean. So these words are designed to show
great confidence strong and close together.
In contrast, "God's Love" is written in a gentle, comforting style. The background shield
represents the assurance that this eternal love
protects us.
—2 Timothy 4:2. God's Word, the Holy Bible,
represented here by a sword and fiery flames,
has the power to change us as we listen and
obey. The different styles of lettering help to
express the meaning of each word or phrase.