Foreword

There is no shortage of books that help Christians read through the Bible in one year. Some examples are The One Year Bible available in various English translations, and Cover to Cover—Through the Bible Chronologically. However, most of these merely reprint the text of the Bible. There are no expository or devotional comments to help the reader understand the Bible text or questions for reflection.

One notable exception which includes more than just the text to be read is God’s Destiny for You (devotions for one year) by John SH Tay (Singapore: Armor Publishing, 2008), a book that I compiled—selected and edited from the weekly bulletin John wrote when he was dean of St Andrew's Cathedral, from May 1996 to April 2004. While this devotional contains many deep spiritual insights, they are based only on one verse of Scripture at a time and not a larger context.

Ng Keng Tiong, a Singaporean writer in his fifties, has 'added value' to the devotional resources available to help you read through the Bible in one year. His passion for the Word as well as meticulous way of reading the Bible, together with his knowledge of the Hebrew language, resulted in this volume which takes you through two-thirds of the Old Testament in 157 days. I recommend it for several reasons:

First, it is a good model of how to read through large chunks of the Bible systematically, and not just a verse here or a verse there. This is essential to get the proper context of the Bible. Many wrong interpretation and applications have been made because verses were often taken out of context.

Second, the author's decision to follow the structure of the Tanakh—the Hebrew equivalent of the Old Testament, not only neatly divides the Old Testament into two manageable halves, but more importantly, establishes the priority of The Law and the Prophets over The Writings, an order that Jesus Himself referred to in Luke 24:44—

Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses (TORAH), the Prophets (NEVI'IM), and the Psalms (KETUVIM).

Third, each day's reading is accompanied by a page of journal notes. These are a concise summary of the salient points of the reading for the day—easy to read and yet thorough enough to further refresh and retain what you have read.

Fourth, there is a 'ponder and reflect' section each day about how to apply a Biblical truth learned from the reading. These key questions or keen observations may be reflected upon and prayed through not only by individuals but also in groups.

Fifth, there is an occasional bonus section on Interesting Facts. These are not Bible trivial but engaging facts that can help the reader understand and appreciate the Bible better.

Finally, I am delighted that the author has put to good use the insights he gained through his study of the Hebrew language from my classes.

May this book be a blessing to you as you seek a closer walk with God through reading His written Word daily. May it help you to receive, live, share and teach others the truths that He longs to reveal to you.

Dr Mary Tay Wan Joo

Head of Biblical Languages

Bethany International University

August 29, 2019