Hitchhiking with Prophets - by Chad Bird

Book Synopsis

The Bible is not some dusty textbook, but a veritable circus of humanity, with high-soaring saints, back-talking donkeys, left-handed kingslayers, and all the glory and gore you can fit inside the big top of this biblical tent.

And everywhere in this story is God who, in his wild and passionate love for humanity, is shepherding history toward the birth and ministry of Jesus the Messiah.

Do you already have a good grasp of the Old Testament? Wonderful. This book will be an enjoyable review. Do you not know the difference between the Bible and The Hobbit? Also fine. This book will be a helpful map into unknown territory.

By the time we're done, you won't know all the ins and outs of the story, but you will have a strong grasp of the major movers and shakers. We will sit shotgun with patriarchs and prophets. Each one will take us a little farther down the Old Testament road until we get to the goal: to Jesus, the one in whom the whole story finds fulfillment and meaning.

Review Quotes

"Hitchhiking with Prophets is the work of Chad Bird at its best. First, it emphasizes the Christ-centered nature of the Old Testament. Bird repeatedly highlights how every prophecy, mediator, and institution of Israel points ahead to Christ and new covenant. Secondly, the work shows how grace is the central moving force of the biblical narrative. In a word, Bird demonstrates how from age to age the people of God are sustained by Word and sacrament, in spite of being nothing more than a wrecked little flock of sinners." - Jack Kilcrease, Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Christ School of Theology, Institute of Lutheran Theology


"In this journey through some of the major episodes of the Old Testament narrative, Chad Bird is the most reliable and fascinating of guides. With every step, Bird illuminates both the extraordinary and the mundane aspects of the narratives with a keen eye for their Christological significance. Hitchhiking with Prophets is such a pleasure to read! By the end, the reader will not only have a grasp on key people and events, but a sure faith in the God whose certain promises outstrip the sin of his all-too human people." - Todd Brewer, Managing Editor, Mockingbird Ministries


"It is easy to find yourself lost within the pages of the Old Testament. The history, culture, language, geography, politics, and laws are all a bewildering challenge for the modern reader. What one needs is a map to help you navigate the terrain. Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament is such a map. In this book Chad Bird will guide you through the Old Testament as he points out the key people and theological ideas in God's unfolding redemptive plan. Chad's understanding of the storyline of Scripture makes this a map worth keeping close as you travel through the pages of the Bible. Hitchhiking with Prophets is an excellent guide for the new or even the not-so-new explorer of the Old Testament." - Dr. Chris Hulshof, Associate, Professor of Bible and Theology, Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University


"This book is something better than a hitchhiker's guide to the universe. It's a grace-filled, salt-seasoned celebration of the first part of the best book in the world. Here you'll find the meaning of life, the universe, and everything--if you let Chad Bird pick you up and drive you home to Jesus." - James M. Hamilton Jr., Professor of Biblical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary


In this delightful tour of the Old Testament, Chad Bird brings out the beauty of God's gracious guidance of all of human history that culminates in Jesus Christ. He shows how the major events and characters of the Old Testament reveal humanity's desperate need for, and God's wondrous provision of, redemption of sinners based on divine mercy alone. What a joy to read and what a blessing to the church! - Dane Ortlund, Author, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

People travel all the time to see amazing sights. Reading a book can be like taking a trip. You should open Hitchhiking with Prophets and take a ride through the salvation story of the Old Testament. With accessible and lively prose, Chad Bird guides you through the wonders and tragedies and highs and sorrows of what's going on in the Old Testament. Along the way, and most importantly, we see the covenant faithfulness and mercy of the one true God who has made the world and is committed to redeeming it through a Promised Son. - Mitch Chase, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

About the Author

Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He holds master's degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. Chad has authored several books, speaks regularly at conferences and congregations, and cohosts the popular podcast, "40 Minutes in the Old Testament." Chad and his wife Stacy make their home in Texas, where they have been blessed with four children and three grandchildren.