Bible Speaks Today

Where is God in times of disaster? How can God allow suffering? What are God's people to do about moral decay in society? People throughout the ages have pondered these questions, and three of the Bible's minor prophets-Joel, Micah, and Habakkuk-offer special insight on these perennial problems. David Prior's passage-by-passage exposition of these three books provides careful study and measured application for today's church. The people of Joel's day were devastated by a locust plague, which Joel said warned of the coming Day of the Lord. Micah rebuked a culture of corruption and moral evil. Habakkuk cried out to the Lord on account of a society bent on violence. All three point to a transcendent God who gives hope in times of uncertainty. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Joel, Micah and Habakkuk offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

Ezekiel comes to us as a stranger from a distant time and land. Who is this man? He is a priest who, on his thirtieth birthday, has a dazzling vision of God on a wheeled throne; an odd prophet who engages in outlandish street theater and speaks for God on international affairs; and a seer who paints murals of apocalyptic doom and then of a restored temple bursting with emblems of paradise. Should we take this literally, reading the text as we read the news or a history textbook? Or is there a better way? Christopher Wright masterfully opens our eyes to see and understand the message of Ezekiel. Ezekiel's vision of the glory of God-its departure and return-is set first within Israel's history and then in the culmination of God's promises in Christ. Embedded in the pattern of the strange and the wonderful is a word that still speaks to God's people today. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Ezekiel offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

The book of Malachi fittingly sits in Christian Bibles as the last book of the Old Testament, which it assumes, summarizes, and applies. Yet it also looks forward to the New Testament with its promises of the coming reign of God. A striking feature of the book is the people of God's inconsistent faithfulness. God's people neither serve God wholeheartedly nor turn entirely away in blatant disobedience. But God persists in speaking to them, showing his grace in close proximity to their sin. Malachi reveals God's unfailing love and reminds God's people to keep this conviction central. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Malachi offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

Zechariah is imbued from beginning to end with the same heart cry that Jesus turned into a prayer for the world: "Your kingdom come." In this volume, Barry G. Webb explores the kingdom of God as the prophet Zechariah apprehended it. In oracles and visions Zechariah challenged his hearers to return to the coming kingdom, to cleanse themselves in anticipation of the cleansing fountain of God's grace, and to restore the city of Jerusalem in preparation for its coming glorification. The promises of God in the book of Zechariah are meant to fuel the faithfulness of God's people and prepare the way for the promised Messiah. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Zechariah offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BC is the likely setting for the book of Lamentations. This was the most traumatic event in Old Testament history, as Israel faced extreme human suffering, the destruction of the ancient city, national humiliation, and the undermining of all that was thought to be divinely guaranteed, such as the Davidic monarchy, the city of Zion, and the very temple of their God. It is out of such unspeakable pain that Lamentations speaks, through poetry of astonishing beauty and intricacy, although soaked in tears. If we neglect this book of the Bible, says Chris Wright, we miss the challenge and reward of wrestling with the massive theological issues that permeate it. How can suffering be endured alongside faith in an all-loving, good God? If death and destruction stalk the land, can Israel's faith in the covenant God of faithfulness and mercy be sustained? Through this commentary, Wright shows that we must not isolate Lamentations from the rest of the Bible, nor should we read the rest of the Bible without Lamentations. It is a crucial part of the narrative that still has many messages for us to learn from today. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Lamentations offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

The book of Jonah is likely the best known of the minor prophets. It is often remembered for its oddity: a runaway prophet swallowed by a whale! But there must be more to the book than that. In Jonah we find charted the course not just of a discontented prophet but of Israel's attitude toward its most despised neighbor in the Mediterranean world. Jonah refuses God's call because he knows God will respond in mercy and grace should the Assyrians repent. Jonah will have no part of it-until he is compelled. And even then he pities himself. The irony of this prophet's story is amusing, but it also reaches out and touches us where we are today. Rosemary Nixon explores the depths of the book and helps us make connections with our view of God and his world. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Jonah offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition features lightly updated language, current Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

Why would God ask one of his prophets to marry a prostitute? Because he wanted to teach Hosea, the nation of Israel, and all of us today a lesson we will not forget, a lesson that is painful yet joyous. Hosea's somber portrait of the human condition is our lesson in pain. All of us have been unfaithful, forsaking God and his ways. Yet Hosea's clear illustration of God's love for us brings joy. While we are yet sinners, God comes to us and loves us. Derek Kidner imaginatively takes us through the unfolding story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer, explaining the basic message, pointing out its subtleties, and encouraging us to live lives worthy of the God who loves the loveless. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Hosea offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

They neglected the needy, gained material riches through exploitation, and indulged in inauthentic religious practices. And rather than following God in the pursuit of justice, they drew on the divine name to justify their pretense. This is the social landscape in which the prophet Amos delivers a message from God. With searing clarity and daring hope, Amos calls God's people to repent, turn back toward the ways of God, and take up his will through clear acts of obedience. In this volume Alec Motyer exposes and explains Amos's prophetic call for Israel's repentance, showing the message's astonishing relevance for today. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Amos offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

The book of Isaiah is outstanding in its brilliance of style, poetic power, and foretaste of the hope of the gospel. It tells how God himself has provided the highway to holiness for those who have been redeemed. These are images that evoke the exodus from Egypt and foreshadow Christ's achievement at the cross. There is joy even in Isaiah's portrayal of judgment-rebuilding within the demolition, the new replacing the old-as world events reveal God's hand. In the visionary world of Isaiah, the varied themes and imagery of the Old Testament converge and blend as they project an extraordinary climax of the story of Israel and of the world. Barry Webb calls Isaiah the Romans of the Old Testament, where all the threads come together and the big picture of God's purposes are most clearly set forth. Attuned to the magnificent literary architecture of Isaiah, Webb escorts us through this prophecy and trains our ears and hearts to resonate with its great biblical-theological themes. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Isaiah offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

Many have heard the story of Daniel in the lion's den, but there is much more to the book of Daniel than lions. Interspersed with memorable stories is a complex series of visions that touch on the whole scope of human history. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, former pastor and professor Dale Ralph Davis explains the background of Daniel, analyzes the stories and visions within it, and sifts through interpretative issues. While acknowledging the challenges of the book, Davis reveals how it offers "a realistic survival manual for the saints" in the present day. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Daniel offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

The prophet Jeremiah addressed the people of Judah over a forty-year period leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. The book of Jeremiah addresses the exiles, especially those in Babylon, in the years after the catastrophe. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, we encounter the prophet who delivered the word of God to the people of Israel at the most terrifying time in their history. Understanding Jeremiah's context is essential to understanding his life and message. Even more, Christopher Wright shows, we must encounter the God of Jeremiah-an encounter that should be both profoundly disturbing and ultimately reassuring, as it was for Jeremiah. In the end, Jeremiah is a book about the victory of God's love and grace. God's redemptive work constitutes the book's portrait of the future-a future that we see fulfilled in the New Testament through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, and ultimately in God's dwelling with his redeemed people forever in the new creation. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Jeremiah offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition features lightly updated language and a new interior design.

For many Christians, the book of Leviticus is largely unknown and unread. Yet this book is crucial for understanding the rest of the Bible and the nature of the gospel. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Derek Tidball shows how this vital part of Scripture is of foundational importance for our view of God and Christian living. Revealing the original message to the people of Israel in their day, he makes room for us to grasp its message to us in our day. Tidball demonstrates how Leviticus serves as a preliminary sketch of the masterpiece that was to be unveiled in Christ, testifying to a faith of grace, love, and gratitude-and one that sets God's people free to be holy. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Exodus offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

What is the book of Revelation? Does it describe in veiled language events of its writer's own day, or is it largely a prophecy of events still to come? What should readers today do with strange scenes such as creatures covered with eyes, seven bowls of wrath, and a seven-headed dragon? Michael Wilcock lifts the curtain on Revelation as a drama in eight scenes, highlighting the role of the imagination in grasping this fascinating and enigmatic book. Guiding readers passage by passage, Wilcock explores Revelation's rich images and themes. We discover that deep reflection on this book stretches the mind and heart, calling us to encounter the love of God and the truths of the gospel in fresh and vibrant ways. This revised edition of a classic Bible Speaks Today volume features a new interior design, updated Scripture quotations, and light updates throughout.

Matthew's Gospel is the first and perhaps the most important single document of the New Testament.

Genesis sets the scene for the whole of the Bible, and indeed the entire human drama. It is a book both of beginnings and of a new beginning-the dawn of the gospel. In this Bible Speaks Today commentary, Joyce G. Baldwin shows how the vivid narratives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph still speak to us today, highlighting God's ways of dealing with ordinary, imperfect people in fulfilling his great plan for the whole of humanity. Baldwin explores the meaning Genesis 12—50 offers Christians today-and how the often painful experiences it relates help us to better know the character of the God we worship. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Genesis 12—50 offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated with more current references and the NRSV Bible text.

At first reading, the Song of Songs appears to be an unabashed celebration of physical attraction, mutual love, and sexual consummation between a man and a woman. Tom Gledhill maintains that the Song of Songs is in fact just that-a literary, poetic exploration of human love that strongly affirms loyalty, beauty, and sexuality. Yet in God's story, these things are not ends in themselves. They are also transcendental longings, whispers of immortality. Like all of creation they point beyond themselves to their divine author, who in this Song is nowhere mentioned but everywhere assumed. Gledhill explores this unique biblical book that forms an interlude in the Old Testament story. He incorporates reflections on other biblical material concerning issues raised by the Song-such as human nature, mortality, and social and cultural conditioning-while staying focused on the text as an extended love poem, both beautiful and mysterious. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of the Song of Songs offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language and current NIV Scripture quotations with a new interior design.

Among the books of the Bible, Obadiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah are rarely read or preached. Gordon Bridger moves against this trend, encouraging the study and application of these Old Testament prophets. Important biblical themes are found at the heart of these books: God's personal, sovereign, righteous, and loving character; facing up to sin and judgment; responding in repentance and faith; and hoping for future salvation and restoration. And in touch with the social and political issues of their day, the prophets speak to the real world: immoral political and religious leaders, personal and national pride, and the exile of God's people from their home. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Obadiah, Nahum and Zephaniah offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

The book of Psalms is a favorite of Christians, even though we frequently read it in portions and pieces, hopscotching through the familiar and avoiding the odd, the unpleasant, and the difficult. But though the individual psalms arose from an assortment of times, experiences, and settings, the book is composed in a deliberate pattern, not as a random anthology. The meaning of the Psalms is discovered in this pattern and order. Michael Wilcock has written a travel guide to the Psalms. In the first volume, The Message of Psalms 1–72, he invites us to begin our journey through the gateway of Psalms 1 and 2, with their summons to obedience. In this second volume, he ends with Psalm 150 and its song of praise. In between we pass through all the complexities of faith-the conflicts, burdens, mysteries, and sufferings of life. In these laments and praises, hymns and liturgies, the Bible continues to speak clearly today. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Psalms 73–150 offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how it relates to contemporary life. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for anyone studying or preaching Scripture and those who want to delve deeper into the text. This edition features lightly updated language, the current NIV Bible text, and a new interior design.

Michael Wilcock sees Chronicles first and foremost as a sermon. Its object: to foster a right relationship between God and his people. The Chronicler finds in the records of Israel the great overall pattern of God's hand in history. The Lord's constant mercy, love, and faithfulness shine through. With great perception, the Chronicler first selects and then proclaims this vibrant pattern, highlighted in the living events of the nation's history. Once we grasp its purpose, the book comes alive. It can be seen as nothing less than a final and momentous look back over the entire Old Testament. In this commentary Wilcock shows how the various characters appearing in Chronicles make vivid the truths by which the Lord's people in every generation are to live. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Chronicles offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated with more current references and the NRSV Bible text.

The whole story of the book of Exodus is a covenant narrative. In Moses' story, the pledges that God made to Abraham are honored and fulfilled as the Israelites are saved from Egypt and guided to the promised land. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, J. Alec Motyer explores what this key part of Scripture testifies about the God of the Bible. Considering the meaning that Exodus still has for us today, he unfolds the ways it points to Jesus Christ and heralds him in advance. Exodus reveals much about the faithfulness of God and the nature and life of God's people-their redemption, obedience, security, and inheritance. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Exodus offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

The book of Joshua tells the action-packed story of Israel's entry into and conquest of Canaan, the promised land. Yet it is often troubling for contemporary Christian readers, perhaps more than any other part of the Old Testament: isn't there too much violence, and isn't this violence inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus? In The Message of Joshua, David G. Firth explores this story as part of God's mission, which goes on to find its ultimate focus in Jesus Christ. He illuminates the meaning that the book of Joshua still has for Christians today. It challenges us, just as it challenges those who have read it down through the ages, to recognize that God not only includes those who join him in his mission, but he also excludes those who choose to set themselves against it. Part of the well-loved The Bible Speaks Today series of commentaries, The Message of Joshua offers a clear, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for anyone studying or preaching Scripture and those who want to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated to include modern references and the current NRSV Bible text.

What does it mean to be pilgrims in a confusing world? What vision of the good life drives us? In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Raymond Brown explores how the book of Numbers offers a picture of a better life. He shows how its message is eminently suited to our world today, a world without firm spiritual and moral foundations. Numbers pictures life as an accompanied journey, and not a meaningless maze. We see how God provides for the basic needs of life: to be loved, to be free, to be certain. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Numbers offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This revised edition of a classic volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

Where do we come from? What is our purpose? The key to how and why we are is found in the early chapters of Genesis. In The Message of Genesis 1—11, David Atkinson explores how the first eleven chapters serve as an overture to the rest of the Bible. They evoke wonder as God is portrayed in his creative power and beauty. They reveal God's loving mercy and salvation, even in his terrible judgment of those who turn from him and despoil the harmony of creation. With vivid insight, this Bible Speaks Today commentary illuminates how the meaning of Genesis is still resonant today-helping us understand both the greatness and the tragic flaw inherent in human beings. Although it was written thousands of years ago, the message of Genesis is one of timely urgency for the modern world: we are responsible participants in God's creation who must, like Noah, confront the possibility of global catastrophe. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Genesis 1—11 offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated with more current references and the NRSV Bible text.

No Old Testament book has exerted a greater influence on the formation of both Jewish and Christian thought and practice than Deuteronomy. It presents the final message of Moses to the people of Israel, providing foundational theology for the rest of Scripture. When we read Deuteronomy today, we hear Moses address us as a future generation of the covenant people of God. The challenges and needs faced by the Israelites still resonate with believers in every new era. Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy guides Christians to hear and appreciate the timeless relevance of this ancient message. Brown's compilation of historical and biblical background complements his even-handed, insightful commentary while maintaining a readable style. Uncover the choice between blessings and curses, life and death laid out in Deuteronomy. This revised edition of a classic Bible Speaks Today volume features lightly updated language, current NIV Scripture quotations, and a new interior design.

The book of Judges contains some of the most famous of the Bible's stories, as well as some of the least known. They show us the deepest sins of humanity but reveal them in the light of God's abundant grace. Behind human leaders such as Deborah, Jephthah, and Samson stands the principal actor in this drama: God as Judge, discerning and deciding. Michael Wilcock astutely explores the message of Judges to show that God never abandons his people then or now. In this Bible Speaks Today commentary, Wilcock illuminates the meaning that Judges still holds for us today as a story of God's grace. The Judge of all ensures that his people will never manage to destroy themselves, even though it may look as if they are on course for disaster. Part of the loved and trusted Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Judges offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how it relates to contemporary life. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for anyone studying or preaching Scripture and those who want to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated to include modern references and use the NRSV Bible text.

Immorality inundating the Christian community and gradually eroding the foundations of Christian living. The truth of God incarnate, the atonement, and the bodily resurrection of Christ under attack���even from within the church. These were the problems that faced the Christians of John's day. In a society that scorned the gospel and sneered at godly living, John encouraged Christians with a message forged from two words: truth and love. The concerns of John's original readers are still the concerns of the church now. In this accessible retelling of John's message, David Jackman provides historical background, identifies key themes, and offers applications for today. He describes John's first letter as an upwardly spiraling staircase that circles and broadens out around twin themes of truth and love, mind and heart, Word and Spirit. It is a message both timeless and timely. This revised edition of a classic Bible Speaks Today volume includes updated language and Scripture quotations and a new interior design. A study guide for individuals or groups is included to help readers engage more deeply with the text.

The letter of 1 Peter is a traveler's guide for Christian pilgrims. To believers scattered throughout Asia Minor, Peter wrote with a reminder that they were temporary residents, strangers looking toward their true homeland. As stormy persecutions were beginning in the region, Peter brought a message of hope, encouraging readers to see their lives in the context of God's great work of salvation. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, Edmund Clowney expounds Peter's rich pastoral letter, exploring historical background, key themes, and applications for today. He highlights topics such as the life and work of Jesus, the reality of suffering, and the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The Message of 1 Peter shows readers in every era what the story of Jesus' life means for us as we take up our cross and follow him. This revised edition of a classic BST volume includes updated language and Scripture quotations and a new interior design. A study guide for individuals or groups is included to help readers engage more deeply with the text.