This summer, in honor of our 25th anniversary, we are sharing a bit more about who we are. Each week you will meet an Accordance employee, learn about that individual’s favorite works and read a brief personal message. We hope you find these enjoyable and beneficial.
Meet David Lang
Bio
David Lang is Accordance’s Vice President of Development, and has been with the company since 1995. He has authored or co-authored Accordance’s Bible Lands PhotoGuide and Bible Times PhotoMuseum, as well as the book Macs in the Ministry and six volumes of Northland Church’s Journey to Spiritual Maturity series. He and his wife, Lisa, have five children: David, Caleb, Bethany, Alexa, and Josiah.
A Rocky Start to Studying the Bible
I didn’t have much exposure to the Bible as a child, so when I started studying the Bible as a teenager, I had a bit of a rocky start. I had started the books of Genesis and Matthew, but didn’t get all the way through them. Then one day, I decided to read Ecclesiastes.
The reason I chose Ecclesiastes is that I had always loved the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds, and I learned from Kevin Bacon’s speech in the movie Footloose that the lyrics had come from Ecclesiastes. (Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel. I learned the Scriptures from rock bands and Hollywood!) So I turned to Ecclesiastes in a King James Bible and read, “all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” I remember thinking, “I think I know what that means, and it isn’t very inspiring!”
Still, Ecclesiastes is a short book, and I managed to make it all the way through it. So I went on to the next book: “Song of Songs.” I have vivid memories of reading for a while, and then slamming my Bible shut and thinking, “I must have the dirtiest mind in the world, because there’s no way the Bible can be saying what I think it’s saying!”
In those first faltering attempts to study the Bible, I very quickly learned that it isn’t always—or even often—what you expect. When you study the Bible, expect to be surprised, and always be willing to adjust your preconceived notions about “what the Bible says.”
Gospel According to the Old Testament
In spite of my rocky start, I love studying and teaching through the books of the Old Testament, and one resource I’ve found particularly helpful is The Gospel According to the Old Testament (GAOT) series. When I was teaching through the book of Judges, the volume on Judges (Right in Their Own Eyes) was extremely helpful, offering insight into important themes, literary connections within the book, etc. While not a commentary per se, it ended up being as helpful to me as any commentary I’ve ever used. I’ve since used the volumes on Ruth (Famine to Fullness) and David (After God’s Heart) as I’ve taught through Ruth and 1 Samuel. There’s even a volume on Ecclesiastes!
Gospel According to the Old Testament
Regular Price $199