Chad Bird’s life has mirrored the dramatic highs and lows of the biblical narrative, marked by profound success, devastating failure, and deep personal tragedy. In his mid-30s, he faced a career collapse and years of despair, and in 2022, he endured the heart-wrenching loss of both his son and father within just three months. "In other words, mine has been a 'biblical life,'" said Bird, a Tyler resident.
“God has used each of these experiences to mold me and my writing in such a way as to focus on his grace and mercy in times of need." As an author from East Texas, Bird brings his journey, rich experiences and deep scholarship to his writing, offering readers a unique perspective on biblical and theological themes with his latest book 'Hitchhiking with Prophet.' “The Old Testament is confusing and daunting to many people, so I want them to get the big picture, feel comfortable with the major characters, and get excited about diving into the story on their own,” Bird said.
According to Bird, ‘Hitchhiking with Prophets’ is structured around "rides" with key figures from the Old Testament — patriarchs, kings, and prophets — where readers hear their stories and learn how they contribute to the overarching salvation narrative leading to the Messiah. “Every chapter begins with a new storyteller, such as David or Isaiah, pulling up to give us a ride through the next section of the biblical narrative,” he said. “They drive us out of Egypt, through the Sinai wilderness, or around the streets of Jerusalem, so we better grasp the flow of the narrative landscape .
.. where we’ve been and where we’re going as we read these pages.
” The book's description says "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." The book, which can be purchased on Amazon , starts with Adam and Eve and then explores key figures like Noah, Jacob, Moses, Saul, David and Solomon.
It reveals each figure's unique story while showing how these stories connect as parts of the larger narrative leading to Jesus. “It has made me fall in love even more with the stories of these biblical people,” Bird said. “They are indeed real people, not just made-up characters, with struggles, flaws, quirks, family issues, and marriage struggles that we still face today.
And the God whom they worshiped, and we still worship today, was with them and blessed them, as he still does us today. To read about them is to read about who we also are, the battles we face, and the loving Father who stands by us through them all.” The title 'Hitchhiking with Prophets' is inspired by a personal experience where Bird hitched a ride with an elderly woman who shared her story during the journey.
A particularly memorable moment in Bird's research involved exploring Jewish popular literature from Jesus' time, such as 1-2 Maccabees and 1 Enoch. He says his chapter “Greeks, Romans, and Hammer Time” delves into these works, bridging the gap between the Old Testament’s final book, Malachi, and the New Testament’s first book, Matthew. “The research on these books was a delight because it gave me a chance to introduce readers to non-biblical writings that often influenced biblical writers,” he said.
Chad Bird's 'Hitchhiking with Prophets,' released in July, has been featured on Amazon's Best Sellers lists for Old Testament Commentaries and Christian Theology. Bird has received appreciative feedback from readers across the United States, Canada, and Australia via social media, complementing the book's five-star ratings on Amazon. (Contributed Photo) During the writing of this book, Bird encountered profound challenges as he grappled with the intense grief of losing his son, Luke, a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, who died in a hiking accident in Chile.
Just three months later, his father passed away. These significant losses delayed the book’s completion. “However, building upon the hope I have as a Christian, I began writing again, convinced more than ever that the salvation story I describe in this book is our foundation of hope in this world and the next,” Bird said.
As a morning person, he did most of his writing before noon and edited as he went along, which made each chapter take a considerable amount of time. “I endeavored to make this book not a boring textbook full of historical facts but one that imitated the biblical story, which is serious, hilarious, brutal, beautiful, poetic, and inspiring, a veritable circus of humanity,” he said. Bird has studied at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft.
Wayne, IN, and Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, OH, where he earned three Master’s degrees in Hebrew and Old Testament studies. He also taught Hebrew and biblical classes at the seminary in Ft. Wayne.
For several years, he has been a Scholar in Residence with the Christian nonprofit 1517 (1517.org). “During my many years of teaching the Bible, especially the Old Testament, countless people have told me that they tend to read only the New Testament because they do not know quite what to do with the Old Testament,” Bird said.
“I wanted to write a book that was accessible to everyone, a creative retelling of the Old Testament, and one that inspired people to read Leviticus or Psalms or Hosea with understanding and even delight.” He plans to continue expanding his online video content for 1517, offering daily videos on biblical topics and longer courses through the 1517 Academy. The book, released in July, has been featured on Amazon's Best Sellers lists for Old Testament Commentaries and Christian Theology .
Bird has received appreciative feedback from readers across the United States, Canada, and Australia via social media, complementing the book's five-star ratings on Amazon. “It is both humbling and exciting to see how the book has not just helped to make sense of the Old Testament for readers but actually gave them the impetus to read it for themselves,” he said. Bird grew up reading Louis L’Amour's Western novels and later explored a wide range of fiction, including works by English writer Dickens and Russian author Dostoevsky.
Additionally, his approach to Old Testament scholarship has been deeply influenced by the interpretations of early church fathers like Irenaeus and Augustine, the Reformer Martin Luther, and modern scholars such as G. K. Beale.
“Each of these storytellers, in their own way, had a hand in shaping my writing style, which tends toward the colorful and dramatic,” he said. “I want my readers to ‘see’ what is happening.” He and wife Stacy moved to East Texas from New Braunfels in December to be closer to their children and grandchildren in Henderson.
Although they’ve only been in the area for a few months, he said it feels like home. “We love the area and the people here,” Bird said. He writes, teaches, podcasts, and produces online content for that organization, specializing in teaching the Gospel ‘with an Old Testament accent.
’ He is looking forward to the completion of his next book, Untamed Prayers, which will be released by 1517 Publishing next year. “(Untamed Prayers) is a daily devotional that will take readers through all 150 Psalms over a year,” Bird said. “One of my long-range goals is to produce a series of books on Genesis that will be accessible and useful both to pastors and laypeople.
” Bird hopes that 'Hitchhiking with Prophets' helps readers understand their role in God’s story, seeing themselves as part of a bigger narrative shaped by divine creation, redemption through Jesus, and the work of the Spirit. “I want them to open up the Bible and know that they are reading not just an ancient text,” he says, “but one that resounds with the living and active voice of God still today.”.
