I once sat at George Müller’s desk and read James 1:27 from his Bible. I once visited a library that contained artifacts from William Carey’s life and leafed through a Bible that he had owned and studied. I have pondered the color-coded notes in Amy Carmichael’s Bible and have paged through a first-edition King James. Closer to home, my father’s Bible was placed at the front and center of the church during his funeral and I had a special wooden case constructed to hold my son’s Bible after he went to be with the Lord.

All of this is to say that I believe in the Bible—I believe in the Bible as the Word of God, the divine scriptures, but also as a special object or artifact that will often outlast the one who owned it, who read it, who treasured it. It is for this reason that I affirm the importance of “heirloom Bibles”—Bibles that are meant to take a place of prominence in the life of an individual or family and that are constructed in such a way that they are likely to last through the rigors of long use. These are the kind of Bibles that can truly be an heirloom—an artifact to be left behind to future generations as a symbol and reminder of the owner’s faith in God and trust in his Word.
The ESV has recently released refreshed editions of three heirloom Bibles: the Omega Edition, the Legacy Edition, and the Heritage Edition. Each of them shares a number of traits: They have black, goatskin covers with gold print and four ribs on the spines. They are soft and supple and generally able to lie flat when open, even when turned to Genesis or Revelation. They are all printed and bound by Royal Jongbloed, feature high-quality paper, have four ribbon markers, and come wrapped in velvet in a handsome two-piece box. They all have the traditional presentation page, along with pages to record births, marriages, and deaths. They are all exquisite in every way and all come with a lifetime guarantee on the print and binding.
They also have some differences.
ESV Heirloom Bible, Legacy Edition is 6” x 9” in size and is modeled after the Renaissance ideal of a perfect page, which means it has a single column of text and wide margins. The font is 9-point, has 1,680 pages, and is 47.43 ounces in weight. Footnotes are in small print at the bottom while headings are in italicized print in the margins. There are no cross references, though it does feature a concordance and selection of full-color maps at the back.

ESV Heirloom Bible, Heritage Edition is quite a bit smaller at 5.5” x 8.25”, though also quite a bit thicker with a page count of 2,056 and a font that is slightly bigger at 9.25 points. It weighs 47 ounces. It has a single column of text and wide margins, though the headings are inline and bolded rather than to the side. It has no concordance, though it does have the maps.

ESV Heirloom Bible, Omega Edition is the biggest of the three at 6.125” x 9.125”. It also has the biggest font at 10.5-point, is laid out in two columns, and has a page count of 1,248. It is the only one of the three to feature cross references, which are set at the bottom of the right-most column of each page. It has both a concordance and a collection of maps. It weighs in at 39.6 ounces.

Thus, while all three are similar in being beautifully made, all three have their own collection of special attributes related to dimensions, font size, layout, and features. If I had to pick just one, I would probably favor the Legacy Edition, but that is merely a matter of preference, and it would truly be impossible to go wrong with any of them. These are special Bibles meant to serve a special purpose and they will serve it well. They are precious, durable, and just the kind of Bible that can be read over a lifetime of personal and family devotions, then left behind as a precious heirloom. In fact, I will be making sure that my daughter and her fiancé are given one at their forthcoming wedding so they can begin that legacy even as they begin their life together.
To purchase these Bibles, try: Legacy Edition (Amazon, Westminster Books); Heritage Edition (Amazon, Westminster Books); Omega Edition (Amazon, Westminster Books). They are also all available directly from Crossway.
(Note: beginning in December, 2021, all three editions will also be available in Horween Leather—a deep brown high-quality cowhide that is meant to develop character over time and with use.)
Here, to show the difference in dimensions, is a snap of all three side by side: Legacy, Heritage, Omega.

The God of love and peace be with you on this fine day.

(Yesterday on the blog: What the Canyon Echoed Back)
The Christian’s Confidence in Christ’s Compassion
“Throughout the four Gospels, readers are flooded with examples of the compassion of Christ.” This can and should be very meaningful to us as Christians!
Being Domineering as a Pastor Doesn’t Require Skill
It’s an interesting thought for pastors and for others in leadership: That there is no skill involved in being domineering.
God Will Turn You Every Which Way but Loose
“Your God, in his providence, will turn you every which way but loose. Do not believe the lies that say God wants your life to be as smooth as possible. That he desires for you to have a problem-free existence if only you would have enough faith. To expose those lies, let us look at the life of one of the most faith-filled men of scripture.”
The Remarkable Story of the First Missionary Hymn
I thoroughly enjoyed this telling of the story of the first missionary hymn. “On Pentecost Sunday 1862, as Western eyes watched civil war rip through America, an event just as momentous unfolded half a world away, hidden from every headline. Some five thousand men and women, many of them former cannibals, gathered on a South Pacific island to worship Jesus Christ.”
Before Us, Beside Us, and Behind Us
This article considers God as our shepherd.
Under the Tomatoes
Andrea Sanborn: “My breath came hard as panic pressed on my chest. I stood in the produce section of the grocery store, scanning the aisles, desperate for a glimpse of my towheaded boy. Every parent has been in a similar situation, but most aren’t searching for a nonverbal child who can’t understand when the game has gone too far.”
Flashback: Scepters, Crowns, Thrones
If there are crowns in God’s invisible kingdom, they are worn only so they can be removed to be thrown at his feet.

I would rather be the means of soothing one perturbed spirit than to play a tune that would set all the sons of mirth reeling in the dance. —De Witt Talmage

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by The Master’s Academy International (TMAI). They are giving away the 42-volume Essential MacArthur Library set.
The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is a worldwide network of pastoral training centers that equip indigenous church leaders to preach the word and shepherd their people. They have 19 Training Centers around the world, with dozens currently in development, as they are now under the most significant demand for student enrollment in their history. For example, in places like Ukraine—while many seek to flee to safety—the TMAI training center saw the largest incoming class in its history this academic year. These men are not only serving their families, comforting hurting communities, and shepherding their churches in times of war, but many are risking their lives each and every day for the sake of proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ.
The central focus of TMAI is training indigenous men in how to study, preach, and live out the word of God. TMAI recognizes that the most effective missions strategy is not primarily for Western missionaries to go and preach in every nation—rather, to train indigenous men to effectively serve and minister in Japan, Myanmar, Croatia, Ukraine, Argentina, Malawi, and many other places. This is why funding student scholarships is necessary for missions and a strategic effort for TMAI. To provide maximum opportunity for impact, TMAI aims to raise $1.9 million by December 31st to help fund indigenous student scholarships. As you fill out the form below, consider making a year-end gift to help these efforts.
Giveaway: The Essential MacArthur Library
The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is giving away a 42-volume Essential MacArthur Library. This set includes key resources designed to help believers better understand the Bible, the most important resource for anyone. The Essential MacArthur Library remains one of the top translation projects for TMAI as they seek to resource the global church with God-honoring books. To learn more about TMAI’s indigenous publishing efforts, go here.
The Essential MacArthur Library includes:

The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series (33 vols.)
The MacArthur Study Bible
The MacArthur Bible Commentary
Biblical Doctrine
Essential Christian Doctrine
The Master’s Plan for the Church
The MacArthur Pastoral Library—4 vols. (Preaching Pastoral Ministry · Counseling · Evangelism)

To win the Essential MacArthur Library (in English), please enter below. One winner will be selected.
TO ENTER:
Giveaway Rules: Entries are limited to 1 per person. U.S. Addresses only. By submitting your information, you agree to receive regular updates about the ministry of The Master’s Academy International. The winner will be notified by email. The giveaway closes at midnight on Friday, January 5th, 2023. Enter your information into the form below or HERE.