Synopsis:
The first book I picked up in this series was Timothy Keller's "Galatians For You" and was thoroughly impressed with it. This series does not seek to be considered a commentary, but an application-friendly approach to the themes found in the books it seeks to dive into. I think this volume does a fantastic job at proving itself worthy of the series and I could not help but have my Bible open and to follow along as Tim Chester connected prophetic dots between the story of Israel without a king and the fulfillment of Hannah's prayer in the coming King Jesus.
Pro's:
1. The first chapter on the affliction of Hannah (pg 11-15) hooked me right away. The practical discussion on the sovereignty of God in suffering and that he hears those he loves really encouraged me in my own prayer life. It has never been as consistent as I wish it could be, but a lot of that has to do with doubt--whether God really cares what happens to me. But God loved Hannah a "double portion" and yet he still closed her womb--but then through her prayers, she would be blessed with a child that would be directly tied to coming King of Israel.
The pastoral tone of this book makes it very easy and enjoyable to read. The applications are rich, but for those who may be turned off by deep theological insight into the Scriptures will be drawn into the ways in which Dr. Chester brings the realities of the OT saints into our own context.
2. Further driving home the practical application of the stories we read about in these chapters are the review/discussion questions which could easily turn this into a perfect study group book. The chapters are relatively brief and the author makes great efforts to explain concepts that may be foreign to the reader, making it accessible to the layperson who is looking to get more than a cursory read of 1 Samuel.
3. The Christological anchor that ties all of the chapters together. Like a good sermon, each chapter concludes with a tie-in to how each step of the 1 Samuel narrative points to the greater promise of the King that would rule in eternity and provide redemption for a wayward people.
For example, in chapter 6 (pg 103), we see how the sovereign choice of God to reject Saul did not spell the end of God's plan, but the next phase in that he would tell Saul to anoint David as King of Israel--and it would be David's son Jesus who rescues His people from their sin and separation for God. Each chapter concludes with these brief little reminders that there really isn't one iota of the Old Testament that does not in some way point forward to the cross of Christ and demonstrate God's covenant faithfulness to be victorious over sin and death.
Cons:
1. There were some grammatical and syntactic errors spread across the book. They were not egregious, but they were distracting from the flow of the author's thought.
Ex. pg 71, the author is speaking about suffering and asks, "What hardship you are enduring?" Unless it's a British syntactical quirk, shouldn't it read: "What hardship are you enduring?"
There is also the misuse of "its"--which is one of my pet-peeves and I suppose I hold a professional publishing company to higher standards to not miss such basic distinctions between "it's" and "its". (pg 127)
2. In the first chapter, while I did mention that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Hannah and the affliction of being barren and God's sovereign plan for that, there was one part that I felt could have used a little more explaining.
When discussing 1 Samuel 1:5, the author is referring to the text that says, "He gave her a double portion..." and simply states, "It's ambiguous and probably means a single portion." OK, but how does double mean "single" all the sudden? There was little attempt to discuss how the Hebrew may have had a different connotation than what we see on the face. This little section did trip me up a bit, but I suppose the upside is that it did spur me on to go look deeper into what the meaning was. Perhaps that was the intent, but it is unclear and others may be confused by this brief and somewhat dismissive comment about that, especially trying to make sense of how God could give her a double portion and then close up her womb. More careful analysis could have cleared that up.
Final Verdict:
I have never been very faithful in my studies of the Old Testament. Some of the stories seem so obscure to me; but as Mr. Chester shows, there is not one part of the Old Testament that does not testify to God's fulfillment of the promise that goes back to Genesis 3:15--that there would be a solution to the sin problem and that the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled in the King of Israel who would redeem all of his people for his glory.
This book is Christ-centered and easily applicable with its study questions at the end of each chapter. To the person who truly wants to discover the treasures of God's love hidden within each page of His Word, this is a gigantic map with clear signs as it pertains to the book of 1 Samuel. If you can read this and not be compelled to underline, highlight and explore the passages of Scripture along with the author, then not only will you be missing out on the riches this book unearths, but maybe you just don't get it.
Despite its technical editing errs, I was incredibly blessed by this volume. It was admittedly distracting when I came across these imperfections; one might expect more of a professional publisher, but if you allow yourself to look past these errors, you, like I, will benefit greatly.Tim Chester makes 1 Samuel come alive and I plan to pick up his other contribution to this series; Titus For You. This is a worthwhile read and will likely bless you, as well. I highly recommend it.
Disclosure: I received this book from the Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Time Travel to the Old Testament
Synopsis:
We are taken back into time—more specifically to the time of the Old Testament. The idea is to paint a mental picture to make the oft-difficult world of the Hebrew texts more accessible. The author senses a strong deficiency in reading the Old Testament in daily study for Christians and seeks to remedy it by offering a tour that helps us jump back into time and into the world of those we read about.
Pro’s:
1. The author’s emphasis on story.
The author discusses the value of good story-telling and that God is a master story-teller. He uses the story of Esther and how God appears to be absent in the book because He does not show Himself to her. However, he points out all of the so-called “coincidences” in the story where only God, Himself, could have been orchestrating the movements to show His power over a plot of genocide against the Israelites. Explicit details are not always provided, but it allows the reader of the story to have numerous “A-ha!” moments as they watch the pieces of the puzzle come together.
This also provides to us further evidence that God made us in His image as rational creatures, capable of reading, interpreting and drawing the exact conclusions intended in the story. Instead of always spoon-feeding the point, God provides JUST ENOUGH clues for us to experience those discoveries and put a smile on God’s face as we, His children, “get it.” When we change our perspective and see the masterfully woven thread for what it is, we will see true history as an unveiling of a beautiful tapestry of God’s works. This hasn’t always been my point of view and have struggled with getting through some of the OT—but this volume has stoked a new fire and provided new glasses with which to see.
2. The “Bible Field Trips” at the end of each chapter. Each excursion takes you to a different part of the Old Testament and has a goal of extracting story details from each passage. It guides the reader in locating the purposeful details in the tapestry. It’s not enough to cite verses here and there; it’s often too cursory a citation to illustrate a point. These exercises provide a practical application that is meant to incite more passion for the excavation of God’s treasure trove in the Hebrew stories.
3. Pictures. Everyone loves pictures. But not too many. And the author does a good job at offering some effective images in just the right places to bring additional value to the discussion. It’s not over done, so it is welcome and does bring the reader to the scene that’s being painted by the story.
4. A faithful progression towards Christ. If this is the only book one reads in trying to grasp the OT, it is a great choice because it will guide the reader to the covenantal promise and fulfillment in the Second Person of the Trinity; Jesus Christ. Sure, many other faithful books on the OT do the same, but this well-written, engaging volume brings the reader gently to the realization that the entire point of the OT is to point us to the covenant promise of salvation in Christ. All of the strange rituals, sacrifices, etc.—all pointed to the coming Redeemer.
The author is gifted and is able to speak in a good balance of modern and scholarly vernacular. It’s accessible, readable and educational.
There are other valuable aspects of this book that warrant its purchase and careful study, but this review is already getting a bit long. So I will cite something, for the sake of being balanced, that perhaps this volume could have done better, if only by a little.
Cons:
1. The cover art is a little cheesy and may appear to some as a low-budget, self-published book. No offense to the artist—it is a good image, I am just not sure it will appeal to those who might judge books by their aesthetic cover. Some, like myself, are more attracted to simple yet affective cover art. There just appears to be too much going on with the picture that was used. I am speaking for myself here, but when I originally saw the cover, I wasn’t too eager to read the book. I know—shallow, right? But, this review was provided in exchange for a copy of the book so I read it so I can provide an honest one. I am glad I did. So this is such a minor distraction, but if you read this review and are not sure because the art work looks cheesy—overcome the distraction and purchase the book. It’s worth it. Get the Kindle version if you must—but get it.
Final Verdict:
Reading the Old Testament has always been a labor of love for me. It’s not an easy read and sometimes some of the rituals and rules seem harsh and this makes it even more difficult to read. However, Chris Sinkinson has done a splendid job of transforming the reading of this oft-challenging half of the story of God’s plan for humanity. He tackles the real thoughts that have at least gone through my head at times when reading the OT and does a great service to the readers in rearranging the perspective to make it not only bearable, but ENJOYABLE to read!
This is a fantastic resource for those who struggle with reading through the Old Testament and even for those who enjoy it, because there are some great parts that might help you encourage others who struggle if they don’t ever pick up this book. So even if you can honestly say, “Oh, I have always loved the OT and find it a joy to read”—you should buy this book. But if you are like me and struggle to find much joy in the beginning of God’s story, then you MUST pick up this book.
We are taken back into time—more specifically to the time of the Old Testament. The idea is to paint a mental picture to make the oft-difficult world of the Hebrew texts more accessible. The author senses a strong deficiency in reading the Old Testament in daily study for Christians and seeks to remedy it by offering a tour that helps us jump back into time and into the world of those we read about.
Pro’s:
1. The author’s emphasis on story.
The author discusses the value of good story-telling and that God is a master story-teller. He uses the story of Esther and how God appears to be absent in the book because He does not show Himself to her. However, he points out all of the so-called “coincidences” in the story where only God, Himself, could have been orchestrating the movements to show His power over a plot of genocide against the Israelites. Explicit details are not always provided, but it allows the reader of the story to have numerous “A-ha!” moments as they watch the pieces of the puzzle come together.
This also provides to us further evidence that God made us in His image as rational creatures, capable of reading, interpreting and drawing the exact conclusions intended in the story. Instead of always spoon-feeding the point, God provides JUST ENOUGH clues for us to experience those discoveries and put a smile on God’s face as we, His children, “get it.” When we change our perspective and see the masterfully woven thread for what it is, we will see true history as an unveiling of a beautiful tapestry of God’s works. This hasn’t always been my point of view and have struggled with getting through some of the OT—but this volume has stoked a new fire and provided new glasses with which to see.
2. The “Bible Field Trips” at the end of each chapter. Each excursion takes you to a different part of the Old Testament and has a goal of extracting story details from each passage. It guides the reader in locating the purposeful details in the tapestry. It’s not enough to cite verses here and there; it’s often too cursory a citation to illustrate a point. These exercises provide a practical application that is meant to incite more passion for the excavation of God’s treasure trove in the Hebrew stories.
3. Pictures. Everyone loves pictures. But not too many. And the author does a good job at offering some effective images in just the right places to bring additional value to the discussion. It’s not over done, so it is welcome and does bring the reader to the scene that’s being painted by the story.
4. A faithful progression towards Christ. If this is the only book one reads in trying to grasp the OT, it is a great choice because it will guide the reader to the covenantal promise and fulfillment in the Second Person of the Trinity; Jesus Christ. Sure, many other faithful books on the OT do the same, but this well-written, engaging volume brings the reader gently to the realization that the entire point of the OT is to point us to the covenant promise of salvation in Christ. All of the strange rituals, sacrifices, etc.—all pointed to the coming Redeemer.
The author is gifted and is able to speak in a good balance of modern and scholarly vernacular. It’s accessible, readable and educational.
There are other valuable aspects of this book that warrant its purchase and careful study, but this review is already getting a bit long. So I will cite something, for the sake of being balanced, that perhaps this volume could have done better, if only by a little.
Cons:
1. The cover art is a little cheesy and may appear to some as a low-budget, self-published book. No offense to the artist—it is a good image, I am just not sure it will appeal to those who might judge books by their aesthetic cover. Some, like myself, are more attracted to simple yet affective cover art. There just appears to be too much going on with the picture that was used. I am speaking for myself here, but when I originally saw the cover, I wasn’t too eager to read the book. I know—shallow, right? But, this review was provided in exchange for a copy of the book so I read it so I can provide an honest one. I am glad I did. So this is such a minor distraction, but if you read this review and are not sure because the art work looks cheesy—overcome the distraction and purchase the book. It’s worth it. Get the Kindle version if you must—but get it.
Final Verdict:
Reading the Old Testament has always been a labor of love for me. It’s not an easy read and sometimes some of the rituals and rules seem harsh and this makes it even more difficult to read. However, Chris Sinkinson has done a splendid job of transforming the reading of this oft-challenging half of the story of God’s plan for humanity. He tackles the real thoughts that have at least gone through my head at times when reading the OT and does a great service to the readers in rearranging the perspective to make it not only bearable, but ENJOYABLE to read!
This is a fantastic resource for those who struggle with reading through the Old Testament and even for those who enjoy it, because there are some great parts that might help you encourage others who struggle if they don’t ever pick up this book. So even if you can honestly say, “Oh, I have always loved the OT and find it a joy to read”—you should buy this book. But if you are like me and struggle to find much joy in the beginning of God’s story, then you MUST pick up this book.
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