Job 38-42 WBC Review
To say the least, The Word Biblical Commentary Series is an industry standard for Bible Commentaries. It has a long history of trusted scholarship and the series is a must have for the serious student of the Bible. This volume, Job 38-42 by David Clines is no exception. This volume wraps up his commentary on the book of Job and brings excellent scholarship to the final chapters in Job. What is impressive in this volume is the extensive bibliography (about 250 pages). This volume offers the author’s translation of the text and verse by verse commentary with a running dialog with other voices on this subject. There are extensive critical notes on the Hebrew text for textual criticism as well as a number of helpful excurses on difficult obscure Hebrew terms.
This volume covers an incredible section of Scripture where the LORD responds to Job. Here the LORD answers Job out of the whirlwind and reminds Job of the splendor and majesty of the LORD. The response of Yahweh contains some of the most incredible descriptions of the works of God in all of the Scriptures. Cline offers insight into this section of Scripture that is helpful and makes a wonderful addition to a scholar’s library.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.
The Barbarian Delusion (Book Review of Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within, by Erwin Raphael McManus)
“But then the worst thing happened that could happen to any fighter, you got civilized” – Mick to Rocky in Rocky III. This is the opening quote of the book, Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin Raphael McManus. I take it that Mick’s point is not that training, practice, proper diets and a disciplined life is counter to the success of a boxer. Mick’s point is that a boxer must never lose that edge that gives spark to the fight, the drive to be a champion. A boxer must never become complacent.
Unleashed exhorts Christians to follow Jesus Christ with reckless abandonment, never settling for the life of complacency. On this simple note, I agree with McManus. Be brave, be bold. Be more than just willing to risk it all, but actually risk it all for the sake of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for me.
McManus rightly understands that “being saved” is not so that you can live a life of “endless comfort, security and indulgence,” and I would agree with him that any portrayal of this type of Christianity is a parody at best and heresy at worst. He is also right to express that Christianity is much much more than “going to heaven when you die.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to providing a clear, Biblical framework for how we are to understand our hope, the real call to discipleship, and the implications of the invitation of Jesus to “come follow me,” McManus relies more on personal anecdote than solid Biblical exegesis.
The presentation of the material is much closer to the theme and language of Braveheart and Gnosticism-Light than it is understanding how it is that the Triune God delivers believers out of the bondage of sin and empowers them to a life of costly discipleship.
At the end of the first chapter McManus writes, “Risking everything to live free is our only hope – humanity’s only hope.” This statement is highly problematic as it places the weight of our hope in humanity. Humanity’s only hope is not in my risking everything to live free, but that Jesus Christ Himself would set me free from the bondage of sin and death.
Then there is the problem of the denigration of the physical to the elevation of the spiritual. On page 61, McManus writes, “Who you are at the core is spirit.” On page 65, McManus states that being a Christian you are “no longer a prisoner of time and space.” This understanding is false. Humans are at their core both body (material) and spirit (immaterial). And the temporal-spatial nature of life is not a prison to be set free from as much as it is God created reality to be enjoyed.
McManus writes, “God’s ultimate end for our transformation is to unleash the untamed faith within.” The problem is that McManus is using ultimate language when penultimate or antepenultimate language should be used. God is concerned with our transformation here on this side of eternity, yet God’s ultimate end for our transformation is our glorification (Romans 8, 1 Cor 15). But this is part and parcel for one of the main problems with this book. McManus creates false dichotomy’s and reductionist arguments that are unbalanced and untenable.
For McManus it seems that the minister who serves his congregation week after week, year after year who pours out his life for his people, shepherds them well will not be commended in this framework. He is too tame for McManus. To give up one’s life to shepherd well a flock is not tame nor domesticated.
Overall, McManus here has a good initial idea, just poor follow-through and areas of doctrine that resemble modern Gnosticism.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.
From Radical to Ordinary (Book Review of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, by David Platt)
A quick look in the dictionary at the word “Radical” and one will find two related though different meanings. The first meaning is: “of or going to the root or origin; fundamental.” The second meaning is: “thoroughgoing or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms.” These two definitions represent two different perspectives in how one looks at the book by David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.
On the one hand, what David Platt presents in his book is “radical” in the sense that he is looking at the fundamental elements of what is means to be a disciple. Jesus taught his disciples that to follow him was costly, counter-cultural, and counter-intuitive. A robust look at the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament present a Jesus who expected followers to take seriously his claims, and by grace through faith live like he lived.
On the other hand, what David Platt presents in his book is “radical” in the sense that for many in Evangelicalism (what-ever that means anymore) at large, the content of Platt’s book will come off as “radical” in the second sense: extreme, a change from the norm. Unfortunately, in America we have reduced the Jesus of the Bible into a simple-fix and created a lasting wake of cheap grace. “Come on down! Step right up! Pray a simple prayer and become a Christian.” It would seem that Christianity is simply a way to avoid Hell, feel good about yourself without the meddlesome bother of changing.
Platt writes plainly and with passion urging Christians to return to the fundamental faith that appears to be extreme to the comfortable American. He convincingly writes that Americans have substituted the message of the Gospel for the lie of American Manifest Destiny.
The first four chapters set up the problem and the need for a change of focus. The question posed by Platt is this: are you driven by your values consistent with the American Dream (read: comfort, materialism, independence, self-seeking, etc) or by a unrelenting pursuit of values consistent with the Kingdom of God (read: believe and obey the teaching of Christ, exclusive devotion to God, generosity, community, etc). It’s not that being “successful” is in and of itself a bad thing. Platt writes that “the goal of the American dream is to make much of ourselves and the goal of the Gospel is to make much of God.”
In Chapter 5 Platt considers the difference between disinfecting Christians and discipling Christians. He writes, “disinfecting Christians involves isolating them and teaching them to be good, discipling Christians involves propelling Christians into the world to risk their lives for the sake of others” (105). In Chapter Six confronts the blind eye Americans have turned to the world of poverty, at home and abroad. Plainly put, caring for the poor does not earn salvation; caring for the poor demonstrates evidence of salvation that has taken place. Platt challenges our hearts by posing the problem this way: It’s not about asking “how much can we spare?” but by asking, “How much is it going to take?”
Chapter 7 challenges the reader to stop asking what they will of God is and to start obeying the will of God which is “for you and me to give our lives urgently and recklessly to making the gospel and the glory of God known among all peoples, particularly those who have never even heard of Jesus.” Chapter 7 is about the proclaimed word of God which must accompany the lived-out word. It is not an either or, but a both and.
Chapter 8 extends the same sentiment of Jesus: Are you willing to lose your life, (read: give up pursuing your gain) in order to inherit life? Chapter 9 offers a yearlong “experiment” intended to apply the content of his book: 1. Pray for the entire world; 2. Read through the entire Word; 3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose; 4. Spend your time in another context; 5. Commit your life to a multiplying community.
Platt understands the reality that what appears as a radical new orientation is really just a call to be an ordinary Christian living out the call of costly discipleship in the Scriptures. It only looks radical if you have bought into the American Dream. Platt challenges the American Christian to look radically different than contemporary Evangelicalism, but look beautifully ordinary as you die to yourself in order to live out the glorious life that Jesus Christ purchased for you.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of reviewing.
The Beauty of Sabbath (Book Review of Sabbath, by Dan B. Allender)
In Mark 2:27, Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (ESV). Jesus is teaching that the Sabbath was given as a gift for man to rest, refresh and reflect in sublime joy in God. However, man has a history of abusing the good gifts God has given us and in the practice of the Sabbath it either becomes an anvil to weigh people down or a forgotten relic of the past. It is time that believers took hold of the gift God has given in order to enjoy Him.
In Sabbath, Dan B. Allender offers a much needed rethinking of the ancient practice of Sabbath. This is the third book I have reviewed from The Ancient Practices Series and I am happy to say that I found this book to be a good read.
Allender is wise to connect joy and Sabbath and the reality that counterfeits often rob us of the joy of Sabbath. If Sabbath is viewed as a day of somber, sulking, and solitude then you have missed the point of Sabbath. I also found it insightful that Dan connected Sabbath with getting outdoors.
Allender is frank in the opening pages about his failure with Sabbath and how it took more than a few tries to begin to experience the benefits of the gift. This was refreshing for me as my family and I have recently started to practice Sabbath and found it to be much harder than it seemed. I mean how hard could it be to unplug from distractions, enjoy God, and get much needed rest? Apparently, practicing Sabbath as Allender notes is counter-intuitive to the organization of life today.
Sabbath is about creating space in the otherwise space-less minutia of life in order to hear from God, connect with God, and enjoy God. Allender points out that we must be willing to risk failing at Sabbath in order to learn to Sabbath well. Sabbath is about restoration of relationships, peace, gratitude, hope and joy. I think Dan has done an excellent job of tapping into the gift of Sabbath and offers a much needed voice to the conversation.
Sabbath, by Dan B. Allender is a book I would recommend to friends or family. It is well written, and balanced. This is not a stuffy theological treatise. No this short work was a much needed reminder that I need to slow down, breathe deep and rest so that I can enjoy God. In a season of life where reading time is precious and dear, I was well pleased with this book.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.
Stitching People Together (Book Review of The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher)
The Sacred Meal
The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV)
In The Sacred Meal, Nora Gallagher offers a look into the Holy Communion practiced by the church for over 2000 years. This is the second book I have reviewed from the Ancient Practices Series and I am sorry to say that I found this book to be an overall disappointment. I have to agree with Gallagher when she writes, “While there may be many persons more qualified than I am to write such a book…”
Gallagher is forthright in tell her readers that if they are looking for an academic treatment of the subject then they will find the book to be lacking. While this book is not intended to be an academic treatment of the book, the problem with the book is that it is 90 percent her recounting her life experiences and leaves out much discussion on the biblical passages that inform our understanding of the Eucharist, and the history of the sacred meal. While she does spend a few pages on each of these subjects, the scale is much too heavy on her personal stories.
Here are some things that I did find valuable in her book. She does highlight the reality that Holy Communion is a community practice where the Eucharist meal is essential in “stitching people together.” She is also keen in her insight that we bring our “personal baggage” to communion in the form of anxieties, rationalizations, etc.
Gallagher’s interest in the “historical Jesus” denigrates the Divine and portrays a picture of Jesus that is incomplete. Her view of the Sacred Meal is more informed by Jesus feeding the 5,000 than by the actual Last Supper where the Sacred Meal took place.
The Sacred Meal, by Nora Gallagher is not a book I would recommend to friends or family. It is unbalanced and unfocused on the subject and unfortunately was not worth the time it took to read.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.
Restoring Liturgy (Book Review of The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister)
The word liturgy often conjures up thoughts of dried up traditions void of meaning for the 21st century. The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life by Joan Chittister (Part of the Ancient Practices Series) seeks to debunk this myth that the liturgical year is meaningless ritual and irrelevant practice for the modern Christians. Writing from the perspective of a Roman Catholic Benedictine Sister, Chittister writes to introduce a new audience to the celebrated tradition of the Holy Week, Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, etc. Her aim is to rediscover the footsteps of the ancients who have handed down to us a tradition meant not to stifle the soul, but to nourish the soul as one follows in the footsteps of Jesus.
Sister Joan explores the major seasons and feast of the Christian calendar and relates them to the growth of the believer. The purpose of liturgy is not mere observance but it is meant to align the heart, mind and soul with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To one who did not grow up in a tradition with much liturgy, this book was helpful in providing meaning to the tradition. Sister Joan reminds believers that every Sunday is a “little Easter” in that it is a day to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on which the entire Christian faith rests. Chittister does a fine job of introducing the seasons of Advent and Lent. This book is not meant to be a textbook on all the details surrounding the liturgical calendar. It is written by a Sister who has lived this cycle year after year, offering a personal and ecumenical approach to the liturgical calendar. If you are looking for a more detailed argument and historical account, then this book will not suffice. If you are interested in learning about liturgy and bringing meaning to the tradition, then this book will provide a great introduction. She transforms misunderstood ritual into a newfound understanding of the great tradition handed down to us from the saints of old. The liturgical calendar is something that can provide seasons of remembrance, reflection, and rejuvenation.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.
