"Show Them Jesus" by Jack Klumpenhower

  

      

      When we think of Sunday school lessons we think of David and how he believed God and was able to be brave when faced with great opposition. Lessons like this one are important and Sunday school or Church Camp is the only time some of these kids get to hear about the importance of being obedient to God. But as author Jack Klumpenhower points out in his book "Show Them Jesus" most of the teachings our kids are hearing are meant to instruct them on what they should be doing and how they should be living, when what these kids really need is the good news of what God has done for them in Jesus. It's not that we aren't teaching the Gospel to the children but we often resort to a single day dedicated to presenting it rather than mixing it in every lesson. Let me give my own example from the story above. Davids obedience to God's word led him to conquer Israel's enemy. Where is the Gospel in this story? In Israel there was none who fully trusted God  except one who God raised up to be king. This man was faithful to God and rescued his people from the Philistines. Sound familiar?  The teacher could also point out that though David was clearly not perfect and made many mistakes, God would later raise up another King who was perfect and saved His people from their greatest enemy,  sin and death. 

       It's not that teaching obedience to God is wrong. Paul lists a whole group of things we are to do in Romans 12 but if you notice in verse 1 he says "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to..." The "mercies of God" is a reference back to earlier in Romans where Paul talks about our salvation in Jesus. Our lessons on obedience need to be an outflow of our teaching the Gospel and though we usually have this in mind, if we're not regularly showing what God has done for us, our teaching beginnings to produce a sort of Christian moralism. Kids either become puffed up with pride because of the good job they have done or overwhelmed by guilt because they can't live up to God's standard. The Gospel is the cure for both of these problems.

      Klumpenhower does a great job arguing all these points through out his book and at the end of each chapter he includes answers to all the objections I'm sure many of you have. The book is laid out into two sections.  The first section is about what the Gospel is, it's importance, and why it needs to be foremost in our teaching children. The second section is on how to implement this "good news teaching" into the classroom and at times like lessons at camp or the devotion time at home. This book is aimed at everyone who ministers to kids and teenagers and not just the teachers but anyone with kids in their life.
   Each chapter is filled with thoughtful instruction and great personal examples from the author's experiences. The chapters end with questions one might have towards the teaching and a well presented answer addressing each concern. I found the examples to be very helpful because we often learn from watching others and Jack is not shy about his mistakes, presenting his failures to the reader allows discussion on how things could have went better.

      This book's aim is that of the apostle Paul "to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified". That doesn't mean we don't teach the rest of the Bible but that we present it in the glorious light of the cross. Our teaching should reflect our confidence in the sovereign power of God through the preaching of the Gospel both to save the lost and sanctify us into the image of His son.

      I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in the ministering of children. Jack Klumpenhower is a thorough teacher and a real delight to read. Grab a copy of "Show Them Jesus" and begin to be to show Jesus to your kids and become partners in the gospel today.

I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. 

Alby's Amazing Book by Catalina Echeverri

      Imagine that your small child is cuddled up on your lap and anxiously waiting story time with mommy or daddy. You now have a choice to make about which book to read but more often your child has already grabbed their favorite title and you sit down to read the same story for the umpteenth time. The repetition doesn't bother you because you love to see your child enjoy reading but if you are like me you cringe because what you want is to get your child excited about reading the Bible and not obsessing over some child size story of Frozen! 
     I can't promise that this book will become your child's newest obsession but I am sure that your kids will enjoy it and you will rejoice to find something that teaches about the joys of reading God's Word.
    This book is aimed at younger children and those with little to no reading abilities. The words are few but not without purpose. The story is about a squirrel named Alby who loves to read. His desire to read comes from enjoying the many adventures he can find reading a book. Alby's favorite book is the bible. Alby has many reasons why he prizes this book over other books but two are presented by the author 1. The great stories found throughout the scriptures give Alby hours of fun and amazing adventures  2. (My favorite) Alby loves the bible above all the other books because Alby knows the Author!
   The story is kind of cheesy if you are a thirty year old man but wonderful if that man is the father of a young child. There is also real value in the illustrations created by Catalina Echeverri  Each page is filled with characters or objects in unique presentations giving your children many different small things to look at and enjoy. Through out many pages there is a unique background where Catalina places passages of scripture behind the words and pictures. The set up is unlike anything I have ever seen and the colors and designs are beautiful, words cannot do it justice, you will have to see it for yourself. I sat down when I received this book and read it to my four month old infant, she has no idea what I was saying but she stared at the combination of colors and characters on the pages and quietly listened as I narrated the story.

We read to our children with hope that they will grow up and enjoy reading but our greater hope is that our young ones will early on learn and yearn for that amazing book authored by the Almighty God. Get a copy of "Alby's Amazing Book" by  Catalina Echeverri and begin to encourage your little ones toward the word of God.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

Saving Grace Daily Devotions From Jack Miller

        We live in a time of instant coffee and drive through dinners where cell phones and text messages demand rapid responses. Though much of our desires for immediate gratification comes from our own impatience there is no denying that the world we live in demands it. One might say that we are "redeeming the time" but in our busyness we often defer our time with God to that single day of worship. The result is weak Christians with flabby hearts hardly able to persevere the trials of the Christian Life.  Many have undertaken to curb this negligence by producing devotional books meant to encourage the Christian to a few minutes of time alone with God's Word. Sadly the greater number of these works are filled with glib stories and smooth words. These authors feed men and women skim milk when what they really need is meat on their plates. There is no denying that there is a need for books aimed at allowing Christians to dig in quickly for a word to feed their souls but where is the word of God being taught with weight and power. There has come an awakening to the need for more spiritual devotions among many who have seen this need and this book is among them, though there are others I urge you not pass this one by. I introduce to you a wonderful collection of God honoring and spirit filled teaching, here are powerful messages from a man who was a sinner but who knew the saving power of Christ and his electing love. 

      The book is called Saving Grace Daily Devotionals from Jack Miller. Jack was a professor and a preacher. The introductory notes describe him as a loving husband and father who brought laughter into his home and most importantly a strong conviction of the power of God's Word. The book is a compilation of excerpts from Jack's sermons 366 in all, one for each date of the year. The forward is by his son Paul Miller and the introduction by his wife Rose Marie Miller, the editorial notes are written by family and friends.I encourage you to read the introductory notes and learn more about the man whose words compile this book and you will have a sweeter connection to the things he teaches. Jack Miller has departed this corrupted world and joined his Father and Savior in glory but his words live on. My prayer is the same as the pastor's wife written in the introduction that you would "read these excerpts slowly and prayerfully, asking the Spirit to fill you with the power of the Risen Christ.  Then go by faith and share the love of Christ with someone else"

      The excerpts in this book are excellent words for the busy christian or for one who simply wants some sweet time with the word of God and fellowship with their Savior. The first message is about our being adopted in Christ (Galatians 4:6) "because God has made you his child, you don't have to view yourself as an orphan anymore but as an insider, as someone who belongs" what are the areas in your life where you think like an orphan".  This theme of our son-ship in Christ seems to be threaded throughout Jack's preaching. When it comes to sin Jack is stern and yet gracious and his joy for our salvation comes out with encouraging praises and exhorting words to look on Him who gave his only son that we might have life in Him. Jack's preaching has a real joyful and jolly aroma to it that seems to put in my mind a warm smile upon the preachers face. Enjoy the example I have included below. 

      The Passage is Revelation 3:20 "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come on to him and eat with him, and he with me."

             Some people interpret Revelation 3:20 like this: Jesus stands at the door of your life and knocks; you're on the inside and, of your own free will, you open the door and welcome him in. There's some truth in that. But really, how it works is that Jesus stands at the door and knocks. You hear the knocking, put three locks on the door, and move furniture up against it. Then the Holy Spirit slips in a window, goes into the basement, turns the furnace on full blast, and sets a few fires while he is at it. It starts to get really hot and smoky in the house, and in desperation you begin to move the furniture away from the door. As you grasp for air you open the locks and fling open the door. Fresh air rushes in, and you grab hold of Jesus with that wonderful free will of yours. Well, sure it's free, but only because the Holy Spirit turned up the heat. That's grace isnt it?

This book is filled with precious excerpts like the one above and I really enjoyed reading through these passages. There is a nice scripture index at the back of the book if you prefer to see his handle on a particular passage. I often like to pick up a devotional book when I have a few minutes to relax and like to have something deep and encouraging to feed my mind and soul, I am very thankful to have received this book and will go back to it time and time again. 

   If you are looking for a devotion book that speaks from the scriptures with substance and power and gives glory to God read Saving Grace Daily Devotions from Jack Miller.

I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. 

Prepare Him Room. Celebrating The Birth of Jesus

With perfect timing for the upcoming Advent season, there comes this book by Marty Machowski. Prepare Him Room Celebrating the Birth of Jesus. This book is a family devotional aimed at directing our hearts and leading our families toward the wonderful celebration of the birth of Christ.

In a culture where Christmas trees are on sale before turkeys, it is too easy to loose track of the heart of this great holiday. Santa is looked for on Christmas eve but He who came and is coming is ignored or left to only an illuminated depiction of the manger scene somewhere in the corner of our lawns. There are many who have written books to turn our minds back to this Child King but I have found one which stands out among the rest. Machowski writes with this aim in mind and moves forward to the consummation of the Messiah's arrival, and ends in the glory of the Risen King. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus but as this author reminds us there is more to the story than wise men and shepherds and the virgin birth. This babe in a manger grows up to teach others and to heal the sick, Jesus feeds thousands with little more than a boys sack lunch and he even raises Lazarus from the dead. Never raising far above his humble birth Jesus lives with very little and "finds no place to lay his head" He stands up against the rulers of His day and insites a plot to kill him. Jesus is betrayed by one of his own disciples and abandoned by the rest. Being led to the authorities Jesus is beaten and scourged for His teachings and despised by all. The people He lived among and poured out His love to have now demanded His crucifixion. This child of Mary who was praised by the angels at his birth is now led to the cross where He gives up His life and dies for our sins. Three days in the grave and death cannot hold him, He rises in power and his resurrection is seen my many. Before ascending to the Father our risen savior commissions his church to proclaim his resurrection to all the earth and await a new day when He comes not as a humble child but as the glorious King.

Prepare Him Room is designed to be a four week devotional for the Advent season. Each week has three lessons which can be used throughout the week and  there is included a chapter from the fictional short story of the Bartimaeus Orphanage about the joy of our adoption in Christ. The direction of the lessons each week are meant to lead up from the ancient prophecies of the Old Testament telling of the coming child to the days of Jesus's birth. The climax of the lessons leads the reader from the manger to the cross and from the cross to the glory of the Risen King. The final lesson is finished on Christmas day with the reading of Luke 2:1-20. Each lesson includes activities for the kids that bring attention to the lesson and there is a selection of scripture to be read with a short commentary by the author. After the lesson there is a "think about it" section where Machowski  has questions for the family that can be used to bring about discussion for reflexion of the text. Every lesson includes a prompt to prayer and Christmas hymns to be sung. Overall the lessons and activities should take less than an hour and are great for younger age groups up to teenagers. I think this book could be used for older ages but I would hope the leader would include further and deeper discussion during their teaching.

The activities included in this book are fun and great ways to help bring focus on the lessons for the day. My favorite example is towards the end of the book. The text is Revelations 7:9-12 where John witnesses the countless multitude around the throne of God praising the Lamb who was slain. The kids are asked to watch as you sprinkle a small pinch of sand on a sheet of white paper and then they are to try and count the number of grains on the paper. Amazing how  much sand is in one little pinch and the author points us to the promise of God to Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. (Genesis 32:12) These activities are sure to be a great time together with your family and hopefully a wonderful opportunity to teach your little ones about Jesus Christ.

Machowski's use of the traditional Christmas texts is fresh and insightful all the while being honest to the wholeness of Scripture and always directing us to the truth about Christ.

There must be a word here about the fictional story read each week and finished just before the last lesson. The story is tittled "Bartimaeus: A Christmas Story" I don't want to give anything away but the story is about an orphanage house in New York during the time of the civil war. This story teaches the joy of being adopted in Christ. My wife read aloud each chapter as we reviewed this book together, tears welled up in both our eyes both for sadness and for joy. The reading is well done and both parents and the kids will enjoy it. This is not some silly addition meant to entertain young minds which tend to yawn at devotions but rather through the telling of this story there is a lesson of great joy and truth to be learned This tale leads our hearts to the love of the Savior and brings glory to God.

If you are looking for a great resource to lead your family in a thought provoking and God honoring teaching this advent season I encourage you to pick up a copy of  Marty Machowski's book Prepare Him Room.

I received this book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. 

A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life

 

Originally copyrighted in 1990 this book is no new book hot off the press, and for many of you puritan lovers I imagine that this book is no stranger to your shelves or at least your wish list. Certainly the author J.I. Packer is known to you all. But for those of you unfamiliar with this title or you have yet to pick it up, it is my privilege to introduce to you "A Quest for Godliness the Puritan Vision of the Christian Life"

 
  From the author of Knowing God and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God comes this great work by J.I. Packer. Packer introduces the book by listing seven ways the puritans affected his christian life. Packer down plays the reasons to the reader by saying "any reader whom this personal stuff wearies may skip it (the explanation of their affect); I do not claim for it any intrinsic importance" Packer is clearly being humble for he says earlier that the thrust of the chapters that follow may be better understood if the reasons are read. The affects in my opinion are important to this review because they reveal a great example of the usefulness of this book on the christian life for the one interested in reading it.I list them here below

1. John Owen led Packer to see the importance of mortification of sin in the Christian Life
2. Owen again enabled Packer to see "how consistent and unambiguous is the biblical witness to the sovereignty and particularity of Christ's redeeming love"
3. Richard Baxter convinced him of the importance of assiduous meditation and to pray in the imitation of the psalmist speaking to God about our thoughts and turning our learning into praise
4. Baxter's Reformed Pastor taught Packer to not take lightly his decision to become a shepherd of God's people

5. The puritans taught him to "feel the transitoriness of this life" In other words to keep hold of this life with an open hand and to focus his eyes on the world to come.

6. They shaped his "churchly identity, by imparting to me their vision of the wholeness of the work of God". Some worry about evangelism and others about the importance of church liturgy, and yet others about the conversion and sanctification of the church's youth and etc, all these concerns are worthy and there are many more but standing alone they will fall. The puritans gave Packer a concern for them all "together, as all sustaining each other, and all bearing on the honour and glory of God in his church"

7. The puritans taught that the theology we teach is not just head knowledge but heart knowledge and "if our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it actually hardens both"

 The influence of the puritans on J.I. Packer is clear and his love for them is evident in this Ode to the Puritans. This passion for these "nonconformist" has inspired the pages he wrote but there is a greater aim than to simply lift up the puritans as men worthy to be praised, Packer writes each chapter teaching the life and views of these men with the reader's sanctification in mind and hoping that the effect that their teaching had on him would likewise effect those who read this book . The men of this book walked in the light of Christ and J.I. Packer directs us to their beaten path.

 The chapters are organized into sections about how the puritans relate to each subject
The Puritans in Profile, The Puritans and the Bible, The Puritans and the Gospel, The Puritans and the Holy Spirit, The Puritan Christian Life, The Puritans in Ministry. Packer devotes four chapters to the puritan divine John Owen. he calls Owen "the greatest of English theologians. In an age of giants, he over topped them all" and calls him "closer than anyone else to being the hero of this book". My favorite chapter might be The Puritans as Interpreters of Scripture. I felt it worth including a passage from this outstanding chapter below. 

"To the puritan the bible was in truth the most precious possession that this world affords.  His deepest conviction was that reverence for God means reverence for Scripture, and serving God means obeying Scripture. To his mind,  therefore,  no greater insult could be offered to the Creator than to neglect his written word; and conversely, there could be no truer act of homage to him than to prize it and pore over it, and then to live it out and give out its teaching"

  My only warning for this book is that it is a weighty book filled with quotes from men who lived over 300 years ago. As a new christian inspired towards the puritans by a pastor friend I purchased this book in hopes of jumping right into it. I had read Packer's work on Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God and loved it. I started eagerly into this piece and was too overwhelmed, I had to put it down until a couple years later when I tried again and it has since become one of the best books I've ever read. 

At the time of his writing this book Packer was just beginning to see a reviving of the puritan writings within the church and by God's grace we saw that quickening expand more with publishers like Banner of Truth. There are many new works published today on the puritans but this book still stands among them as one of the greatest.

 I highly recommend this work by J.I. Packer, the endless positive reviews attached to this book after being around for 24 years testifies to my recommendation. My prayer is that you would include this book in your library and if it is sitting their collecting dust I would tell you to pick it up and enjoy. May God richly bless you as you enter into "A Quest for Godliness" 

“The Foundation of Communion with God” The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen

    

      

                               

The puritan pastor Richard Baxter has said  "imitate the most powerful preacher you ever heard" Who would that be for you? For J.I. Packer this man is clearly John Owen. Packer calls Owen "one of the greatest of English theologians. In an age of giants, he over topped them all" Charles Spurgeon is quoted as having called him the prince of divines. 

  What is it about this man that has others enamored with him, a guy who's writing was so difficult to read (even for a puritan) and who lived over 300 years ago. Who is John Owen? Is there anything we can learn from this man beyond the grave. Biographers often minimize the theology of their subjects because they want to sell to both Arminian and Calvinist readers but the convictions of one's views about God are at the heart of their lives and how and why they lived the way they did. Desiring then to imitate their faith we must know what they believe. We must meet with those who's walk we wish to imitate and follow after them as they follow Christ... even if they're dead. 

  Who then can introduce us to this man that we may ask his advice on how we should live and commune with God?  I recommend to you Ryan M. McGraw and his book “The Foundation of Communion with God” The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen. 

McGraw takes the reader through select texts of Owen's work and let's this 17th century pastor and theologian speak to those seeking to better commune with God and live for Him in the 21st century.

The book's beginnings start with a brief overview of what it means to be reformed and then a concise biographical sketch of Owen's life and how his view about the trinity effected his worship of the Triune God. Owen believed that the doctrine of the trinity was not just a piece of head knowledge but had practical implications that effected public worship and our Communion with God. The biographical sketch is not very long but very informative and the author concludes the introduction with a look at Owen's theology and an overview of the works being sited through out the book. Ryan M. McGraw's aim for this book is to teach this generation about a great man of church history and to give them a taste of the writings of John Owen with the hope they thirst for more. 

The chapters of this book with the exception of the beginning is entirely John Owen. Ryan M. McGraw has done a great job working through the works of Owen to bring us a great book filled with the words and advice of this great man of God. This is not just a book of quotes from Communion with God. McGraw draws from numerous passages of Owen's books and writings hoping to exhort us with the words of this pastor and theologian who is speaking even now, 331 years later. 

The layout of the main text is divided into 3 sections

                  -SECTION ONE Knowing God as Triune

                  -SECTION TWO Heavenly-Mindedness and Apostasy

                  -SECTION THREE Covenant and Church

 Each section includes numerous chapters which are excerpts from the writings of Owen relating to the topic of each section. Each section and the order of the chapters are meant to flow in unison to teach the editors aim. 

  Owen's teachings on communion with the trinity was rare in his time and still is today. Who else is speaking about communion with the distinct members of the God Head? Owen teaches that what we do and think about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit effects the way we live and worship and how we choose to live and worship effects our Communion with God. For example Owen speaks on the means of Grace and their relationship with God. Prayer Owen says "is the way of His (God) appointment for the application of our souls to Him to obtain a participation of all needful grace," In other words it is through the discipline of prayer that we unite our hearts to God and enjoy his relationship with us. Not that God is persuaded by our praying but rather we set ourselves within the path that God has set to receive his mercy. And like a child who has a relationship with his father, his relationship is more enjoyed when the Son runs to the Father and the Father embraces his child and kisses him. When we begin to trust in ourselves for the power of our duties we become prideful and Owen speaks of the dangers of pride in worship and how this sin can ruin our communion with God. "Although we ought greatly to prize and to endeavor after the true order of the church of Christ, the purity of worship, and regular administration of ordinances, yet let us take heed that we prize not ourselves too much on what we have attained. For if we do so, we shall be very apt to countenance ourselves in other defects thereby, which will certainly bring us into spiritual sickness and declension…."

As a reader and lover of Owen I kept finding some of the sweetest sections from books I read long ago and not having read some of the works used in this book I was delighted to be introduced to another work of this great man. Owen was a very practical writer for his time and this book is likewise very practical for the  modern reader but more importantly the subjects discussed in this book are of great importance to the conditions of our souls and right relationship with God. Being such a weighty subject why would you not look to the man most capable of handling it and who's exemplary life testifies that he lived as he believed. Look then to  John Owen and let this book lead you to him.


I recommend this book to anyone wanting to be introduced to the writings of John Owen, I thought the editor Ryan M. McGraw did a good job at presenting these writings in a way that leads the reader through a series of readings that sets one up to be exhorted and encourage. My prayer is for Ryan M.  McGraw to have success with his book and hopefully produce more like it, I pray also for the reader to grow in godliness and enjoy a greater communion with God through the writings of this book.

I received a copy of this book from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.  

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament NICOT; The Book of Proverbs Chapter 1-15; by Bruce K. Waltke

 

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament NICOT

"The Book of Proverbs Chapter 1-15" by Bruce K. Waltke

                     I often challenge Christians to tell me where in proverbs is the the well know saying "Cleanliness is next to godliness" they think for a moment and admit their ignorance. I will then reveal my trickery and they are surprised to learn that this well known adage is not a biblical precept. The majority of Christians today have little familiarity of the book of Proverbs. Sure we have a few verses in the quiver of our minds from this ancient text but when it comes to understanding the book as a whole how are we to grasp such bothersome texts written to a culture we can not relate to and which seem to teach health wealth and prosperity contrary to the instructions of the New Testament. A grammatical grasp of the teachings of Proverbs is also insufficient when the context of the book is written to an ancient time far removed from the culture of the expositor.  We need a historical and grammatical understanding of this sacred writ to which I recommend to you, scholar, pastor, and bible lover this excellent commentary by Bruce Waltke. Few books of the bible prove more difficult to understand for the average reader and even more difficult for the scholar to interpret. As Americans we don't understand poetry which is absent of rhyme and proverbs relating to ancient Palestine but if 2 Timothy 3:16 is true (and it is) then surely we must be reading Proverbs and I can't recommend more highly that you let this commentary help you to better understand it. 

A Word About the Introduction

           If you are like me and prefer to jump into the heart of the book the temptation is to skip over the author's note or preface shoot past the introduction and get started with the meat of the text. To skip over the introduction of this book would land you 132 pages into this 2 volume commentary. NICOT commentaries are known for their extensive introductions and this commentary is no exception. Waltke begins in his author's preface exhorting us to read this misunderstood and largely neglected book. He discusses the misconception we have today with Proverbs and the difficulty for the commentator to explain this ancient text. He also explains his aim for the book he is writing and who he is writing to (scholar,  pastor, and bible lover) 

  In the beginning of the introduction the author discusses  the original text and gives an exhaustive (but worthy) explanation of the structure of Proverbs. There is included a section on Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature relevant to understanding proverbs and a discussion on the Authorship.  He concluded the introduction with the different types of Proverbs and the theology behind this bible book. In the introduction we learn about the different characters throughout the proverbs such as the sluggard or lady wisdom. My favorite is the discussion on the structure where the author shows how this seemingly random collection of proverbs is indeed ordered and not without purpose in the layout of this book. There is much to say about the introduction in this review because of the immense size and helpfulness for better understanding proverbs. Waltke does a great job throughout the commentary section with page references back to the sections of the introduction so that as one encounters something needing further discussion already mentioned in the introduction you can quickly look back and see what is mentioned. This is great for the one referencing back to what they previously read or to the one simply jumping ahead to the commentary and needing further information. My advice is to not skip the introduction but the author makes possible for those who choose not to to still have all the information they need. 

Commentary

  Waltke is a superb commentator and one quickly sees that his explanation of the text is both brilliant and clear. The structure of each section (discussed in the introduction) is briefly shown and then each verse is exposited individually adding comments at times of application and finishing each section recapping the message being expressed in the culmination of the unified verses. The author shows how the better understanding of the ancient culture of the original reader and the influence of ancient wisdom literature has on the understanding of the text. Though far removed from the day of this people Waltke shows how God's word is relevant to all generations and vital to our walking with Christ in our own culture today. This commentary is divided into two separate volumes and the 1st volume being reviewed here includes the introduction mentioned above and commentary on chapters 1-15. The remaining chapters are covered in volume 2

   Whether a scholar, pastor or lover of the word if you are wanting to better understand the book of Proverbs I can't recommend more highly this wonderful work by Bruce Waltke and the New International Commentary on the Old Testament. 

   

   I bought this book and the 2nd volume on Amazon.com