The Gospel According to Isaiah 53, Encountering The Suffering Servant In Jewish And Christian Theology, Darrell L. Bock & Mitch Glaser Editors

   Eleven evangelical, biblical scholars combine their skills to provide the church with a thorough and faithful exposition of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Each writer provides dispassionate and profound research into one of the most fascinating chapters in the entire Bible. Questions such as

• What is a Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 53? 
• What is a Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53? 
• Are there any agreements between the two? 
• What are the differences? 
• How do we preach Isaiah 53 today?    

   This book is not a quick read. It is well researched and therefore can get quite academic at times. On the other hand, pastors, professors, seminarians and serious students of the Bible will find page after page of in-depth research coupled with warm devotion. Though not written in a simple style The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 is worth the effort. Having now worked my way through this helpful volume, it will not leave my study. On every page, after page, the wonderful beauty of God's plan of redemption is on full display! Thank you, Richard E. Averbeck, Michael L. Brown, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Michael J. Wilkins, Darrell L. Bock, Craig A. Evans, David L. Allen, Robert B. Chisholm Jr., John S. Feinberg, Mitch Glaser, and Donald R. Sunukjian for giving the church this delightful expose on Isaiah 53. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

Plowshares & Pruning Hooks, Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic, D. Brent Sandy

   "The moon turning to blood,""a beast with seven heads and ten horns," "giant scorpions stinging men during the last days." What are we to make of such disruptions? How do we interpret them? Of course, those of us who believe the Bible through and through are compelled by our faith to make every effort to allow Scripture to say what God intends it to say. That being said, we must never approach Scripture with a simplistic attitude. The doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture declares that the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ is plainly presented through the overarching storyline of the Old and New Testament. On the other hand, there are things in God's Word that the world's most profound minds have labored to understand. 

   In Plowshares & Pruning Hooks D. Brent Sandy helps us begin to understand the linguistic peculiarities of the hardest genre in Scripture, prophecy and the apocalyptic. The Reformers were adamant that Scripture interprets Scripture and Sandy's book seeks no variance with this interpretive principle. On the contrary, Sandy quite thoroughly shows that the only way to interpret biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature is to apply the Bible's own definitions to metaphorical and symbolic passages. 

   This is a book expressly for pastors and those who handle the Word. Do not pick up this book and think you will understand it without hard work. But to all those who toil over Plowshares & Pruning Hooks there is great interpretive reward. It was such a profound blessing to me that I read it twice! And though Plowshares & Pruning Hooks is probably not for many laymen, it is for some. Sandy has written a classic in the discipline of biblical hermeneutics. Every seminarian should digest this book before pontificating upon biblical texts that fall into the prophetic and apocalyptic genre.

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

The Unquenchable Flame, Discovering The Heart Of The Reformation, Michael Reeves

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

   The Unquenchable Flame is a thrilling 198-page account of one of the most pivotal events in the history of man, the Protestant Reformation. Author and theologian Michael Reeves is a master storyteller. Even if you are not very familiar with the specifics of the Reformation or the key people involved, you will be able to follow Reeves as he unfolds one amazing event after another. Who needs a novel when history is this exciting!

   In this account, Reeves has intentionally made the material accessible to the popular audience. You will learn about Martin Luther, the medieval, German, Roman Catholic monk who through studying the Bible came to believe that a person is justified before God by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You will learn about how this discovery set in motion a movement of God the world had not witnessed since the early church. You will also learn how important these truths are for today. 

   Not only does this short book give the fascinating tale of days gone by, but it also carries a critical message for today. Dare we boast about the state of churches today? It would not be wise. Much understanding about how to restore churches to faithfulness to God's Word can be found in how these men lead the churches of their day. Of these men Reeves writes, "...The Reformers were not after progress but regress: they were never mesmerized by novelty as we are, nor impatient of what was old, just because it was old; instead, their intent was to unearth original, old Christianity, a Christianity that had not been buried under centuries of human tradition." 

   Churches should purchase this book by the case! Churches should draw strength from those faithful to the Word in days long past. These men met the challenges to the gospel in their day with a thoroughly biblical response. From their example and teaching churches might well do the same. Currently, B&H Academic is giving a free copy of this book to everyone who signs up to receive their blog! Take advantage of this generous offer. You may also purchase the paperback from their site as well at the link provided above. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, Barry G. Webb

   Considering the modern debate about whether or not Isaiah the Prophet really wrote the book in the Bible that bears his name, keeping a little gem like Barry Webb's, The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, readily available to believers is vitally important. Webb's position falls within the scope of a conservative stance on the authorship and dating of the book. Webb argues somewhat against the prevailing modernistic views that question even the existence of a prophet Isaiah and break up the unity of the book by proposing multiple "Isaiahs." He is concerned for the validity and unity of the book and rightfully so seeing that it has suffered greatly at the hands of scholarly investigation, so-called. Beneath much of this "scholarly investigation" is belief that is predisposed to doubt the possibility of biblical prophecy. Hence, there cannot have been only one Isaiah because it is impossible for him to have predicted future events with such assurance. Instead, there must have been multiple men we may call Isaiahs which means that these are not prophecies but simply men speaking about current events, so the thought goes. Webb's approach is not distrusting of the Bible's ability to foretell future events. Webb endeavors to take the text at face value. I appreciate that. In fact, at times he is quite devotional. I appreciate that as well. On the other hand, Webb is not naive. He wrestles with the text and the facts. 

   In this work, Webb is fixated on the task of giving his readers a faithful and concise expose of the majestic message of Isaiah's prophecy. In a little more than 250 pages, he sweeps over the towering landscape of Isaiah's prophecy with amazing insight and observation. He is concise but does not let that fool you. Webb deals with the text as well. There is much sound exposition to be helpful to the student of the Bible. You will not waste your time reading this book. The book has become somewhat of a classic for a good reason. It's good! This is brevity that has grown from a thorough knowledge of the book. 

   If you would like to study the book of Isaiah on your own time, for Bible study, for a sermon, or a college class let me encourage you to include The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings by Barry G. Webb. It's clear, concise and trustworthy. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

Culture Counts, Faith, and Feeling in a World Besieged, Roger Scruton

    "Roger Scruton has written an aggressive, provocative, and persuasive counterattack against the nihilism of modern intellectuals who would repudiate the high culture of America and the West," writes Robert H. Bork.

    What is culture? There is abundant discussion these days about "respecting the culture of others." This mantra is especially used in Western nations today thanks to the multicultural movement. This is often quoted as if the West does not already have a brilliant and vibrant culture. Sadly, a large portion of this discussion is quite shallow and politically motivated. Scruton brings simplicity and clarity to understanding the nature and role of culture and why Western Culture, specifically, is worth every effort to learn and treasure. 

    Roger Scruton has written some forty books challenging the corrosive philosophy of Liberalism. Scruton in winsome and simple ways demonstrates the richness and value of learning and transmitting the essential components of Western Culture. In chapter one he answers the difficult question of what exactly is culture. Scruton writes, "...It is very hard to set spatial or temporal boundaries on Western civilization. It grew from the fusion of Christianity with the law and government of Rome, became conscious of itself in the high Middle Ages, passed through a period of skepticism and Enlightenment, and was simultaneously spread around the globe by trading and colonial interests of its more adventurous members. And throughout its most flourishing periods, Western civilization has produced a culture that happily absorbs and adapts the cultures of other places, other faiths, and other times. Its basic fund of stories, its moral precepts, and religious imagery come from the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament. On those Judeo-Christian roots, however, has been grafted a tree of many branches, bearing many kinds of fruit."

   Scruton's excellent discussion of the role of Leisure, Cult, and Culture in chapter two is nothing short of brilliant. It is both simple and transformational. Honestly, many a church, denomination and preacher might be encouraged and helped by this lucid discussion of a topic we tend to either get wrong or ignore. Each little chapter is filled with a banquet of thought. Topics such as "Knowledge and Feeling," "The Uses of Criticism," "Teaching Culture," "Culture Wars," and "Rays of Hope" are surprisingly thorough and reachable by all. Culture Counts is a small book that will hopefully be accessible to a wide audience. It is my hope that Roger Scruton's writings and speeches will find their way into your diet of excellent literature. 

Post tenebras lux,
Scott