I don’t
think it would be too much of a stretch of the facts to say that most
Christians have a better working knowledge of the New Testament as opposed to
the Old Testament. Believers just naturally gravitate to the New Testament with
its message of love and grace and mercy. And just as naturally they shy away
from the Old Testament with its message of judgment and war. It’s not often
that someone recommends to a new believer to begin reading in the minor
prophets.
In Tough Questions, Dr. Walter C. Kaiser’s
latest volume, he sets out to alleviate that disparity and demonstrate to
believers how the two sections of Scripture are really complimentary. Kaiser is
a longtime Old Testament scholar and president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary. He has produced a vast arena of writing on the Old
Testament.
Kaiser
digs into the messy part of the Old Testament with ten questions investigating
the premise of whether or not God contradicts his character by his actions. He
tackles supposed contradictions such as mercy vs. wrath, truth vs. deception,
and evolution vs. creation. Each chapter concludes with a summary of the main
points – Conclusion – and Questions for Discussion. These are beneficial,
thought-provoking, but “heavy.”
The
take on Tough Questions is this: It
is probably not a book for spiritual (and linguistic) lightweights. Kaiser
examines a multitude of technical and linguistic points of the Hebrew language.
So much so that the more Hebrew one knows the more appreciative one would be of
the discussion and the resulting conclusions. On the other hand it would
certainly be beneficial for any believer to read this volume. At least one
could ingest some knowledge and understanding of God’s overall working in the
Old Testament.
If your
curiosity has ever been stirred by the question The God Who Rules Satan or the God Who battles Satan? Then you will
find this volume worthwhile.
Disclaimer: This volume was provided to me by Kregel Publications for a fair and honest review.
