This is the second in the set of books on Knowing God written by this author. At first, you might be skeptical. I have heard more than once that the Fatherhood of God is only recognized in the New Testament. This book will completely undo that notion. While it is true that the Jews themselves seldom talked about the Fatherhood of God, the Old Testament itself does speak of God as the Father of the nation of Israel, especially in the Psalms and Prophets.
Mr. Wright first tells us why the Jews did not often speak of this relationship and, given the cultures they were surrounded by, it certainly makes sense. I won't give it away. But then he takes us through the scriptures one by one and shows that God did consider the nation Israel his "firstborn son" and he its Father, in passage after passage, beginning in Ex 4:22--Israel is my son, my firstborn. From there, he traces all the fatherly attributes of God--love, provision, grace, discipline--until we are virtually overwhelmed with the evidence in front of us. In fact, you might find yourself better able to see the traits of the Fatherhood of God from the Old Testament than the New by the time he is finished.
I also heartily applaud the way he makes pertinent application and reprimands some of the modern evangelists who seem unable to use figurative language in an appropriate way or who dupe the innocent by their dogmas. He calls them out in no uncertain terms. Good for him.
Knowing God the Father through the Old Testament is published by InterVarsity Press.
Dene Ward
Mr. Wright first tells us why the Jews did not often speak of this relationship and, given the cultures they were surrounded by, it certainly makes sense. I won't give it away. But then he takes us through the scriptures one by one and shows that God did consider the nation Israel his "firstborn son" and he its Father, in passage after passage, beginning in Ex 4:22--Israel is my son, my firstborn. From there, he traces all the fatherly attributes of God--love, provision, grace, discipline--until we are virtually overwhelmed with the evidence in front of us. In fact, you might find yourself better able to see the traits of the Fatherhood of God from the Old Testament than the New by the time he is finished.
I also heartily applaud the way he makes pertinent application and reprimands some of the modern evangelists who seem unable to use figurative language in an appropriate way or who dupe the innocent by their dogmas. He calls them out in no uncertain terms. Good for him.
Knowing God the Father through the Old Testament is published by InterVarsity Press.
Dene Ward