God’s
Word, Our Story: Learning from the Book of Nehemiah, Edited
by D.A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson
What is needed in our world is not a slender vision of
God and a massive vision of human flourishing.
We desperately need to hear and interpret God’s Word in a way that first
signals glory to Him and secondly calls us to a robust living where grace and
holiness are met. In this new book on
the book of Nehemiah, God’s Word, Our
Story, various Gospel Coalition
authors bring together much wisdom on Nehemiah, our place in God’s story, and the mighty God behind it all.
Kathy Keller begins our study with a look at the
rebuilding of the Temple but primarily looking at the reign of King Cyrus. She writes with clarity, “But whatever
Cyrus’s motives were, God had promised through Isaiah and Jeremiah that Cyrus
would be his shepherd—Isaiah actually uses that word, shepherd—to rebuild
Jerusalem and the temple. So here we see the first of many examples of the Word
of the Lord finding its fulfillment in the mixed motives of a pagan king (23).” The fragility of Israel and the waywardness
of her inhabitants was quite unsure about Cyrus, but God repeatedly told them
that their rule would not end even with Cyrus, for he would be part of God’s
plan. We also get a strong sense of the
power of God’s Word in the midst of Nehemiah’s prayers in the early chapters of
his book. The strong connection of God
working amidst a pagan king and a devoted follower of God in Nehemiah (not
least his prayer life) brings out the wisdom and relevance of Nehemiah for
today.
Kathleen Nielson reminds us that the returning exiles of
Nehemiah’s day ordered their lives and their worship on the promises of God and
on joy (121). The offerings of the
Levites and the priests both offering sacrifices and reading the Law could’ve
been a snooze affair, but the people rejoiced over the people and the priests
who ministered to them. Why is this so
important? Because this attitude brings glory
to God and it enlivens our own spiritual path.
It is easy to chafe at God and see his law as a burdensome weight on our
shoulders, but the people here reveled in God’s promises with joy.
This book is a really good synthesis of careful study of
Nehemiah and practical application. I
hope many find encouragement in these words.
Thanks to Crossway Publishers for providing this book in
exchange for an honest review.
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