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A Prophets Point of View







Peter J. Gentry, How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets

With our noses in the good book, we often plow through the Bible’s pages with the same focus, reading Romans like we read Ezekiel.  And yet, as Dr. Gentry so helpfully explains, we miss the point if we read the prophets like an epistle or gospel.  There is so much going on that we need to be aware of and pay attention to.  In his new book, How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets, Dr. Peter J. Gentry, author Kingdom Through Covenant helps us read the prophets well, paying attention to the various kinds of literary forms and theological message they have for us.

In the opening chapter, Peter alerts to the central theme of these OT prophets, “Everything in the prophets is based upon the covenant made between God and Israel during the exodus from Egypt, especially…as it is found in the book of Deuteronomy.” Covenant keeping and covenant breaking is part and parcel of the whole prophetic corpus, but this plays of particular importance in the writing of Isaiah.  Gentry notes that often a prophet like Isaiah picks up a specific theme and comes back to that same theme from a different perspective, in many ways that multiple speakers blaring the same message from two different vantage points.  Though at times there might be a slightly different pointed message the prophet has for the people, giving with various metaphors.

One of the great things about this book is the way Gentry digs deep down into some of the concepts of the prophets and gives us a clearer picture.  At one point, Peter writes, “We should note in passing that the word torah is poorly translated by the English word law…the Hebrew word tora means “direction” or “instruction” not “law”…It is a set of instructions for living, set in the context and framework of a covenant relationship.”  There is not an impersonal genie behind the torah given to Israel, but a steadfast loving and merciful Father.  Though we should not forget that these instructions do come with both stipulations or obligations of the receiving end for Israel.

Overall, this was a great book for use in future studies of the prophets and of the overall message of the prophets.  By looking at the validity of prophecy, the way prophets demonstrated their messages by verification, and by the nature of prophecy in its various themes, the reader of this book will come away with a treasure trove of material in teaching.


Thanks to Crossway Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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