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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have,
By
This review is from: Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth (Paperback)
It was only through the providence of God that Sinclair Ferguson's new book Faithful God came to be. The chapters of the book were originally written as a series of messages delivered at the conference of the Evangelical Movement of Wales in Aberystwyth in August 1996. But the spoken word and the written word are sufficiently different that, when asked if he would consider turning the messages into a book, Ferguson, who serves as Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Dallas, was not optimistic, for the amount of work in converting the spoken word to the written is at least as great as preparing a book from scratch. Years later the rediscovery of a computer disk marked "Ruth--Aberyswyth 1996" compelled Ferguson to finally commit the messages to book format. God was good to allow him the opportunity.
Faithful God is an exposition of the book of Ruth. It is short, as expositions go, totalling only 157 fairly small pages. But while the book may be short in length, it contains a message that is both compelling and timeless. Much like the book of Ruth, it is multum in parvo--much in little. The format of the book is simple. After an introductory chapter which discusses the themes that we will encounter within this book of the Bible, Ferguson dedicates one chapter of his book to each chapter of Ruth. He shows that, as we read Ruth, we will discover that it is a type of mirror in which we will see four reflections: the first is that of the various characters who appear on the stage of the narrative; the second is the reflection of God himself; the third reflection is that of Jesus, who, though not to be born for many years, is clearly present; the final reflection is that of our own lives. By seeing how God has worked in the lives of others, we will know and understand how He works in our lives and be both blessed and encouraged. One aspect of the story of Ruth to which Ferguson opened my eyes was the godly character of Boaz. I had always seen Boaz as only a minor character in a story about a faithful woman. Yet this book shows that Boaz was a godly man, one who in so many ways exemplified how Christians are called to act and what Christians are called to be. He was a man who loved the Lord and was willing and eager to be used by and for the Lord. And in the end, Boaz and Ruth were both used in a way they would not know until they had left this world for the next, for from them came Obed, Jesse and the great King David. And from the line of David came the Lord and Savior of both Boaz and Ruth. Ruth, in so many ways, is a lesson about God's providence. It is a story that teaches us that we simply cannot know all that is happening to and around us. God's ways are so much higher than our ways that we can only trust and believe that His good purposes are being accomplished even in the midst of great pain and sorrow. It is a story that has aptly been described as one of the greatest short stories of all times. Its lessons are as applicable today as they were thousands of years ago when it was first told. Faithful God is a book that touched me deeply and one I recommend without reservation to all Christians. It is a small book and one which is unlikely to be promoted or even to catch your eye. But do not let its small size and relative obscurity fool you. This is a wonderful book and one that I trust can and will bless you as it has blessed me. There is much wisdom in its pages. There is much to ponder, to reflect upon, and to prayerfully integrate into a life. It can be read in only a few hours but will bring benefit to any believer's life. Read it and reap!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Commentary on Ruth,
By
This review is from: Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth (Paperback)
This is a simply written, straight forward exposition of the Old Testament book of Ruth. There is no introduction material covering subjects such as author, date of writing, outline, etc. that you will find in a more technical commentary. The author says that the books is a significant reworking of sermons that he delivered at a Bible conference.
Don't let the simplicity of this work mislead you into thinking there isn't much here. This little work if loaded in exegetical insights and background material. Clearly, Sinclair Ferguson did his grammatical-historical homework as anyone who has read, or heard him preach would expect. As you read each chapter you will find every page to be filled with extrodinary scholarship delivered with the grace and ease of a wise master teacher with an experienced pastor's heart. You might find yourself not being able to put this book down. I found myself wanting to sit and read it cover to cover. I am not kidding. One of the best elements of this commentary is Ferguson's commitment to what is called the historical-redemptive hermeneutic. With great deftness Ferguson weaves together the authors point from the perspective of what is happening in the realm of man and God's own self disclosure and eternal purposes. He shows the reader what he calls God's "autographs". The story of Ruth is both a great love story of between Naomi, Ruth and their kinsman redeemer Boaz, but is also unfolds for us something about God and His covenantal faithfulness. Ferguson escapes the hyper-typological extremes on the one hand and the daftness of those who view the Old Testament in flat historical record. Every pastor, bible study teacher, and student of the Bible will profit from this little work. And for those who want to learn how to powerfully preach for Old Testament narratives will not find a finer example of exegetical work and preaching of the text as both a historical record and a historical redemptive proclaimation of the character and nature of God. Will make a great gift!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Theology of Ruth,
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This review is from: Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth (Paperback)
The book of Ruth has always been one of, if not my most-loved Old-Testament books. There is sweetness in the providence of God, whose "judgment is unsearchable" and whose "paths beyond tracing out", yet is committed and faithful to care for the most needy amongst his children. There is sweet display of humility, submission, perseverance, and loyalty on the ladies' side; Naomi and Ruth, in the midst of the harsh realities of life. There is a sweet display of compassion, gentleness, manliness, patience, and self-control of Boaz (let's not talk about Boaz too much since he makes me look bad). All these, as Dr. Ferguson points out, are the gracious display of the so-called `hesed' or covenant love of God toward his people and his people toward God and each other. While I tend to be more anthropocentric in my personal study by focusing on the romance and human characters in the story where one of my conclusions is Ruth is an example of an `ideal' wife, and I bet for mothers-in-law out there, she is also a role model for a daughter-in-law, Dr. Ferguson not only covers the bigger and more important picture that is Theocentric and Christocentric in every event which includes the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the mourning and repentance of Naomi, the conversion of Ruth, her gleaning at Boaz' field and the midnight encounter that led to their marriage, but also challenges the readers to learn the lessons, and see in themselves that God did or is doing the same to them in the general sense. I went away happy and humbled upon learning the greater theology of the book of Ruth that Dr. Ferguson teaches and ends with this beautiful quote from Joachim Neander's hymn at the end of the study,
"Praise the Lord who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth, Shieldeth thee gently from harm, and when fainting sustaineth, Hast thou not seen, How thy heart's wishes have been Granted in what he ordaineth?"
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