God has a bad reputation. Many think of God as wrathful and angry, smiting people right and left for no apparent reason. The Old Testament in particular seems at times to portray God as capricious and malevolent, wiping out armies and nations, punishing enemies with extreme prejudice.But wait. The story is more complicated than that. Alongside troubling passages of God's punishment and judgment are pictures of God's love, forgiveness, goodness and slowness to anger. How do we make sense of the seeming contradiction? Can God be trusted or not? David Lamb unpacks the complexity of the Old Testament to explore the character of God. He provides historical and cultural background to shed light on problematic passages and to bring underlying themes to the fore. Without minimizing the sometimes harsh realities of the biblical record, Lamb assembles an overall portrait that gives coherence to our understanding of God in both the Old and New Testaments.
God Behaving Badly
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Let's face it: God gets a lot of bad press--it can be a little embarrassing. So even the title of Dave Lamb's book gave me hope. Dave gives honest voice and deliberate attention to some of the most troublesome questions humans have ever asked, and brings not only answers but develops our view of God too. The most thrilling thing about this book is that I can recommend it to both the faithful and the skittish, to friends and students and people who think about God and aren't sure what to think." (Alison Siewert, New Ministry Developer, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and editor, Worship Team Handbook)
"In many of our African American churches we frequently recite the refrain, 'God is good all the time and all the time God is good.' God Behaving Badly is an engaging, thoughtful, witty and helpful book that can give all of us Christian readers a bit more confidence when reciting that refrain. David Lamb gives sound guidance for understanding a difficult topic. Lamb offers an apologetic for not only believing in God but also believing that God is good--even as he is portrayed in the Old Testament. Professor Lamb's scholarship is sound and his sense of humor had me laughing out loud. Not many theology books can do that! I'm going to use this book in class and enthusiastically recommend it to my congregants!" (Rev. Dennis R. Edwards, Ph.D., pastor, Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
"Dave Lamb's book is a popular apologetic that answers the question, 'Is the God of the Old Testament angry, sexist and racist?' He prefaces his answers with a solid biblical interpretation guideline. The author emphatically states, 'When we approach Scripture, we must take the context seriously.' Dave really does that! The word context appears 59 times, scattered throughout the book. Dave's solid contextual analysis of passages--which might appear to say, Yes, Yes, Yes in answer to the question about God's anger, his view of gender and his view of races--was a highlight for me. Dave's unraveling of many problematic texts in terms of contextual analysis is superb. In addition, his many, many masterful word studies shed light on his contextual analyses. Dave writes with winsome humor. He loves the Old Testament, and you can tell that as you read the popularly written, academically sound, easy-to-read flow of material in each chapter. After reading Dave's book, I am sure you will appreciate that Dave views the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament as one." (Bobby Clinton, professor of leadership, School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary)
"It has been said that if you love something long enough it reveals itself to you--that love is a hermeneutical key to unlocking the mysteries of life itself. This is especially true for the Bible and the God of the Bible, for God is love and can only be truly known in love. David Lamb has loved his way into understanding Yahweh more fully; subsequently he can lovingly help us to 'see' and experience God in new and revealing ways." (Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways)
"This is a book which not only should be read by those into apologetics, but read by all Christians in our churches. It is striking right at the heart of one of the most pressing questions being asked today and we cannot ignore this. God Behaving Badly is an extremely helpful book in wrestling with these very difficult questions in a winsome, biblical and readable way. If you are at all missionally living in our culture and aware of the questions being asked and challenges to Christianity, then you really cannot help but read this book!" (Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus But Not The Church)
"David Lamb faces up to all the questions that most often trouble people about the God of the Old Testament. Written in a winsome and engaging way, this book is going to help many who wonder if the God of the Old Testament is indeed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary)
"I will require my college students to read this book. I became sensitive to the 'God questions' in the Bible because students asked me questions that came straight from troubled hearts. This book is written for students and speaks with wit and wisdom to the questions they have." (Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University)
"In many of our African American churches we frequently recite the refrain, 'God is good all the time and all the time God is good.' God Behaving Badly is an engaging, thoughtful, witty and helpful book that can give all of us Christian readers a bit more confidence when reciting that refrain. David Lamb gives sound guidance for understanding a difficult topic. Lamb offers an apologetic for not only believing in God but also believing that God is good--even as he is portrayed in the Old Testament. Professor Lamb's scholarship is sound and his sense of humor had me laughing out loud. Not many theology books can do that! I'm going to use this book in class and enthusiastically recommend it to my congregants!" (Rev. Dennis R. Edwards, Ph.D., pastor, Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
"Dave Lamb's book is a popular apologetic that answers the question, 'Is the God of the Old Testament angry, sexist and racist?' He prefaces his answers with a solid biblical interpretation guideline. The author emphatically states, 'When we approach Scripture, we must take the context seriously.' Dave really does that! The word context appears 59 times, scattered throughout the book. Dave's solid contextual analysis of passages--which might appear to say, Yes, Yes, Yes in answer to the question about God's anger, his view of gender and his view of races--was a highlight for me. Dave's unraveling of many problematic texts in terms of contextual analysis is superb. In addition, his many, many masterful word studies shed light on his contextual analyses. Dave writes with winsome humor. He loves the Old Testament, and you can tell that as you read the popularly written, academically sound, easy-to-read flow of material in each chapter. After reading Dave's book, I am sure you will appreciate that Dave views the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament as one." (Bobby Clinton, professor of leadership, School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary)
"It has been said that if you love something long enough it reveals itself to you--that love is a hermeneutical key to unlocking the mysteries of life itself. This is especially true for the Bible and the God of the Bible, for God is love and can only be truly known in love. David Lamb has loved his way into understanding Yahweh more fully; subsequently he can lovingly help us to 'see' and experience God in new and revealing ways." (Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways)
"This is a book which not only should be read by those into apologetics, but read by all Christians in our churches. It is striking right at the heart of one of the most pressing questions being asked today and we cannot ignore this. God Behaving Badly is an extremely helpful book in wrestling with these very difficult questions in a winsome, biblical and readable way. If you are at all missionally living in our culture and aware of the questions being asked and challenges to Christianity, then you really cannot help but read this book!" (Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus But Not The Church)
"David Lamb faces up to all the questions that most often trouble people about the God of the Old Testament. Written in a winsome and engaging way, this book is going to help many who wonder if the God of the Old Testament is indeed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary)
"I will require my college students to read this book. I became sensitive to the 'God questions' in the Bible because students asked me questions that came straight from troubled hearts. This book is written for students and speaks with wit and wisdom to the questions they have." (Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book for anyone who has heard that the God of the Old Testament is mean.
May 13, 2011
Format:Paperback
I loved this book. I work with college students, and this book gets at the difficult questions that are constantly on their minds. There are some difficult passages to wrestle through in the Christian Bible, particularly in the Old Testament. I appreciate that Lamb does not shy away from any tough question, but engages them in a fair and insightful way. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in thinking more deeply about who God is and how we make sense of God in the midst of our world today.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The God of the Old Testament has consistently received a bad reputation since Marcion formulated the idea of two distinct deities between the testaments during the 2nd century. This idea has been articulated primarily due to the way God has `acted' in the narrative of the Hebrew scriptures, particularly in relation to His ordering the killing of thousands of people during many of the recorded battles. These episodes have resulted in very serious accusations that God is angry, sexist, racist, violent, legalistic, rigid and distant.
With these things in mind, David Lamb set out to address these specific concerns in his book God Behaving Badly. The book represents his attempt to "reconcile the supposedly contradictory portrayals of God in the two testaments," by addressing those passages that have often been used to further the two-deity argument.
Lamb's basic contention throughout is that many have concluded that God is angry, sexist and racist, etc, primarily due to a of misreading scripture. When the problematic texts are read within there appropriate contexts, all of the problems don't immediately disappear, but they do begin to take shape and take on a meaning that has often been missed.
In each of the issues, Lamb addresses the major concerns by helping us to better understand the most contested passages within them. He takes care to provide the reader with a clear and concise appreciation for the texts in question, while providing clarity on what actually happened, reasons why and what it means for us. At the close of each chapter, he normally includes a New Testament example from Jesus' ministry that coincides with the Old Testament emphasis within the chapter. He then moves on to provide very practical advice on how to implement his conclusions in our contemporary context, which proves to be very helpful.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed and deeply appreciated reading this book. Lamb writes in a very clear, concise and often comedic style that captures the attention, moves the conversation forward, while providing answers to the legitimate concerns many people have when reading the Old Testament. His approach is highly readable, which makes the book very accessible to most everyone.
With this in mind, I highly recommend God Behaving Badly to everyone who has ever read the Old Testament and formulated deep concerns about God's actions. The book will provide clarity on many of these important issues, while helping the reader to gain a more accurate and faithful appreciation for the God revealed within its pages.
With these things in mind, David Lamb set out to address these specific concerns in his book God Behaving Badly. The book represents his attempt to "reconcile the supposedly contradictory portrayals of God in the two testaments," by addressing those passages that have often been used to further the two-deity argument.
Lamb's basic contention throughout is that many have concluded that God is angry, sexist and racist, etc, primarily due to a of misreading scripture. When the problematic texts are read within there appropriate contexts, all of the problems don't immediately disappear, but they do begin to take shape and take on a meaning that has often been missed.
In each of the issues, Lamb addresses the major concerns by helping us to better understand the most contested passages within them. He takes care to provide the reader with a clear and concise appreciation for the texts in question, while providing clarity on what actually happened, reasons why and what it means for us. At the close of each chapter, he normally includes a New Testament example from Jesus' ministry that coincides with the Old Testament emphasis within the chapter. He then moves on to provide very practical advice on how to implement his conclusions in our contemporary context, which proves to be very helpful.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed and deeply appreciated reading this book. Lamb writes in a very clear, concise and often comedic style that captures the attention, moves the conversation forward, while providing answers to the legitimate concerns many people have when reading the Old Testament. His approach is highly readable, which makes the book very accessible to most everyone.
With this in mind, I highly recommend God Behaving Badly to everyone who has ever read the Old Testament and formulated deep concerns about God's actions. The book will provide clarity on many of these important issues, while helping the reader to gain a more accurate and faithful appreciation for the God revealed within its pages.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While I'm deeply grateful to have had spiritual influences in my life who encouraged me to wrestle with tough questions of faith, I've still encountered plenty of voices along the way who have preferred to silence them. Avoiding difficult questions about the Bible seems to be a sad reality of evangelical Christianity these days, and I'm often drawn to those willing to walk this path (see sidebars). So clearly, when I saw David Lamb's new book, God behaving badly: Is the God of the Old Testament angry, sexist, and racist?, I was intrigued.
The book's chapters cover the following topics:
* Angry or loving?
* Sexist or affirming?
* Racist or hospitable?
* Violent or peaceful?
* Legalistic or gracious?
* Rigid or flexible?
* Distant or near?
With clarity, candidness, and humor, Old Testament (OT) theologian David Lamb makes his case that while Yahweh's actions often sound angry, sexist, or violent to modern day ears, we must first consider the context of Yahweh's actions and the overarching narrative of the OT before assuming we know His true motives.
With regards to Yahweh appearing angry, he asserts that because the fundamental nature of God is kind, patient and loving, we must interpret specific incidents in the OT in light of this. He also illustrates some strong examples of how the OT is "shockingly progressive in its portrayals of divine love, acceptance of foreigners and affirmation of women" compared to other ancient Near Easter literature - again reinforcing that the Bible must be read in the context of its time. In dealing with each topic, he examines difficult Biblical scriptures, looking for the foundational truth in them over the specific *shocking* actions that we may not fully understand because of historical context.
I also appreciated Lamb's fair-mindedness in his treatment of differing opinions. For example, in discussing if God is sexist, he explains, "I would like to side with the Christians who defend the Bible against charges of sexism, but their arguments can sound superficial, like they are shocked anyone could ever say such a thing about the Bible. I wonder if they have ever sat down and listened to someone who is a feminist, particularly one who decided she could no longer be a Christian because of what she read in her Bibles about a God who seems sexist."
He also doesn't take himself too seriously by humorously and truthfully acknowledging current cultural realities, "The first thing that God says about women is that they are like him," he writes. "Men are also Godlike, but most men think that already."
On a more personal note, part of the reason Lamb's respectful treatment of these topics spoke to me was because each topic is a question I grapple with as I grow in understanding of my own faith. He even introduced a few questions I would have liked to ask and hadn't thought of yet! I'd recommend this book strongly for anyone with skepticism about how the God of the Bible can be considered good when there is so much bad in both the Bible and the current world we live in. David Lamb's book provides an anchor for such questions that can rage in the minds of those seeking to understand who God is.
The book's chapters cover the following topics:
* Angry or loving?
* Sexist or affirming?
* Racist or hospitable?
* Violent or peaceful?
* Legalistic or gracious?
* Rigid or flexible?
* Distant or near?
With clarity, candidness, and humor, Old Testament (OT) theologian David Lamb makes his case that while Yahweh's actions often sound angry, sexist, or violent to modern day ears, we must first consider the context of Yahweh's actions and the overarching narrative of the OT before assuming we know His true motives.
With regards to Yahweh appearing angry, he asserts that because the fundamental nature of God is kind, patient and loving, we must interpret specific incidents in the OT in light of this. He also illustrates some strong examples of how the OT is "shockingly progressive in its portrayals of divine love, acceptance of foreigners and affirmation of women" compared to other ancient Near Easter literature - again reinforcing that the Bible must be read in the context of its time. In dealing with each topic, he examines difficult Biblical scriptures, looking for the foundational truth in them over the specific *shocking* actions that we may not fully understand because of historical context.
I also appreciated Lamb's fair-mindedness in his treatment of differing opinions. For example, in discussing if God is sexist, he explains, "I would like to side with the Christians who defend the Bible against charges of sexism, but their arguments can sound superficial, like they are shocked anyone could ever say such a thing about the Bible. I wonder if they have ever sat down and listened to someone who is a feminist, particularly one who decided she could no longer be a Christian because of what she read in her Bibles about a God who seems sexist."
He also doesn't take himself too seriously by humorously and truthfully acknowledging current cultural realities, "The first thing that God says about women is that they are like him," he writes. "Men are also Godlike, but most men think that already."
On a more personal note, part of the reason Lamb's respectful treatment of these topics spoke to me was because each topic is a question I grapple with as I grow in understanding of my own faith. He even introduced a few questions I would have liked to ask and hadn't thought of yet! I'd recommend this book strongly for anyone with skepticism about how the God of the Bible can be considered good when there is so much bad in both the Bible and the current world we live in. David Lamb's book provides an anchor for such questions that can rage in the minds of those seeking to understand who God is.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
God Behaving Badly
From Marcion to Richard Dawkins, many have found the Old Testament troubling, not least for its Pandora's box of ethical difficulties as for the striking dissonance it generates... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Daniel Bastian
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good commentary
A very good commentary. Dave gives a convincing & an easy to follow foundation of God's track record for His responses to His people's obedience and disregard of His Word.
Published 15 days ago by Andy
5.0 out of 5 stars
I needed this.
I appreciate the author's sense of humor and honest appraisal of the Scripture. The things I learn from this book will help me when reading those passages that make me... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Nelda Reed
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good start
I really was hoping Lamb would go deeper into certain "problem" areas of the OT, but I do like his honesty when he admits he can't cover everything. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Anna
5.0 out of 5 stars
Food for thought that's easy to digest
I discovered this book while searching for additional source material to use for a Sunday School series on understanding violence in the Old Testament. Because Dr. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Renee Hunter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read ,grew in faith !
Answered lingering questions in an understandable fashion, including authors personal stories and humor. Bought a number of this books to share with friends.
Published 2 months ago by Timothy Risser
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought Provoking
Well written. Easy read but expect to read slowly as Dr. Lamb broaches incidents which, from the human perspective of "fair" and "nice" and "instant... Read more
Published 4 months ago by CaptainGrani
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fresh insights on difficult passages
The title says it all. In this book Dr. Lamb takes very difficult passages of scripture and uses humor and even some pop culture references to explain how God is still good even... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Michaelonius
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good for those who already believe
I enjoyed reading this book far more than I had expected. The author presents a case that the negative perception of God as presented in the Old Testament is incorrect, and that... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Artur
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a book that answers questions I've had for years!
It's like a fantastic lecture from your favorite professor. Insightful, relate-able and eloquent. It tackles some tough issues that I have been discussing with friends for years... Read more
Published 5 months ago by R. Thompson
