Customer Reviews

Salvation Through Judgment and Mercy: The Gospel According to Jonah (Gospel According to the Old Testament)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bryan Estelle writes a thoroughly enjoyable, practical, and redable commentary on the book of Jonah. Estelle's bases is work in redemptive-historical theology, which means simply that he grounds the Old Testament in the New, showing how Jonah prefigures and finds its fulfillment in Christ's redemption. Jonah is the gospel in a nutshell - the Lord's redemptive grace extends to all nations! Estelle helps the reader to grask the meaning of Jonah for the church today. Estelle is well-learned in ancient near eastern and semitic literature, and his great learning is brought to bear in this commentary, bringing insight and wisdom that one may not ordinarily glean from the book. I highly recommend this commentary for the pastor, the scholar, and the lay person.

Bryan Estelle is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Seminary in California, and this is his first book. I hope that it is not his last. The wee OT book of Jonah is a complex book, offering a lot of fun for those interested in biblical literature and who are especially conversant with Hebrew. In fact, Estelle's understanding of the Hebrew language and ANE culture, as well as his committment to Christ has produced an excellent commentary on Jonah that is simple and easy to read and understand, thought-provoking, and devotional. He writes for the pastor or Bible study leader to help him understand the intricacies of the book, and gives insight into the theological thrust so that he may be able to preach the text from a Christological viewpoint, which is the ultimate point of the book (and the whole OT for that matter). With that end in mind, each chapter ends with several good questions that can be used to help the pastor prepare a sermon on the text, or by the Bible study leader to generate thoughtful discussions within the group. But it is not just theological, it is practical and he calls the reader to respond in faith and obedience to the One who is greater than Jonah. So he takes some difficult theological positions and discusses them for the contemporary reader. One such discussion that I found helpful was his teaching on just how it is that God "repents" or "relents" from chapter 3. He deals with the problem from a biblical perspective that is true to orthodoxy and helpful in the present discussions of "open theism." Dr. Estelle interacts with other commentators and uses generous quotes from other works of literature that blends in well with the teaching. He shies away from allegory, but shows just how it is prophecy pointing to Christ, and not merely an interesting historical story. Although I do not think it is the only book a serious student of Jonah will want, the one who reads this book will not be disappointed and will gain much insight.

A somewhat helpful commentary. I wouldn't recommend it for devotional reading or a small group (Estelle quotes tons of obscure sources and assumes a fair amount of familiarity with Hebrew), but it is helpful for pastors. A lot of good insights and Estelle brings out a lot of the word puns that are hidden by the English translation. A great virtue is that the commentary is strongly Christocentric in its interpretations. (Note: when you read it, save yourself some bad writing and skip the Intro and the 1st chapter.) Estelle gleams most of his insights from Jack M. Sasson's commentary, which is more indepth.

I am reviewing this book because I don't think that the previous reviews accurately characterize the book. This book is very accessible. High school students might struggle through some of the material, but would probably be able to follow along just fine. I have no knowledge of Hebrew, and that has not hindered me one iota from enjoying this book fully. In fact, I have learned a great deal about what a rich and wonderful language Hebrew is, so much so that I just might try to study the language myself. However, the single most important thing that readers will gain from this book is the understanding that the Old Testament points forward to Jesus Christ. In fact, the entire Bible points to Christ, which is what makes Him the Word incarnate. I highly encourage anyone who is at all interested in studying the Word of God to acquire this book and read it more than once. Studying the Bible has never been more fascinating.