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Exploring EstherServing the unseen GodDid they compromise?EXPLORING ESTHER Designed to be used either for personal or group study, Colin Jones has made a serious effort to open up the book of Esther to the Christian public as he hammers home the doctrine of God’s sovereignty over all affairs. The book has 14 short chapters, which include the NIV text. Textual features, such as chapters subdivided into short sections and a ‘cast list’ at the start introducing the protagonists, enable the reader easily to follow the flow of the story. Packed with application, topics as varied as choosing a spouse, the use of alcohol, the Christian response to racial conflict and the status of immigrants and justice and mercy, give the book a very contemporary feel. The author peppers his narrative with a Christ-centredness made all the more startling by the fact that — famously — God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Some interpretative queries, however, meant that this book never really got under my skin: for instance, less admirable aspects of Esther and Mordecai’s conduct are glossed over. Iain Duguid’s Reformed Expository Commentary (P&R) tackles the marks of compromise in the lives of Esther and Mordecai (particularly by contrast with Daniel’s faithfulness), making for more penetrating application. Kathy Cowan, © Evangelicals Now - May 2006 |