A little gem

A CHRISTIAN'S POCKET GUIDE TO LOVING
THE OLD TESTAMENT
One Book, One God, One Story
By Alec Motyer
Christian Focus. 144 pages. £4.99
ISBN 978 1 781 915 806

Someone who has spent a lifetime studying the Old Testament is well worth listening to, but even more so when that person is not only steeped in knowledge but is first and foremost a godly teacher whose overwhelming love of God shines through on every page.

This little book is an absolute gem. Each chapter, although short, is packed with wisdom and truth, revealing how God is made known through Scripture. Don't let the length of the chapters deceive you; this is a book that is to be read slowly, savoured and inwardly meditated on.

Remarkable truths

I began to read this like many a book – huge chunks at a time, but found myself forced to slow down and take stock of the remarkable truths that each chapter contains. It covers a wide range of doctrine, from the nature of God as creator to understanding the Trinity, to personal responsibility and divine sovereignty. I was particularly helped by Dr Motyer’s explanation of the cumulative nature of Scripture rather than the more commonly referred to progressive nature of revelation. As he explains, 'progressive' can imply there is something inferior or primitive about the revelation of God in the Old Testament.

This book shows the beauty of God's revelation, its perfection in Christ and the excitement and joy of reading the New Testament from an understanding of the Old. It overwhelmingly points to the magnificence of God. I thoroughly recommend this to you: use it in your personal quiet times, read it with others and discuss it – we all have much to learn at the feet of this teacher!