The Temple and the Tabernacle
By: J. Daniel Hays
The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – April, 2017
For many Christians reading the Old Testament passages that describe the Tabernacle or the Temple can seem as tedious as reading the various genealogies in the Bible. One of the reasons why we might find such passages wearisome is that we are unable to recognize the connection they have with the biblical story of redemption. In his book, The Temple and the Tabernacle J. Daniel Hays describes how both of these structures depict the holiness of God, His relationship to Israel, and the advent of Christ, His person, and His atoning sacrifice. I found the chapter on Christ as the Temple of God in the New Testament to be very helpful in clarifying those prophecies in Ezekiel to which many appeal when insisting on a new temple in a millennial age. I recommend this work as help in finding Christ in the Old Testament and seeing the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.
Born Slaves is an abridged version of Martin Luther’s classic response to the treatise on free-will by the Roman Catholic humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. Originally titled The Bondage of the Will, this shortened work demonstrates the insufficiency of the prevalent misunderstanding of free-will by offering Scripture proofs that man’s will is actually enslaved to sin and in need of God’s grace before it is free to make a decision for Christ. Although Erasmus’ view was well received by the Roman Church and is also the current position of most evangelicals today, it was not the view of the Reformers. In this short work of 93 pages, Luther offers a good corrective for the faulty view of salvation that actually elevates the will of man and diminishes the grace of God. I recommend this book to those who wish to gain a better understanding of the biblical view of salvation and the reason why God alone receives glory when sinners come to Jesus.
Seasons of Waiting Was recommended to me by a member of our congregation. A good look at how God uses the periods of waiting throughout our lives to bring us closer to Himself, this short read serves to encourage those who might be feeling as though God simply isn’t hearing them. The majority of the book contains various accounts of believers who waited on the Lord throughout difficult circumstances and learned to turn waiting into a time of fellowship with God. Personally, I gained the most from the chapters at the end of the book. These helped me to gain a sense of the God who is there in my trials, as well as underscoring how waiting faithfully on the Lord can be a powerful testimony to unbelievers and an encouragement to the church. I recommend this easy but profound read to those who are enduring the long night of waiting for the morning.
