Books & Bayou

Our family had a great vacation at the Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan. The weather was great and the lake is glorious. I love this state. As I reflected on all that God has blessed us with here in this state, I couldn't help but hope that in the new earth in which righteousness dwells God will assign me to tend Indiana - if it's this great now as it groans, what will it be like in glory!

We will begin preaching from Genesis in the coming weeks, so I've been reading along those lines. Derek Kidner has a commentary, Genesis, and he is always worth reading - even and perhaps especially for lay people. He is better known for his commentaries on the books of poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, etc.) but his Genesis commentary is good. The are always short, reasonably priced ($8-12), and accessible. If you ever see any of his books at library sales, pick them up. I don't agree with some of his positions on the early chapters of Genesis, but it is thought provoking. He really shines in the narrative portions of Genesis. His notes are never long, but they are just enough to get your mind thinking down a trail you would have never noticed otherwise.

O. Palmer Robertson's new book is also quite good, The Genesis of Sex. The title and design folks at P&R may have gotten a little carried away with the times in the naming of the book, but I guess it will sell. It is really a topical study of sex, marriage, and family relationships in Genesis - a gem of a little book. He draws truths from Genesis on the topics of the Divine origin of sex and marriage, arranged marriages, principles in choosing a mate, the consequences thereof, the love-triangle, marriages of believers and unbelievers, unequally yoked believers, unrequited love, divorce, in-law relationships, the widowed, second marriages, singleness, barrenness, rape, homosexuality, incest, adultery, lust, carelessness, and more - all from the pages of Genesis. If nothing else it shows how effective topical studies can be - and illustrates just how rich and applicable a short section of Scripture is if we would only open our eyes and see. This may be a helpful book for marriage counseling.

Finally, I'm just getting started in this, but the crown of commentaries on Genesis is Bruce Waltke's Genesis. It's a little expensive but well worth the money. Some have called Walke "our modern day Moses" because of his abilities in the Hebrew language.

Finally, I'm putting together some thoughts on what's going on down south...but that will have to wait for another day.