3 out of 4 stars
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There have been countless Bible storybooks written for people of all ages. In I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation by Val D. Greenwood, we are presented with a compilation of Old Testament stories that goes a step beyond the expected. While all the well-known stories -- from Cain and Abel to David and Goliath –- are certainly present, the author also includes many less-familiar stories that help to make this book more than a collection of disparate stories. Instead, it becomes a seamless history of the children of Israel. For example, Greenwood includes not only the captivity in Babylon but also the two separate returns from exile, first to rebuild the temple, and then to rebuild the city walls. Greenwood focuses on the historical books and, except for the book of Job, leaves out the books of poetry, like Psalms and Proverbs. He places the books of prophecy, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, into their historical context.
As a student of Scripture, I will agree with the author that there are many parts of the Old Testament that are difficult to read and understand. Add to that the fact that, as presented in the Bible, these books are not presented chronologically, and many people don’t even bother to read them. Greenwood arranges his stories in chronological order, so that the history presented makes sense. This is especially helpful with the books of Kings and Chronicles, which tell the history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel from two different viewpoints. He seamlessly weaves the history together in a way that makes it much more coherent. Included in his retelling are historical accounts that allow the reader to follow the history of God’s people from creation to captivity and the return from exile.
The author also includes several appendices in the back, including maps, pronunciation guides, and a glossary of people. I especially appreciated the glossary, because there are so many people and places in the Old Testament that it’s easy to lose track. He also has endnotes throughout, which help to explain events or terms that may be unfamiliar. In the eBook, the reader can simply click on the number to toggle back and forth.
I very much appreciate the author’s complete historical retelling of the Old Testament. Though I have been a student of Scripture for over 50 years, I found myself opening my Bible and rereading the stories in their original form. He does an excellent job of retelling the stories and staying true to the Scriptural accounts. The one exception is his retelling of the Creation. There are currently two schools of thought among Christians about the length of the days of Creation. I am a Creationist, and the author is not. He goes into detail about the possible length of the six days, which allows for reconciling the Bible with science. Creationists take the Bible at its word and “evening and morning” denotes one 24-hour day. Putting that aside, I am not aware of any Christian teaching that God did not actually create the universe out of nothing, but instead simply arranged material available to bring forth life. I speak of this, not to engage in doctrinal debate, but instead because the distinction will narrow the author’s desired audience. In no other story did he add or subtract from the story as written in the Bible. I almost deleted the book on that merit myself, but I’m very glad I kept reading. The rest of the book would make an excellent companion book to a study of the Old Testament.
This book was obviously professionally edited. There were typographical errors and a few mechanical errors, but they did not detract from the story. There were frequent formatting errors, where half a page is left blank. I don’t know if this is a problem with the Kindle format or not, but it was distracting.
The author writes using language and grammatical style that is reminiscent of the King James translation of the Bible. For example, “When Jacob had learned of the destruction that Simeon and Levi had wrought in the city of Shechem….” When anyone is speaking to God, he speaks with “Thee” and “Thou.” For young children, or those unfamiliar with that style, it may be difficult to read. For this reason, as well as the inclusion of Biblical events that include rape and incest, this book is most appropriate for teens and adults. That being said, students of Scripture would benefit from reading this book. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation
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I'm in the process of furthering my walk with God and getting more in-depth information will assist me tremendously. I like the fact that he's not overlooking the most important books in the Bible. Their existence describes the story leading up to the New Testament and Jesus. I'm adding this book to my to-read shelf.
