Review by Yagyo88 -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Yagyo88
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Review by Yagyo88 -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]
4 out of 4 stars
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William Combs starts this book that is essentially, about the biblical Garden of Eden with a metaphorical account of his childhood, his grandfather’s painstaking labor of love building a befitting house for his Daughter’s family. Stars and flashlight juxtaposed with the unnerving darkness, fresh tracks of a Moose in a dark Alaskan night, he uses images to contrast good and evil; the lights of the magical aurora representing the Old Testament a foretaste of the soon to come, glory, victory and liberty in Christ received by faith which is revealed in the New Testament. His style is simple and interesting which makes for seamless and sustained interest.
Adams perfect relationship with God in the Garden of Eden is established; he names the animals and in the middle of the Garden he is told he could eat of every Tree of the Garden except the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Author describes the loneliness of Adam and the molding of Eve from his rib. He explains the creation of the concept of day and night, and the instruction given to the new couple to go and multiply. The embellishment of the Garden story though admirable, portrayed some bloody scenarios which may shock some readers who see the Garden of Eden as a perfect, tranquil place. The killing of a Ewe by a Lion and the depiction of an Eagle picking out a fish from the river are examples.
Next the Author takes us to the scene of Eve’s temptation by the serpent and the consequences- relational and spiritual death. The unraveling of relational death so succinctly described by the Author is missing in many a Church’s sermon, In a revealing and refreshing way, the Writer explains that relational death is the root cause of mankind’s ‘issues’ which include; innate distrust, low self-esteem, misunderstanding, mutual stress and tension which quickly replaced love, joy, compassion, patience and peace. The writer also convincingly points out that physical death, the pain of childbirth for Eve, tilling the ground, farming among thorns and thistles for Adam were not punitive measures but a mirror of the future of mankind outside the garden which also had its merits.
The Author also meticulously dispels a misconception about the motive behind Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience. William Combs posits that sin rather than earlier held commentaries, is really the knowledge of good and evil a consequence of the act of ingesting the forbidden fruit, and that what qualifies sin as sin is our choosing evil over good. He further shed light on the reason God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and his command not to eat of the fruit- so that Adam and Eve may live by faith, the only way to please him.
Subsequently the question of how faith really works, is taken up, the Author states that ‘little faith’ is ineffective because it is based on anxiety and worry plus a desire for quick fix solutions outside the will of God. In contrast, real faith is based on trust and belief in the will of God which he rewards with a ‘cloth’ of righteousness. The necessity of being born again and faith based on the direction and will of God as exemplified by Jesus Christ himself is emphasized.
The different ways God communicates with us namely, the scriptures, his voice and his peace are treated next. William Combs relates his call to become a Pastor, Apostle Paul and Noah’s experience to show how God communes with his chosen vessels in various ways in order to strengthen them as they go through trials and tribulations striving to do his will. He gives examples to enunciate the good fight of the believer against the “prince of the air”, Satan and his agents.
The Sabbath is a day set aside to keep the work away-a day of rest, yes. But the Author expands the concept further from the familiar to the less familiar reality of entering Gods rest as a believer based on faith and knowing that the seemingly grueling tasks given to us as believers has already been accomplished before the foundation of the earth was created. That is why it is impossible to please God without faith, he explains.
The academic flank of William Combs rears its head towards the end of the book as he presents different explanations of ‘original sin’, this may pose a challenge to the reader who may not be familiar with the various schools of thought of ‘original sin’. Thankfully the writer resumed his simple narrative and style as he once again reiterated the need for all Christians to see the fall as our acquired- knowledge of good and evil which leads many to strive on their own to be ‘good people’. The writer emphasizes the need for all Christians to be “dead to sin” and focus on working according to the will and direction of God-in order to be the salt of the earth.
For avid seekers of the ‘truth ‘and theology students, this book comes highly recommended this is because the author conveniently placed study questions at the end of every chapter which also serves as an exercise in comprehension. Similarly, He does not stop at merely referencing relevant biblical portions to buttress a point, but painstakingly pens them down this saves the reader the trouble of a disconnect whilst reading. The study questions could still have achieved the same effect if they were positioned at the end of the book in my opinion.
The book was on the whole a good read in spite of one or two typographical errors. I award it a 4 out of 4 stars. Students and enthusiasts of deeper biblical truths will find it useful so if you are none of that, you have been forewarned.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Yagyo88's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
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William Combs starts this book that is essentially, about the biblical Garden of Eden with a metaphorical account of his childhood, his grandfather’s painstaking labor of love building a befitting house for his Daughter’s family. Stars and flashlight juxtaposed with the unnerving darkness, fresh tracks of a Moose in a dark Alaskan night, he uses images to contrast good and evil; the lights of the magical aurora representing the Old Testament a foretaste of the soon to come, glory, victory and liberty in Christ received by faith which is revealed in the New Testament. His style is simple and interesting which makes for seamless and sustained interest.
Adams perfect relationship with God in the Garden of Eden is established; he names the animals and in the middle of the Garden he is told he could eat of every Tree of the Garden except the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Author describes the loneliness of Adam and the molding of Eve from his rib. He explains the creation of the concept of day and night, and the instruction given to the new couple to go and multiply. The embellishment of the Garden story though admirable, portrayed some bloody scenarios which may shock some readers who see the Garden of Eden as a perfect, tranquil place. The killing of a Ewe by a Lion and the depiction of an Eagle picking out a fish from the river are examples.
Next the Author takes us to the scene of Eve’s temptation by the serpent and the consequences- relational and spiritual death. The unraveling of relational death so succinctly described by the Author is missing in many a Church’s sermon, In a revealing and refreshing way, the Writer explains that relational death is the root cause of mankind’s ‘issues’ which include; innate distrust, low self-esteem, misunderstanding, mutual stress and tension which quickly replaced love, joy, compassion, patience and peace. The writer also convincingly points out that physical death, the pain of childbirth for Eve, tilling the ground, farming among thorns and thistles for Adam were not punitive measures but a mirror of the future of mankind outside the garden which also had its merits.
The Author also meticulously dispels a misconception about the motive behind Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience. William Combs posits that sin rather than earlier held commentaries, is really the knowledge of good and evil a consequence of the act of ingesting the forbidden fruit, and that what qualifies sin as sin is our choosing evil over good. He further shed light on the reason God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and his command not to eat of the fruit- so that Adam and Eve may live by faith, the only way to please him.
Subsequently the question of how faith really works, is taken up, the Author states that ‘little faith’ is ineffective because it is based on anxiety and worry plus a desire for quick fix solutions outside the will of God. In contrast, real faith is based on trust and belief in the will of God which he rewards with a ‘cloth’ of righteousness. The necessity of being born again and faith based on the direction and will of God as exemplified by Jesus Christ himself is emphasized.
The different ways God communicates with us namely, the scriptures, his voice and his peace are treated next. William Combs relates his call to become a Pastor, Apostle Paul and Noah’s experience to show how God communes with his chosen vessels in various ways in order to strengthen them as they go through trials and tribulations striving to do his will. He gives examples to enunciate the good fight of the believer against the “prince of the air”, Satan and his agents.
The Sabbath is a day set aside to keep the work away-a day of rest, yes. But the Author expands the concept further from the familiar to the less familiar reality of entering Gods rest as a believer based on faith and knowing that the seemingly grueling tasks given to us as believers has already been accomplished before the foundation of the earth was created. That is why it is impossible to please God without faith, he explains.
The academic flank of William Combs rears its head towards the end of the book as he presents different explanations of ‘original sin’, this may pose a challenge to the reader who may not be familiar with the various schools of thought of ‘original sin’. Thankfully the writer resumed his simple narrative and style as he once again reiterated the need for all Christians to see the fall as our acquired- knowledge of good and evil which leads many to strive on their own to be ‘good people’. The writer emphasizes the need for all Christians to be “dead to sin” and focus on working according to the will and direction of God-in order to be the salt of the earth.
For avid seekers of the ‘truth ‘and theology students, this book comes highly recommended this is because the author conveniently placed study questions at the end of every chapter which also serves as an exercise in comprehension. Similarly, He does not stop at merely referencing relevant biblical portions to buttress a point, but painstakingly pens them down this saves the reader the trouble of a disconnect whilst reading. The study questions could still have achieved the same effect if they were positioned at the end of the book in my opinion.
The book was on the whole a good read in spite of one or two typographical errors. I award it a 4 out of 4 stars. Students and enthusiasts of deeper biblical truths will find it useful so if you are none of that, you have been forewarned.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Yagyo88's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Roadmap to the End of Days by Daniel Friedmann
