Review by blmacj -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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blmacj
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- Latest Review: Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William Combs
Review by blmacj -- 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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Who Told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs is indeed a refreshing look at the events that took place in the Garden of Eden, the fall and redemption of mankind which ends with the encouragment to grow deeper in a believing faith.
The book opens up with a dramatized retelling of Adams early memories and experiences. He sees first hand a lion hunt and capture an ewe and happens upon the lamb who he saves and brings back to his home. While not the exact events as described in the Bible, the telling of the story does a very good job of drawing the reader into Adam’s world with sights, sounds and smells.
The author sets the scene when God reveals Eden to Adam where he sees all manner of creatures living in peace with one another. God then provides him with guidance on how to take care of it in order to prevent it from returning to its former state of decay, fear and survival of the fittest. The Lord also warns him of the proverbial “fine print”, which was to avoid eating the fruit from one special tree. This his home for Adam as he is able to recall the lamb’s death in the jaws of a lion and he does not want to end up with the same fate.
It is at this point that the author breaks from the dramatization and begins to break down the deeper meaning and application of the scene. With the flare of a well-educated preacher, the author brings to light the Greek and Hebrew words and takes the reader down a path of personal exploration of the sacred texts.
Chapter two takes a deeper dive into the title of the book, which is the scene with the serpent in the garden and the deception that ensued. The author brings to life the reality of the deception and sin of taking the fruit and eating it when he describes Adam’s experience,
“The mouthwatering taste was indescribable! But as he slowly opened his eyes to meet hers, each of them struggled with a shocking new sensation. Suddenly, they felt embarrassed and naked in front of each other. Even more distressing, they were ashamed of the nakedness.”
As sin reveals itself it first appears to be something wonderful, exciting and fun despite the decadence of the event. As the newness wears away there is a depressing sense of embarrassment and shame. That is when the author breaks down the ancient terms to help the reader understand what transpired then and how it happens to every individual countless times each day.
Another key topic of this book, beyond the dramatic flair and message from the pulpit, is the defense of the author’s purpose for reexamining the events of Eden and the nakedness of man. This is where he turns from the old tale and illustrates the connections with history and how the Gospel is God’s way of correcting man’s dissension. He sets the stage of why things ended up this way in order to open the door to how we can overcome our “sentence” and why God even cares to redeem the creation which disobeyed and hid from Him. The author also draws the reader beyond the pulpit with personal testimonies of other individuals.
Finally, as the author brings everything together he closes with the final why and how of being a believer. He turns to why we each are here and the ramification of our decision to be on one side of the other. He leads the reader down the path to understanding, the search for Truth and provides guidance on how to move beyond surface faith.
William E. Combs has done a great job in providing realistic and catching dramatic scenes, transitioning to teaching and a deeper understanding and challenging with additional study questions in hopes that the individual reader(s) with grow in their personal faith in Christ. The whole purpose of the retelling is not to fill a historian’s ego but to bring about change in the reader’s life. This book is good for both entertainment and growth and keeps pace with many of the mainstream Contemporary Christian authors.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars for being error free, easy to read, easy to understand the subject, a logical flow of the ideas presented, for creatively presenting a subject which has been told countless times and for making the book fit for personal or group reading.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like blmacj's review? Post a comment saying so!
4 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs is indeed a refreshing look at the events that took place in the Garden of Eden, the fall and redemption of mankind which ends with the encouragment to grow deeper in a believing faith.
The book opens up with a dramatized retelling of Adams early memories and experiences. He sees first hand a lion hunt and capture an ewe and happens upon the lamb who he saves and brings back to his home. While not the exact events as described in the Bible, the telling of the story does a very good job of drawing the reader into Adam’s world with sights, sounds and smells.
The author sets the scene when God reveals Eden to Adam where he sees all manner of creatures living in peace with one another. God then provides him with guidance on how to take care of it in order to prevent it from returning to its former state of decay, fear and survival of the fittest. The Lord also warns him of the proverbial “fine print”, which was to avoid eating the fruit from one special tree. This his home for Adam as he is able to recall the lamb’s death in the jaws of a lion and he does not want to end up with the same fate.
It is at this point that the author breaks from the dramatization and begins to break down the deeper meaning and application of the scene. With the flare of a well-educated preacher, the author brings to light the Greek and Hebrew words and takes the reader down a path of personal exploration of the sacred texts.
Chapter two takes a deeper dive into the title of the book, which is the scene with the serpent in the garden and the deception that ensued. The author brings to life the reality of the deception and sin of taking the fruit and eating it when he describes Adam’s experience,
“The mouthwatering taste was indescribable! But as he slowly opened his eyes to meet hers, each of them struggled with a shocking new sensation. Suddenly, they felt embarrassed and naked in front of each other. Even more distressing, they were ashamed of the nakedness.”
As sin reveals itself it first appears to be something wonderful, exciting and fun despite the decadence of the event. As the newness wears away there is a depressing sense of embarrassment and shame. That is when the author breaks down the ancient terms to help the reader understand what transpired then and how it happens to every individual countless times each day.
Another key topic of this book, beyond the dramatic flair and message from the pulpit, is the defense of the author’s purpose for reexamining the events of Eden and the nakedness of man. This is where he turns from the old tale and illustrates the connections with history and how the Gospel is God’s way of correcting man’s dissension. He sets the stage of why things ended up this way in order to open the door to how we can overcome our “sentence” and why God even cares to redeem the creation which disobeyed and hid from Him. The author also draws the reader beyond the pulpit with personal testimonies of other individuals.
Finally, as the author brings everything together he closes with the final why and how of being a believer. He turns to why we each are here and the ramification of our decision to be on one side of the other. He leads the reader down the path to understanding, the search for Truth and provides guidance on how to move beyond surface faith.
William E. Combs has done a great job in providing realistic and catching dramatic scenes, transitioning to teaching and a deeper understanding and challenging with additional study questions in hopes that the individual reader(s) with grow in their personal faith in Christ. The whole purpose of the retelling is not to fill a historian’s ego but to bring about change in the reader’s life. This book is good for both entertainment and growth and keeps pace with many of the mainstream Contemporary Christian authors.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars for being error free, easy to read, easy to understand the subject, a logical flow of the ideas presented, for creatively presenting a subject which has been told countless times and for making the book fit for personal or group reading.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like blmacj's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William Combs
