The Shepherd King
By Roger Ellsworth
Evangelical Press. 320 pages.
When it comes to reading, I'm an omnivore - I read anything. (There was a time when I could, quite literally, quote to you the writing on the side of a sauce bottle in both English and French - without even understanding the French!) Many Christians, however, read very little, and for that reason we need many more books like this one by Roger Ellsworth. In 48 bite-size chapters (each about six pages or less), Ellsworth deals warmly with the life of David, the shepherd king. We follow David in his triumphs, his disasters and his tragedies, always with warm and helpful lessons drawn for Christians today.
Sometimes I find the link between the text and the lessons, or between David and Christ, a little shakier than I would like. Sometimes too, I wish Mr Ellsworth had given us more practical guidance - for example, from the story of Amnon and Tamar. But they are small criticisms of an excellent book; pastors can confidently commend this to their congregations and benefit from it themselves too. The short chapters make it helpful too for personal devotions. On the back cover, John Blanchard says the book: '...provides page after page of down-to-earth, warm-hearted, practical application that will surely be a means of great help to all who have ears to hear. I wholeheartedly commend it.'
So do I.
