FRIEND OF GOD:
The inspiration of Abraham in an Age
of Doubt
By John Lennox
SPCK Publishing. 333 pages. £16.99
ISBN 978 0 281 089 116
Have you ever had that ‘mountain top experience’? Maybe, maybe not? Our great… grandfather, Abraham has.
It came at probably the worst moment in his life. A moment when his faith was tested beyond imagination. The moment he had to choose between the LORD and his one and only son – the promised son, in whom all God’s promises rested! It was a gruelling test. Faith won!
Lennox’s account of Abraham’s life (Gen. 10–25) is neither short nor quick to read, but it is a page-turner. His experience as a preacher makes him a skilful writer. To those familiar and less-familiar episodes of the Abrahamic saga, he brings depth of insight, clear interpretation, and poignant application. I was repeatedly surprised by my own partial understanding and shallow application. Hence, this book comes with a weighty study guide! There are untold depths to plumb.
Lennox divides the life of Abraham into five parts, each chapter a readable length. He sets each period in its historical and theological context. His careful narration chimes with the peaks and troughs of faith and doubt, both familiar to Abraham and to his offspring. His exposition of linked New Testament passages anchors the application in Jesus – God’s one and only Son who climbed the same mountain as Abraham –knowing that He was the substitute Lamb whom death could not keep. Such truth leaves the reader convicted and changed.
I am guessing some may be deterred by the length of this book. True, Lennox does not shy from engaging in theological debate and at times his lines of application and inference are bold. However, he is at pains to ensure that the text is understood through the lens of Jesus, and because his exposition is weighted toward application, this is not ‘heady’ but ‘hearty’, making it accessible and relevant to the everyday believer. If I were a preacher, this would be my go-to guide.
