I had high hopes for this book, as I wanted to get more out of Proverbs and the author was a family friend who died before I could appreciate his presence. Unfortunately, the writing is very dry and scholarly, with little actual fresh insight. The vast majority is just a rephrasing of the book of Proverbs.
There were things I did learn, however:
1) Solomon’s love of knowledge was taught to him by his father, King David. I love the concept that such a love can be passed down from one generation to the next, and as a new father myself, this gives me another thing to look forward to teaching my son.
2) In the Old Testament world, God rewarded the righteous with financial prosperity, but after Christ we are offered no such guarantee. As such, it’s important to note the distinction between promises and events in the Old Testament vs. the New, which may be where some of the prosperity gospel gets its inaccurate message.
3) Salvation was available to God’s children before Christ came, as there are OT references to having one’s soul saved and sins taken away.
These nuggets of insight come from the fact that the author was a very learned Jewish professor who understood the link and the differences between the Old and New Testaments better than the average American Christian does today. So for that, I am glad I read the book, but I would not recommend it to others.
Rating: 1 out of 5
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