Book Review: Gospel and Wisdom: Israel’s Wisdom Literature in the Christian Life

Gospel and Wisdom: Israel's Wisdom Literature in the Christian LifeGospel and Wisdom: Israel’s Wisdom Literature in the Christian Life by Graeme Goldsworthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fine book in many ways. Goldsworthy helps us understand the relation of wisdom books to one another and to the Gospel. He asserts we cannot read wisdom literature in the Old Testament as if Jesus doesn’t exist, wasn’t made flesh, didn’t live, didn’t die, wasn’t resurrected, and hasn’t ascended to Heaven. There were a few bumps along the way relative to statements about the kingdom and some hints at over-realized eschatology.

View all my reviews

Divine Guidance

“‘I being in the way, the Lord led me’ (Genesis 24:27). The servant was actively following the Lord, and therefore the Lord directed his steps. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way’ (Psa. 37:23). ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths’ (Pro. 3:6). The Lord leads along the path, a step at a time; but before He can lead us along the path, we must be on the path. When a man is doing God’s will, as best he knows it, and is willing to do His further will even before he knows it, then he will know His will as soon as he need to.” (Henry Morris, The Genesis Record, p.398).

“God’s dearest servants are not always gratified in everything they have a mind to. Yet all who delight in God, have ‘the desire of their hearts fulfilled (Psa. 27:4), though all the desires in their heart be not humored.” (Matthew Henry Quoted in The Life of Arthur W. Pink by Ian Murray, p. 96).