Book Review: The Old Testament in Seven Sentences by Christopher J. H. Wright

The Bible contains 66 books which is God's special revelation to His people. It is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. 39 books in the Old Testament. Think about that for a moment. That is over half the Bible and yet it is the most neglected part of the Bible. I get that there are some weird things in it and some things are hard to understand, but it is the inspired Word of God, which is profitable so the man of God might be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16).

One popular preacher, you know who I am talking about, wants Christians to unhitch the Old Testament from the faith. Others just want to ignore it altogether. Some believers do not even have a clue about what the Old Testament book is about. They want to read it. They were doing fine through Genesis and getting better when they read Exodus, then they hit Leviticus and that is when they stop because of the sacrificial system. Many do not have a clue what the Old Testament is about. To give us a simple introduction to this huge part of the Bible, Christopher J. H. Wright wrote a book called, The Old Testament in Seven Sentences.

What Wright tries to do in this book is to show the importance of the Bible and how it connects to the entire story of the Bible. He uses on seven verses in the entire Old Testament while giving a theme for that verse. They are:

1. Creation: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

2. Abraham: All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

3. Exodus: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Exodus 20:2)

4. David: The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people. (1 Samuel 13:14)

5. Prophets: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

6. Gospel: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the One who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)

7. Psalms and Wisdom: The Lord is my shepherd. (Psalm 23:1)

Wright teaches in the book the beauty of the Bible through these seven verses in the Old Testament while also showing how the Old Testament is also as much as God's Word as the New Testament. Wright teaches very clearly and simply explains the text while connecting it to the entirety of the Bible. Wright shares God's covenant and promises from the Old Testament also how it relates to the mission of God's people in the world today.

If you or someone you know have a difficulty in understanding the Old Testament, this book is a good place to start.

Thanks InterVarsity Press for letting me review this book.