Jonah: Hearing the Message of Scripture (Kevin Youngblood)

This is one of the first commentary books in a new series titled, "Hearing the Message of Scripture a Commentary on the Old Testament."  I received a copy of this book from Zondervan asking for an honest review of the material.

If the entire series they are planning is as good as this book then I will be very happy to start buying a new set of commentaries.  Why do I like it?

1.  It is written by Conservative Christian Scholars who stick to the Bible and believe it is The Word of God and useful for teaching and leading the Christian in their daily walk.

2.  It is formatted in a way that I find useful.  It gives an explanation of the section of scripture, gives historical and doctrinal background and then provides an outline form to help you catch the full meaning of the text.

3.  It is not written 'over the head' of the layperson.  It does have it's scholarly insights and gives uses of the original language, but it is not such that a layperson would feel lost and unable to comprehend the structure and dialogue of the text.

The insights that you will gain from this commentary are plentiful.  If you read this while your Pastor is leading you through a study of the book you will find the additional information a good preparation study for you to get the most out the sermons that you will hear.

If you are writing the sermon, well the commentary will provide you some points to ponder as you wrestle with the text and seek to teach your flock what they need to learn from the Lord through this Old Testament book.

All in all, this is a great start to a new commentary series.