A Book Review: Songs of a Suffering King

I found Songs of a Suffering King by J.V. Fesko to be a breath of fresh air.  The book covers Psalms 1-8 a chapter at a time.  I used it as a devotional tool while on vacation recently and found it to be a great resource for that purpose.  I read the text of each Psalm and then went to Fesko's book to help me think more deeply about the chapter I had just read.  The layout of the book is extremely conducive to this approach.  I expect that this is the kind of approach that Fesko had in mind when writing the book.

There is nothing particularly revolutionary about the book.  It is not likely to be the next bestseller that everyone is rushing to purchase.  But it deals with the text of Scripture in a way that is faithful to the original context of each Psalm, helping the reader to think rightly about the Word and make good application based on that right thinking.

It is clear that Fesko writes from a wealth of knowledge derived from many years of studying the Psalms.  However, he does so in a way that is very accessible and easy to understand.

The thing that stood out to me the most about the book is the way that Fesko demonstrates how each Psalm points to Christ.  Thankfully though, Fesko does not spiritualize the Psalms, skipping over the original context.  He demonstrates how the original context fits with the Christological focus of each Psalm.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a resource to help them in understanding the Psalms, not in a technical sense, but in a way that evokes worship to God.  I hope that Fesko will consider providing a similar resource for the entire Psalter.  Such a project would be a great blessing to the church.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review as a part of the Cross Focused Reviews program.

A Book Review: The Home Team

The Home Team by Clint Archer is well-written, freshly illustrated, challenging, and engaging book on the family.  The subtitle, God's Game Plan for the Family, demonstrates the purpose of the book.  Clint Archer has done an excellent job in writing a book on the family that will be a blessing to families and a useful resource for the church of the Lord Jesus.

When I first picked up the book, my first thought was, "Do we really need another book on the family?"  My answer to that question before reading this book was, "No."  There are a wealth of good gospel-centered resources for the family that have come out recently.  After reading this book though, I am confident that Clint Archer has made an important contribution in this area.

Archer begins the book where the Bible begins.  He goes to Genesis 2-3 to set God's design for the family in the context of creation.  He then points out that the problems and discord that exist in families are a result of the Fall.  The effects of the Fall are widespread and can only be pushed back by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of the things that stands out about this book is Archer's use of illustrations.  The book is full of sports illustrations and athletic metaphors, potentially making the book engaging for dads who are not big readers.  These are not illustrations just for the sake of having illustrations.  Each illustration helps drive home the point that is being made.  Also, while the illustrations are from sports, one does not have to be a sports fan to understand the things that are being communicated.

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to think more deeply about the family from a gospel-centered perspective.  This book should prove to be a valuable resource to the church as we seek to preserve God's plan for the family in a day of shifting cultural priorities.


I received this book as a part of the Cross Focused Reviews program.