Let me begin by saying how much I admire John Piper. I enjoy reading his books and listening to his sermon podcasts on-line. He is a man of great knowledge of the Word and a depth of wisdom. As I prepare to write my review, I read other reviews and agreed with a few of the comments. I felt as though some themes were reviewed over and over, creating mind-wandering (audio). Another irritation for me was the reading of the heading with no change in voice inflection; numerous times words were repeated, creating confusion.
I love his constant use of Scripture references. I truly admire those that can recall easily from memory, in the correct context. I loved his review of the book of Ruth. I enjoy hearing the reading of Scripture; especially such an amazing story of how God uses many unsuspecting people (sinners, various ethnic groups, people without wealth, people with wealth, men, women….) to His glory. It gives hope that I can be used in the same way! He also reminds us that our answers don’t come in “our” time, but in HIS. This can take time, which is difficult to comprehend in this day and time (a time of instant gratification).
His review of God’s sovereignty created questions in my mind and caused me to ponder the topic (and obtain various opinions/readings). I had been of the belief that God “allowed” bad things to happen. But Piper points out that God is too big for that. He controls everything, which is ultimately used to glorify God. I had never given much thought to the purity of Ruth and Boaz, but appreciated his comments (especially in today’s culture).
I would recommend this book to everyone (for one reason or another). The love story in itself is amazing. There are so many marvelous stories in the Bible!
