I keep a “To-Read” list on my phone. When I read a positive review of a book or hear about something that sounds interesting, I add it to the list. The list is fairly long and oftentimes there’s a significant lag between adding a title and actually reading it. That means that I sometimes pick […]
After Amos tells the Israelites their status as God’s chosen people actually puts them in more danger than the pagans, he tells them their impending judgment is the logical outcome of their behavior. This is a continuation of his defense of the sentence he prophesied in 2:13-16. 3-6 He begins by asking several rhetorical questions. […]
Amos begins his second series of oracles. Remember that the Israelites listening to Amos are likely shocked to hear they are in danger of judgment. Times are good, they worship Yahweh as they have for almost two centuries, God’s blessing is clearly in their lives, and their behavior has been rationalized for so long that […]
The book tells the story of the killing of Osama bin Laden. As is typically the case with any Bowden book (and I’ve now read four, I think), it’s incredibly well researched and well-told. He gives a blow-by-blow account of all the planning, searching, sleuthing, and luck that went into finding and killing bin Laden. […]
Amos has finished his prophecies about the surrounding nations and now reaches his main message – his proclamations against Israel itself. Interestingly, his initial condemnations are similar to the charges made against the pagans. The people of Israel are no longer distinguishable from the people without the law. As noted before, Amos’ listeners could very […]
Amos has prophesied against the pagan nations around Israel. He began with those who are not related – Aram, Philistia, Phoenicia – and moved to the ones who share a blood relation to Israel – Edom, Ammon, Moab. Now he speaks against the closest nation both geographically and relationally – Judah. He is slowly coming […]
Mostly enjoyed this book. Parts were really interesting, parts were a little less interesting, parts read like a US History text book. I actually had to go back and re-read some sections because I realized I had just sort of glazed over them. When I re-read those sections, I actually enjoyed the book more. The […]
Amos proclaims judgment on seven nations surrounding Israel. He prophesies against Israel’s neighbors before finally working his way back to Israel itself. Six of the seven countries are pagan – the seventh is Judah. The purpose of these prophecies seems to be to show God as judge over all the earth, not just Israel. It […]
Total beach/vacation book. Easy read, no messages, no deep meanings. It’s a science fiction story about a conspiracy in a settlement on the moon. The story keeps your attention and if you’re planning to be on a beach soon – and you like science fiction (and you’re a guy, as it’s a total guy book) […]
Exquisitely written, cleverly structured, powerfully resonant to the very last line. . . . A profoundly intelligent and empathetic novel of privilege and poverty, advancement and entrapment. – Wall Street Journal Simply gorgeous. . . . A State of Freedom is a marvel of a book, shocking and beautiful, and it proves that Mukherjee is […]
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