Ezra. Nehemiah. History books from the Old Testament that we often read for their
narrative, but are not always read for the spiritual value to the New Testament believer. Into this discussion comes Gerald M. Bilkes’ new book, Memoirs of the Way Home. It looks a little like this: Bilkes presents the idea that the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah are more than merely historic. Instead, he sees the connection between the narrative of the return from exile and coming to salvation and a right relationship with God.
The difficulty with this view is that it runs the risk of allegorizing an historical text. Sound hermeneutics takes the text for what it is, not for what we want it to be.
However, Memoirs of the Way Home does a good job avoiding that pitfall. Bilkes uses the narratives not to claim we are Ezra and Nehemiah, but to show how their stories should move us to action.
The result is a devotional commentary on the text. Bilkes highlights the value of the text, but he does not delve into the academic sides of the text. There is no need for a working knowledge of Hebrew here, or even more than a surface knowledge of Biblical history to make this book work for you.
That is not a negative on its own, because you can get your hands on other commentaries for that information. Memoirs of the Way Home is a great addition for the pastor’s library or for the Christian working through Ezra and Nehemiah.
Note: free book in exchange for the review. See more here: http://crossfocusedreviews.com/
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