Bob Beasley

My thanks go out to author Bob Beasley and Livingstone Books for providing me a review copy of this book.Many Christians are bewildered by the Old Testament. They start reading in Genesis and give up by the time Leviticus comes around. They remember bits and pieces of a smattering of OT Bible stories: David and Goliath, the Red Sea, Daniel and the lion's den, etc. But the Old Testament (except for Psalms and Proverbs) remains generally obscure and mysterious to many.

For those who have show more discovered the many connections between the Old Testament and Jesus Christ, this is quite sad. Recognizing how Jesus fulfills the types of the Old Testament truly makes the Bible come alive. Nothing is so spiritually impacting as finding Christ in the Old Testament, and being moved by the picture of our God so beautifully illustrated by His works with the Israelites.

Bob Beasley is eager for the average Christian to become familiar with the many portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Old Testament. In his book 101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures, he marches through the Old Testament highlighting many of the clearest pictures of Jesus found there. He uses promise/fulfillment and type/anti-type models as he explains the significance of the OT's witness to Christ.Beasley explains:

"…Jesus does not jump into the pages of history as a little child in a stable in Bethlehem. His story begins much further back in history than that.... all history is His Story. Jesus is the Creator God, the promised Redeemer, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the Hebrew Scriptures. He is Yahweh, Jehovah—the great I AM—of the burning bush. He is Immanuel—God with us!"

The book deals with 101 such places in the Old Testament. Each is given just two pages of space, which is why no passage is really covered in too much depth. The result is a good introduction to the Old Testament witness to Christ, most helpful for the new Christian who may be inexperienced with the Old Testament.

Beasley will give one an eye for finding Christ all throughout the Old Testament. The book's emphasis on the unity of the Bible and the person and work of Jesus Christ make it especially good. Anyone interested in learning more about the harmony of the Bible and how the OT speaks of Jesus Christ, should certainly consider this book. With its simple layout, 101 Portraits makes for a great devotional book. Each portrait of Christ can be considered slowly and provide meat for one's soul.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by author Bob Beasley for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

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