Worship, Feasting, Rest, Mercy: The Christian Sabbath

Daniel Howe | Grassmarket Press, 2023, 213 pp., $10 | Reviewed by Russ Pulliam

Sabbath keeping has become unpopular. For some, the fourth commandment can conjure up images of boredom or sitting in church all day.

Rhode Island Pastor Daniel Howe brings a refreshing perspective. He is pastor of Christ RPC in the Providence, R.I., metro area. His book, including the title, conveys a more positive direction for the Lord’s Day.

He shows the counter-cultural nature of keeping the Sabbath in a secular society. He also reveals how Sabbath keeping can help launch an effective war on poverty.

Sabbath keeping does not need to be an exercise in self-denial, like jogging at 5 a.m. or giving up soda for three months. The Sabbath is a means of grace and an opportunity to witness to Christian faith before a frantically busy, watching world. Keeping the Sabbath can help us be in the world but not of it.

The Lord’s Day also challenges the American assumption that our busyness establishes our significance. A good rest on the Lord’s Day helps us find our significance in Christ.

Pastor Howe also develops an interesting theme that the Sabbath observance can become an effective way to alleviate poverty and inequality. He worries about opening up a “can of worms” by writing about inequality, but these are good worms. He rejects a Social Darwinist line of thinking, that the poor just get what they earn. He also warns against collectivist redistribution ideas rooted in Marxist assumptions. Cash transfers from rich to poor have limited impact.

The Sabbath instead moves us toward “voluntary redistribution,” or what others have called generous giving. He gets practical at this point without being legalistic. Try to avoid competitive sports on Sundays. Give the workers at the gas station or convenience stores a break. Wait until Monday. “Focus on giving rest to others,” he recommends. Look for options to serve others on Sundays. Practice hospitality without getting obsessive about it.

His chapter, “Ebenezer,” identifies a stone of remembrance of the Lord’s sovereign rule. Here he develops an underlying theme that the Sabbath allows believers to bring the influence of Christ to a secular and unbelieving culture.

“The Sabbath is our Ebenezer: a hard-edged, rugged testimony to the fact that salvation is of the Lord,” he writes. “The living God is the source of every blessing.”

Sabbath keeping also can be an effective response to the internet/cell phone takeover of our personal lives. Put them all away at least one day a week. Some studies have shown that a rest from tech devices is good for our mental health. It’s good for spiritual health too.

His chapter on the example of Jesus demonstrates the power of constructive thinking. He identifies what we should pursue on the Sabbath, not what we can’t do.

Pastor Howe writes plainly and communicates with ordinary people. He works through hard questions he has received as a pastor and answers them effectively. He offers much wisdom on a neglected commandment.

An Island of Grace: Redeeming Love in the Book of Ruth

Christopher Wright | Crown & Covenant Publications, 2023, 112 pp., $11 | Reviewed by Sam Spear

What a lovely and easy-to-read book! Each chapter greets the reader warmly and issues a welcome to come look at some beautiful item that is to be found in the beautiful history of Ruth. Originally conceived as sermons, the six chapters point through the narrative structure and the character sketches to set this ancient book in its place among the larger Old Testament narratives, pointing us to the Redeemer that will appear in Bethlehem in the New Testament.

This treatment of the book of Ruth avoids distracting speculation about hidden meanings and motives and takes the text at its word about the events of the story. There were two elements of the exposition that were especially helpful. First, setting the story in contrast to the contemporaneous events and themes of the book of Judges allows us to see Boaz in the intended light. Second, bringing out the Hebrew word used in the descriptions of both Boaz and Ruth, chayil, meaning excellent or noble, serves to set Boaz forward as the type of Christ that we are intended to see in the narrative.

It is a happy thing that these sermons, which might have benefited but few, have been repackaged and made available to many. The book comes with online discussion questions and is briefer than most books used in Christian education classes in our churches. One of the book’s endorsers helpfully suggests use in family worship, and An Island of Grace would certainly be a benefit in that setting.

The entire Scripture text, divided into six sections, is presented at the beginning of each chapter for ready reference. In true pulpit fashion, each chapter ends with some form of exhortation or application. The applications are pastoral and winsome. As each chapter builds appreciation for the Redeemer, the book leads to a closing exhortation to worship this wonderful Savior, who has graciously planned for restoration and redemption.

Exodus: Stories of Redemption and Relationship

David Murray | Crossway, 2023, 224 pp., $19.99 | Reviewed by Nathan Spear

Dr. David Murray’s devotional on Exodus is the second installment of his StoryChanger series, an exegetical commentary collection that frames each passage of Scripture as God’s story, and then abstracts a set of pithy insights and applications to change our individual stories.

This framework of God’s Story interacting with my story or your story is a somewhat popular one in broader evangelicalism, and it does continually reinforce a consistent message: The stories of the Bible, even the narratives, contain vital doctrines to inform our faith and practice. As Paul says of the Exodus narrative in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction.”

Each of the 50 devotionals in this book begins with a full-page quote, followed by two pages of simple exegesis, and ends with a short application, summary, and question for further reflection. The care put into the opening quotes is evident, and they share a certain rhythm:

“God is not to be tested but trusted.”

“The wicked make their plans, but God has the master plan.”

“When we remember God’s name, we reconnect with God’s power.”

David Murray writes with an evident heart for those who struggle with mental illness, anxiety, or depression, and often calls out the things in the Christian life that provide joy, comfort, and safety amid the trials of life. The main body of each devotional is broken up by a conversational exchange between two imaginary parties, the teacher and the doubter. This helps give voice to objections and rebuttals that often arise in our own hearts, but each question is met by a warm answer reaffirming the truth taught in the passage.

At the end of each section is a short prayer, often addressed to a name for God that springs from the passage in some way (Wise Tester, God of Families, Devil-Defeater, My Gardener). Readers may differ on the helpfulness of this, but the intent is clearly to show more fully the character of God.

The StoryChanger series seems best suited to a younger audience in general, and could benefit elementary students and teens. For those who enjoy the format, Dr. Murray also hosts a StoryChanger podcast (episodes under five minutes), which daily brings scriptural truth to bear on the various situations encountered in life.

The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History

Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas | Crossway, 2023, 512 pp., $39.99 | Reviewed by Mikayla Covington

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health brought the issue of abortion once again to the forefront of the American political landscape. Abortion didn’t just become an issue in 1973, when Roe v. Wade established abortion as a federal right—America has a long and troubled history with the issue.

Marvin Olasky and Leah Savas seek to answer the question that has spawned many court cases and resulted in two of the nation’s most high-profile Supreme Court rulings: “Is a right not mentioned in the Constitution ‘deeply rooted in this nation’s history and tradition?’”

The Story of Abortion in America doesn’t just trace the legal history of abortion in the United States; it also addresses common practice outside of the courtroom. The authors seek to explore the common assumptions about abortion practices and abortion history, and whether those assumptions are rooted in truth (spoiler alert: they usually aren’t).

Olasky, an accomplished scholar and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, serves as the primary author of the first 40 chapters of the book. Savas, a reporter for WORLD News Group with a specific focus on pro-life news, contributes the final 10 chapters of the book, covering more recent historical events and practices.

As someone who works full-time in the pro-life movement as the director of international operations at a Christian medical pregnancy network, I believe it’s important for people to understand how we got to where we are when it comes to the abortion issue—and that history doesn’t just start in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade ruling.

Having a general understanding of what abortion has looked like (and how it’s been perceived by the public) over several centuries provides important insight into current issues. For example, one of the biggest challenges the pro-life movement is currently facing is chemical abortion (abortion pills). Without knowing the history of abortion in America, one might think this shift is unprecedented and that the marketing tactics behind it (like calling them “period pills”) are new. However, history shows that the evils of at-home abortion and its associated marketing ploys have been around for centuries.

As Christians, we know that abortion is ultimately a sin issue. Olasky and Savas do a great job of tracing the history of this particular sin in America. Understanding the history of abortion is vital for anyone who wants to be able to properly and effectively defend the sanctity of human life.