1 & 2 Kings

by Iain W. Provan

Book Overview

Provan treats 1 and 2 Kings as a unified whole nestled within its canonical context. Kings constantly presupposes knowledge of the remainder of the story of Israel and invites reflection upon itself... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080104748X
• ISBN13: 9780801047480
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Baker Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

outstanding

I compared Provan to the NAC commentary by House and the EBC commentary by Patterson and Austel. I was looking for sensitivity to the theological message of the stories in Kings, and Provan really shines. He is much better at it than the others. You really feel like Provan can show you the glory and sovereignty of the God of Israel, which (of course) is what the stories in Kings intend to show. Imagine that, a commentary that actually exposes the theological intent of the passage! The other two commentaries are often lost in the human details while the passage is painting a compelling picture of a mind-boggling God. Provan's applications are well-done. "Not all applications are created equal." But Provan's are truly insightful. For example, God destroyed the dynasties of Jereboam I and Baasha quickly but allowed the dynasty of Omri to last a hundred years. Why? Why would God punish Jereboam I and Baasha so quickly and let men like Ahab (and company) live for so long? Provan answers that God was planning on confronting men like Ahab with men like Elijah. In other words, letting Ahab live so long is part of God's long-term plan of triumphing over evil. Then comes Provan's application to our day: "We should never confuse God's long-term planning with an unwillingness or inability to communicate and to act in human history. Prophets will eventually speak, and the prophetic word will always come to pass (e.g., John 1:19-28; 6:1-15; Acts 3:17-26; 2 Pet. 3:3-13; Rev. 22:7-20). God's silences are not long when seen in the context of eternity; God's inactivity is really patience in disguise" (p. 130). What a great reminder to not fear simply because wicked men are on the rise in our day. Wicked men are part of God's plan. They are on God's leash and can go no further than He allows. Provan is also well-written. He writes great theological reflections in simple language. Ah, a breath of fresh air! He also often has more to say than the other two. I kept expecting him to be briefer, and he was actually fuller. He also makes good use of his space limitations. Everything I read was carefully written and held meaning. There are more good things, but these are some of the significant ones. Get Provan on Kings!