Having read some of John MacArthur's other works, I was
excited for the opportunity to read one of his latest, Twelve Unlikely Heroes.
After introducing the concept of the word "hero" in today's culture,
he contrasts the world's view by providing a definition for a biblical hero,
namely one who has faith in God and lives a life of faithfulness. The book
then offers an in depth look into the lives of twelve people mentioned in the
Bible. Some of these people were only given a few verses of Scripture, while others
have whole books devoted to them. Although many other individuals could have
been written about, MacArthur singles out Enoch, Joseph, Miriam, Gideon,
Samson, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark and Onesimus as unlikely heroes. By
doing so, he shows that biblical heroes are not defined by gender, physical
stature, or social and economic status.
I appreciated how MacArthur chronologically devotes almost a
chapter apiece to each individual. He frequently references Scripture so that
the reader can follow along in their own Bible. I also appreciated that he not
only used the Bible as a reference, but other biblical scholars as well as
early church and Jewish historians.
Because of this, the reader is able to better understand the
culture of the time, connect the dots between different books of the Bible and
ultimately relate more personally to the character being studied. For example,
he mentions of the military conquests of Xerxes to explain the four year gap
before he chose Esther as queen, as well as other instances of his volatile
temperament, the royal preparations that would've been given to Esther and the
roots of the deep hatred and bitterness between Haman and Mordecai. Another
example is showing the reader how John Mark is restored by Peter to become a
close companion of Peter and Paul, and the slave Onesimus is forgiven to become a bishop in
Ephesus. Throughout and at the end of each section, MacArthur shows that God
can take any sinner and transform them to do His work.
I would definitely recommend this book (and will most likely
read it again), as it goes beyond the simple Sunday School lessons to provide a
rich account that will strengthen and encourage your own faith.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
