Al Mohler’s Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance

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R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is an astute cultural observer and commentator.  I approached his earlier book, Culture Shift(reviewed here), a bit reluctantly (I’m generally weary of a lot of culture war material), but was so impressed by the keen insights I found there that I decided to read his Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance.  I’m glad I did.

Desire and Deceit is a concise, well-organized diagnosis of the sexual wasteland that modern culture finds itself in as well as a powerful proposal for the church to counteract this madness through radical fidelity to God’s ideal of sexual love within the covenant marriage bond.  Mohler addresses pornography, homosexuality, and some of the key figures that have sought and are seeking to redefine basic sexual mores in our times.

I found his chapter on Kinsey to be absolutely unsettling.  Furthermore, his discussion of the homosexual movement’s cultural, political, and theological agenda is well-documented, convincing, and reflects deep and seasoned Christian cultural analysis at its finest.  Mohler somehow manages to avoid the typical hysterical tone that many a red-faced Christian culture warrior puts forth while at the same time writing with passion and genuine concern.

Mohler is reminiscent of early Schaeffer here, or of modern Guinness, and he has done the church a valuable service.  In truth, I needed this book.  In a sense, it is difficult to live in our society, with its constant barrage of secularism and sexual anarchy, and not grow fatigued by the sheer immensity of the anti-Christian forces in our culture.  This fatigue, in turn, leads not so much to disinterest as a sense of resignation with the way things are.  Mohler has cut through the fog here and reminded all of us of what exactly is at stake.  Most importantly, he transcends shrill platitudes and calls, correctly, for the church to lovingly but clearly disarm and win over Christianity’s cultural despisers by showing them in our own lives and homes the beauty and majesty of biblical relationships and covenant marital fidelity.

Jonathan Edwards’ The Resolutions and Advice to Young Converts

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This little booklet has a measure of sentimental value for me.  I bought it a few years ago from the bookstore at “Spurgeon’s Church” in London when Roni and I were over there for a DMin. seminar.  I’ve read selections of these, but have only just now read them all.  I regret waiting so long.

Written in 1722 and 1723, Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions are as timely today as they were when first written.  This 2001 P&R publication is a handsome and well-organized little volume that respectfully preserves this gem of Christian devotional work.  When he wrote these, Edwards was just beginning his pastoral work.  The resolutions reflect a deep and genuine concern over honoring Christ  with and through his life.  Edwards makes resolutions concerning his use of time, how he eats and drinks, his approach to theology and ministry, and the use of his tongue.  He more than once uses the certainty of death as a motivating factor in his life.

I cherish these resolutions and intend to return to them again and again.  If you, like me, need a good dose of perspective from time to time, you could do much worse than turning to Edwards’ resolutions for help.

Genesis

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2008

Genesis 1:1 (Preached on August 17, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 1:2-4 (Preached on August 24, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 1:5-25 (Preached on August 31, 2008, at Fist Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 1:26-28 (Preached on September 1, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 1:26-31 (Preached on September 7, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 2:1-3 (Preached on September 14, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 2:8-9;15-17 (Preached on September 21, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 3:1-7 (Preached on September 28, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 3:8-9 (Preached on October 5, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 3:15 (Preached on October 19, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 4:1-12 (Preached on October 26, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 4:13-26 (Preached on November 2, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 6:1-8 (Preached on November 9, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 6:9-22 (Preached on November 16, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 7:11-24 (Preached on November 23, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 9:18-29 (Preached on November 30, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 10 (Preached on December 7, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 11:1-9 (Preached on December 28, 2008, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

2009

Genesis 11:10-32 (Preached on January 4, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 12:1-9 (Preached on January 11, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 12:10-20 (Preached on January 18, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 13 (Preached on January 25, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 14 (Preached on February 1, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 15:1-7 (Preached on February 15, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 15:8-21 (Preached on February 22, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 16:1-6 (Preached on February 29, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 16:7-16 (Preached on March 8, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 17:1-14 (Preached on March 15, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 17:15-27 (Preached on March 22, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 18:1-15 (Preached on March 29, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 18:16-21 (Preached on April 19, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 19 (Preached on April 26, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 20 (Preached on May 3, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 21:1-21 (Preached on May 10, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 21:22-34 (Preached on May 17, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 22 (Preached on May 24, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 23 (Preached on May 31, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 24 (Preached on June 7, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 25:1-18 (Preached on June 14, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 25:19-26 (Preached on June 28, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 25:27-34 (Preached on July 5, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 26 (Preached on October 18, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 27 (Preached on November 1, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 28 (Preached on November 8, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 29 (Preached on November 15, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 30 (Preached on November 22, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 31 (Preached on November 29, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 32:1-21 (Preached on December 27, 2009, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

2010

Genesis 32:22-32 (Preached on January 3, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 33 (Preached on January 10, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 34 (Preached on January 17, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 35:1-15 (Preached on January 24, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 35:16-29 (Preached on January 31, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 36 (Preached on February 7, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 37:1-11 (Preached on February 14, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 37:12-36 (Preached on February 21, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 38 (Preached on March 7, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 39 (Preached on March 14, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 40 (Preached on April 11, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 41:1-36 (Preached on April 18, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 41:37-57 (Preached on April 25, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 42 (Preached on May 2, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 43 (Preached on May 9, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 44 (Preached on May 16, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 45 (Preached on May 23, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 46 (Preached on May 30, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 48 (Preached on June 13, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 49 (Preached on June 20, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

Genesis 50 (Preached on June 27, 2010, at First Baptist Church, Dawson, GA)

2019

Genesis 1:1a-b (Preached on January 20, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 1:1 (Preached on January 27, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 1:2-3 (Preached on February 3, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 1:3-23 (Preached on February 10, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 1:24-31 (Preached on February 17, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:1-3 [**No audio available for this sermon**] (Preached on March 10, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:4-17 (Preached on March 17, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:18a-b (Preached on March 24, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:18-23 (Preached on March 31, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:21-25 (Preached on April 7, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 2:25-3:7 (Preached on April 28, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 3:7-13 (Preached on May 5, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 3:14-24 (Preached on May 19, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 4:1-7 (Preached on May 26, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 4:8-16 (Preached on June 2, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 4:17-5 (Preached on June 9, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 6:1-10 (Preached on June 16, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 6:9-22 (Preached on June 23, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 7 (Preached on June 30, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 8:1-20 [**No audio available for this sermon**] (Preached on July 7, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 8:20-9:17 (Preached on July 14, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 9:18-29 [**poor audio quality**] (Preached on July 28, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 10 (Preached on August 4, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 11:1-9 (Preached on August 11, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 11:10-12:9 (Preached on August 18, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 12:10-20 (Preached on September 1, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 13 (Preached on September 8, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 14 (Preached on October 20, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 15 (Preached on November 3, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 16 (Preached on November 10, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 17 (Preached on November 17, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 17:15-21, 18:1-15 (Preached on November 24, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 18:16-33 (Preached on December 1, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 19 (Preached on December 8, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 20 (Preached on December 29, 2019, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 21:1-21 (Preached on January 12, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 21:22-34 (Preached on January 19, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 22 (Preached on January 26, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 23 (Preached on February 2, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 24:1-28 (Preached on February 9, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 24:29-67 (Preached on February 23, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 25 (Preached on March 1, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 26:1-6 (Preached on May 10, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 26:6-11 (Preached on May 17, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 26:12-35 (Preached on May 24, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 27 (pt1) (Preached on May 31, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 27 (pt2) (Preached on June 7, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 28:1-9 (Preached on June 14, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 28:10-22 (Preached on June 21, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 29:1-18 (Preached on June 28, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 29:19-30:24 (Preached on July 5, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 30:25-31:55 (Preached on July 19, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 32:1-23 (Preached on July 26, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 32:13-32 (Preached on August 2, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 33 (Preached on August 9, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 34 (Preached on August 16, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 35:1-15 (Preached on August 23, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 35:16-36 (Preached on August 30, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 37 (Preached on September 6, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 38 (Preached on September 13, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 39 (Preached on September 20, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 40 (Preached on September 27, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 41:1-36 (Preached on October 4, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 41:37-57 (Preached on October 11, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 42 (Preached on October 18, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 43 (Preached on October 25, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 44-45:3 (Preached on November 1, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 45:4-28 (Preached on November 15, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 46 (Preached on November 22, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 47 (Preached on November 29, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 48 (Preached on December 6, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 49 (Preached on December 13, 2020, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Genesis 49:29-50 (Preached on January 10, 2021, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

 

Exodus

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2001

Exodus 3:1-6 (Preached on July 29, 2001, at Stonecrest Baptist Church in Woodstock, GA)

2013

Exodus 1 (Preached on March 3, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 2:1-10 (Preached on March 10, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 2:11-25 (Preached on March 17, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 3:1-12 (Preached on March 24, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 3:13-24 (Preached on April 14, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 4:1-17 (Preached on April , 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 4:18-31 (Preached on May 5, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 5 (Preached on May 19, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 6 (Preached on May 26, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 7:1-13 (Preached on June 2, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 7:14-25 (Preached on June 16, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 8:1-15 (Preached on June 30, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 8:16-32 (Preached on July 7, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 9 (Preached on July 14, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 10 (Preached on July 21, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 11 (Preached on July 28, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 12:1-28 (Preached on August 4, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 12:29-50 (Preached on August 11, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 13:1-16 (Preached on August 25, 2013, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

2015

Exodus 13:17-22 (Preached on April 19, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 14 (Preached on April 26, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 15:1-21 (Preached on May 17, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 15:22-27 (Preached on May 24, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 16 (Preached on May 31, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 17 (Preached on June 21, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 18 (Preached on July 5, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 19 (Preached on July 12, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:1-3 (Preached on July 19, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:4-6 (Preached on July 26, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:7 (Preached on July 26, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:8-11 (Preached on July 26, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:12 (Preached on August 16, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:13 (Preached on August 30, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:14 (Preached on September 6, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:15 (Preached on September 13, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:16 (Preached on September 20, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:17-21 (Preached on September 27, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 20:22-26 (Preached on October 11, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 21:1-11 (Preached on October 25, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 21:12-36 (Preached on November 8, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 22:1-15 (Preached on November 22, 2015, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

2016

Exodus 22:16-31 (Preached on August 31, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 23:1-9 (Preached on September 7, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little  Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 23:10-19 (Preached on September 14, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 23:20-33 (Preached on September 21, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 24 (Preached on October 5, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 25 (Preached on October 19, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 26 (Preached on October 26, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 27 (Preached on November 2, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 28 (Preached on November 9, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 29 (Preached on November 16, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 30:1-10 (Preached on November 30, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 31:11-16 (Preached on December 7, 2016, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

2017

Exodus 30:17-21 (Preached on August 30, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 30:22-38 (Preached on September 6, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 31:1-11 (Preached on September 13, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 31:12-18 (Preached on September 20, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 32:1-10 (Preached on November 1, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 32:11-14 (Preached on November 29, 2017, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

2018

Exodus 32:15-35 (Preached on February 7, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 33:1-6 (Preached on February 14, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 33:7-11 (Preached on February 28, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 33:12-23 (Preached on March 7, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 34:1-8 [**No audio] (Preached on March 21, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 34:9-28 (Preached on April 4, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 34:29-35 (Preached on April 18, 2018, at Central Baptist church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 35:1-19 (Preached on April 25, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 35:20-35 (Preached on May 2, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 36:1-7 (Preached on May 9, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 36:8-39:43 (Preached on May 16, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Exodus 40 (Preached on May 27, 2018, at Central Baptist Church, North Little Rock, AR) [manuscript]

Kenneth Mathews’ Genesis 1-11:26

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I once heard David Dockery in one of the “Baptist Identity” conference lectures quip that all the Broadman & Holman brass really cared about in its The New American Commentary series was getting the Genesis volumes done and done correctly.  He offered this comment, as I recall, with apologies to Timothy George who was sitting in the audience and whose Galatians volume in the same series is truly a fantastic piece of work.  Dockery’s comment was an allusion to the infamous “Genesis controversy” involving, first, Ralph Elliott’s controversial work on the book, and, second, G. Hinton Davies’ 1969 Genesisvolume for The Broadman Commentary.

I suspect Dockery may be right.  The Convention party men are no doubt much more pleased with Mathews’ work, but let me be perfectly clear about this work:  Kenneth Mathews is no party hack and he’s no shill.  He is a first-rate biblical scholar and Hebrew linguist whose now-completed two-volume work on Genesis is a model in careful scholarship and God-honoring exegesis.

Mathews teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University.  He’s done work on Leviticus in the Dead Sea Scrolls and has had a long and distinguished teaching career.  I will not feign impartiality.  I had the priviledge of having Dr. Mathews in a DMin. seminar at Beeson, and I can attest to his scholar’s mind, pastor’s heart, and sincere faith in the risen Christ.

Over the last many weeks of preaching through Genesis, I’ve had great opportunity to spend time with Mathews’ first Genesis volume.  As I’ve also had time to spend with a few other Genesis volumes, I can now speak by way of contrast concerning at least the other current evangelical works on this book that I’ve been reading.  To put it simply, after journeying through the first eleven chapters of Genesis, I can say that Dr. Mathews’ work is hands-down the most thorough, balanced, careful, and helpful work on Genesis I’ve ever encountered.

Mathews does not skirt the difficult questions and he does not rehash platitudes.  He carefully plumbs the depths of the numerous exegetical and hermeneutical problems that this book presents the reader and then reasons out his conclusions in ways that are compelling and admirable.  He has a great grasp of the representative literature for the various sides of the various problems, and he does not hesitate to lay out the respective strenghts and weaknesses of each of the viewpoints.

This will be necessarily hit-or-miss, but I was particularly helped by Mathews’ handling of the “sons of God” and “Nephilim” passages, his handling of Noah, and, particularly his handling of the Tower of Babel story.  Furthermore, this commentary unlocks the literary unity of Genesis in convincing and powerful ways.  I suspect I will never view Genesis in quite the same light again, thanks in no small part to Kenneth Mathews.

I have come to appreciate profoundly Kenneth Mathews’ tremendous work and I would like to recommend it here without hesitation.  Furthermore, I very much look forward to spending time in the second volume.