"Under the Wings of God" (Cornelius Plantinga)

TITLE: Under the Wings of God
AUTHOR: Cornelius Plantinga
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2023, (192 pages).

Ordinary believers honour the Bible. Church-goers read the Bible. Academics analyze the Bible. Devotees meditate on the Bible. Pastors preach the Bible. Authors write about the Bible. It would seem like the Bible is used in so many different ways. Those seeking a closer walk with God will not be content with any form of superficial reading. They will also meditate and contemplate the Word of God. As purposed in the cover of this book, renowned Professor Cornelius Plantinga shares 20 reflections to help us grow deeper in faith. In each chapter, he begins with the full Bible passage and a brief description. This is followed by a reflection which occupies the bulk of the chapter. Ending each chapter is a prayer. Plantinga starts with Ps 91 where a cursory reading would say it is about security in God. A deeper reading would be an exhortation not to worry. He takes the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37 and applies it powerfully to the intellectual pursuit of God, something that some ordinary believers tend to dismiss as a mere academic exercise. The key lies in the reason for the study: Loving God more with the mind. We read about Colossians 3's exhortation to patience and how the author connects it with other attributes like anger management. Some of the most powerful reflections happen to be the way conventional beliefs are turned on their heads. For example, in Exodus 32, the text describes how the Israelites turned away from God and worshiped the golden calf. Plantinga describes the episode in such a way that we can all see the dangers and pain of adultery. While most people would dismiss Israel then as the adulterous nation that is only bent on disappointing God, a closer reading reveals that was not the case. They may have worshiped other gods but they still have the desire to worship the True God. They simply are people who practice spiritual polygamy. While the Bible condemns adultery in its strongest terms,  there is also grace that overwhelms punishment for sin. Following this thread, in Genesis 4:1-16, there is the story of Cain and Abel where jealousy turned to murder. This led to the banishment of Cain who became cursed to be a restless wanderer. Further reflection points to a man though tarnished by sin still desires a close relationship with God. This is not something that we can pick up unless we observe the way the text was written. 

My Thoughts

This book is more than just a devotional. It is an insightful book about theological truths that point to the practice of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. There are many stories and illustrations that accompany each passage. Like a sermon, they provide clarity to the key points of the biblical texts. What makes it most engaging was how Plantinga takes our understanding to a whole new level, one that encapsulates the love of God even in the midst of sin and suffering. By bringing theological truths into greater clarity, he makes the study of the Bible interesting. Hopefully, this will not make anyone shy about the pursuit of theology. The author also gives the devotional a practical flavour. In the chapter on "Practice Hospitality," he provides "Nine little habits of highly hospitable people" to supplement the reflection on Romans 12:9-12. At the same time, knowing the limits in which we have, he adopts a gracious acknowledgment that we should share what we could and not be guilty about what we could not do. These twenty reflections will set the stage for readers to do their own reflections as well.

This is no ordinary devotional. It is both instructional and inspirational. Instructional because of the faithfulness to the meaning and contexts of the Bible and inspirational because of the way it reveals the character of God to us. It is also interesting to note how Plantinga ends the book with a reflection on Job. A superficial reading of Job frontloads us that the whole tragedy that affects Job begins with a bet. Critics would accuse God of being unfair to Job. If we simply read and limit ourselves to the story of Job, we would have missed the point of the Bible. By linking us to the person of Christ, who suffered unjustly, we would see Job as a glimpse of the greater redemption that is to come in history. Perhaps, that is the way we should conclude our reflections on the Bible, just like in our prayers, we conclude in the Name of Jesus. That is a good way to declare our faith.

Cornelius (Neal) Plantinga (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of many books, including the Christianity Today Book Award winners Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, Engaging God's World, and Reading for Preaching. His most recent book is Morning and Evening Prayers. Plantinga has also served on the boards of Books & Culture, First Things, and Reformed Journal.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.