June 2022 – The Gospel Rocks

It’s summer and I’m looking for activities for my children, which means I’ve been looking for good books for them to read. Unfortunately, the trips to the library that I enjoyed so much as a child are problematic due to the world’s attempts to normalize sin. What to do? Below are some book lists I’ve discovered in the past few days. I put a number of the books on hold at the library and checked them out. My disclaimer is that the lists are long and I haven’t vetted them all, but you should be able to find many good books for your kids here.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/a-complete-classical-christian-school-reading-list-grades-1-8/

https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/books-for-kids/

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/summer-reading-grade-grade-recommended-reading-list-kids/

Another website I just discovered and haven’t explored more: https://redeemedreader.com/

I’m finishing up a book review of James M. Hamilton Jr.’s Typology–Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns for another publication, but word-count restraints meant that some things have to be left unsaid in that article. I think this is helpful:

Hamilton articulates something that I have also noted in my work on Amos: to see connections to grace and Christ in some Old Testament books, you have to first understand how they look back on God’s past dealings with his people. E.g., Amos looks back at Bethel and Gilgal – you can preach Christ in that Amos text by explaining and exploring what God’s dealings with his people there pointed to in Christ. Hamilton does this with the scarlet cord and Rahab, Josh 6:22-25. Hamilton writes, “If, on the other hand, we do not only go forward from Rahab to Christ, but first go back from Rahab to the exodus, and only then go forward to Christ, we arrive at an interpretation that accords with the intentions of both Moses and Joshua…By pointing back to the exodus, the salvation of Rahab points forward to Christ, who fulfilled the exodus in life and death. …Just as Israel was saved by lamb’s blood on lintel, so Rahab and her household were saved by scarlet cord in window” (269).

I would add that Rahab is also a type of Ruth and other Gentiles included in the people of God.

Hamilton teaches at SBTS, but some of his observations, like this one, make me think he should be at the cusp of affirming the baptism of the children of believers as well as believers!

Month: June 2022

Reading Resources for Children

Going Backwards to Go Forwards