Score: 92/100 (9.2 out of 10)
“The Covenant Names of God” is a truly great book on the nature and character of God and his relationship with humanity. Pastor Richard Sones is an excellent teacher and communicator who has clearly done his research. Admittedly, out editor really, really, really digs this stuff—call it “esoteric” or just biblical. In prayer, he'll often evoke the name of God as he views God as a very unique and personal being rather than a being-up-there-somewhere. Not to be blinded by personal bias, this book is interesting, well-researched, and well-written. The formatting is solid except for some inconsistent spacing here and there (likely the fault of the word processing software, which is just one of those things that happens). This book is a deep-dive into the various instances when God interacted with people in the Bible including Noah, Moses, Abraham, Gideon, and more. If you thought you were familiar with these stories and had them all figured out, you might have to think again! Did you know that many characters in the Bible refer to God by variations or derivatives of YHWH—often translated as Yahweh or Jehovah? Did you know that all of these variations and derivatives have their own unique and special meaning that's often applicable to the situation or are prophetic in some way? For example, Abraham named the mountain on which he was asked to sacrifice Isaac “Jehovah-Jireh” meaning “the Lord will provide” as God provided a ram stuck in a thorn bush for sacrifice. This is also symbolic and prophetic because in over 1,000 years time, God would provide the ultimate sacrifice in the form of his son, Jesus, whose head would likewise be caught in a crown of thorns. That example may be familiar to people, but did you know that God is also called “Jehovah Ropheka” (practically “Doctor Jehovah”) as in the one who is able to help and heal? He's also called “Jehovah Nissi” (“Jehovah is my banner”) and “Jehovah Shalom” (“The Lord is peace”) among many other names. The latter title is actually given to God by a judge named Gideon, a character who doesn't get much attention, likely overshadowed by Samson. What's interesting is that the judges of Israel were not usually peaceful people who lived in peaceful circumstances, they were militant and often violent. For one of them to evoke the name of God as their “peace” is very poetic. There are little bits and pieces of this book that are just so enjoyable to read. One of the most touching parts that we can remember is when Sones discusses a miracle he witnessed as a chaplain in the military: a woman who was essentially a vegetable or “brain dead” yet who regained her function and life against all odds. Sones says that God is capable of doing all things and does things for a reason. We highly recommend “The Covenant Names of God” for those following or are interested in studying an Abrahamic faith. It is a great book about the Bible that looks at some of these stories under a microscope. You can get it on Amazon!
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