For as many years as I can remember, I've seen the various volumes of the Sperry Symposium series of lectures. I haven't owned all of them, but I pick them up when I can find them. There is always something in the book that I find of interest.

The Old Testament is a collection of essays from previous volumes. I take it from the title that the compiler believes these are worth re-reading, or perhaps reading for the first time. To understand the scope of the book, I will list the table of contents:

"Remnants Gathered, Covenants Fulfilled"
"A Precious and Powerful Witness of Jesus Christ"
"The Old Testament: A Voice from the Past and a Witness for the Lord Jesus Christ"
"Prophets and Priesthood in the Old Testament"
"Melchizedek: Seeking After the Zion of Enoch"
"The Abrahamic Test"
"The Wife/Sister Experience: Pharaoh's Introduction to Jehovah"
"Jacob in the Presence of God"
"The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ"
"Trust in the Lord: Exodus and Faith"
"The Provocation in the Wilderness and the Rejection of Grace"
"Great are the Words of Isaiah"
"Isaiah and the Great Arraignment"
"A Latter-day Saint Reading of Isaiah: The Example of Isaiah 6"
"Obadiah's Vision of Saviors on Mount Zion"
"Consider Your Ways: The Book of Haggai and the Responsibilities and Blessings of Temple Work"
"The Prophets of the Exile: Saviors of a People"
"Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job?"
"Elijah's Mission: His Keys, Powers, and Blessings from the Old Testament to the Latter Days"
"The Lord Will Redeem His People: Adoptive Covenant and Redemption in the Old Testament"
"The Restoration as Covenant Renewal"
"Symbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testament"

If you're like me, you'll find some of these titles very stimulating. When was the last time you heard the phrase "adoptive covenant"? And what is it? This essay explores what it means to say that Christ is our "redeemer." The idea of "redemption" in Israel's economy involved more than just saving someone from something. It implied an adoption of sorts, redemption from one situation and adoption into a family. This is one of the better essays in this volume.

Another interesting contribution is "The Wife/Sister Experience." Here the author explores the nature of Abraham's "lie" to Pharaoh, seen not just in its immediate context, but in a larger view of human reaction to God's commanding "strange" things. Quoting from both scripture and other ancient sources, we learn a great deal about the cultural milieu in which the request was made.

Those who have wondered about Isaiah's episode of walking naked through the town for several years will be helped by "Symbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testament." The author offers several observations about such actions that help us to focus on the meanings of these acts. Once again, fascinating reading.

At the end of the volume is a listing of the published Symposium volumes dealing with the Old Testament, with a list of their contents. There were six collections in all. This list is helpful in placing the various contributions in their correct time of writing.

It may be that readers already own the complete collection. Most probably do not. Here is an opportunity to have in one volume the best of the six books. There's lots of food for thought here, plenty of material to spark the interest and stimulate the imagination.

I recommend this book to all.

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Jeff Needle
December 18, 2005