Idestrom, Rebecca G. S. Show Me Your Glory: The Glory of God in the Old Testament. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2023. Pages: 325. ISBN: 978-1-4982-1795-8

The Bible is about the glory of God, whether it mentions the word “glory” or its synonyms. In his speech minutes before martyrdom, Stephen said that the God of glory appeared to Abraham, though the text of Genesis does not explicitly say so. However, Idestrom guides us through specific passages where the glory of God is mentioned to help us understand how this vital concept unfolds through the traditions in the Old Testament.
The author takes us through selected passages in Exodus to elaborate on how Israel experienced the glory of God first through her experience of deliverance from Egypt. Then, in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which describe their wilderness wandering, the glory of God shaped them as the people of God.
As the people redeemed by the powerful display of the divine glory settled in the promised land, the glory of God was manifest in the Temple. We are invited to join the journey to explore this theme in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. The glory of God was physically manifest in the Temple as the glory filled the Temple at its dedication. The Temple worship through music and dance was the celebration of God’s glory present among his people.
This jubilant celebration of the divine glory forms the crux of the Book of Psalms. Its response to the glory is multifaceted; the celebration of glory is not limited to the people of God. The nations and the creation all stand in awe of God’s glory.
While prophet Isaiah talks about the glory of God that would manifest in Zion, Ezekiel motivates the exiles in Babylon that though they are defeated, God’s glory dwells among them.
Just as the glory of God redeemed the people from the Egyptian bondage and led them through the wilderness, it would restore his people when exile was a thing of the past. This forms the core of the message of Habakkuk, Haggai, and Zechariah.
Idestrom’s work, which took about 15 years to complete, is thorough and outstanding.
Hilber, John W. Ezekiel: A Focused Commentary for Preaching and Teaching. 2019
By this work, Hilber has demonstrated how to write commentary for pastors and teachers who are the major consumers of Bible commentaries. Many commentaries very technical the ordinary pastors and students of the Bible. On the other extreme are commentaries who compromise exegesis for detailed suggestions for application. What is unique about this commentary is that it has a proper balance between exegesis and application; and is not too technical for the non-specialist.
What makes this a very user-friendly commentary is its structure. In the short introduction, the author gives us an overview of the Book of Ezekiel. He also offers some advice on how to divide the book into ‘teachable units.’ This is followed by suggestions on how to apply the text to the context of the preachers and their listeners.
He divides the Book into teachable units. The key themes of each unit are presented in the form of bulleted lists. He then presents the specific context of this passage in the wider context of the Book of Ezekiel. In the section that follows titled ‘Interpretive Highlights’ comments on the significant verses are given. So, we don’t have comments on all verses and words or phrases! Only what is essential for our understanding of the key themes of the passages are discussed. Besides these, all units also have a section called ‘Theological Bridge to Application’ where the key themes of each unit are seen in the light of the larger Biblical theology. In the last section, titled ‘Focus of Application’ the author makes broader suggestions as to how that particular section speaks to contemporary situations that we live in.
This indeed is a commentary where the reader gets what they need to preach and teach without having wade through mind-boggling details. Every reader would long for similar volumes from Hilber on other books of the Bible.