Book Review - Savoring Scripture, Andrew Abernethy IVP Academic

 

Right off the bat I should share in interest of full disclosure that I know the author of this book...maybe knew is a better term. To be honest we really don't know each other presently other than interactions on social media. I played basketball against him in college and with his twin brother during that time as well. We spent a week as counselors at a Christian camp one summer in college too. 

Clear as mud, right?

Andrew has gone on to distinguish himself in the academic world of Christendom. Proficient as a scholar, especially in the area of Isaiah and the prophets. 

Savoring Scripture (2022) is broader than that singular genre though. It aims to help its reader be a better student of the Word of God as a whole. As he states in the prologue, this is a book for any believer to learn "how to read the Bible".

Dr. Abernethy offers six helpful steps readers to better relate to Scripture and the Author behind it. They do not come off as rigidly formulaic, but he spends time developing each carefully enough where they separately be used to deepen our love for God and his Word. 

The steps work out like so:

• Posture: We need to evaluate our heart as we approach Scripture and make sure our attitude is one of humility and teachability. 
• Flow: Once a passage has been selected, we need to be sure we understand what's being said and what the main ideas that are being communicated.
• Context: Beyond the particular passage, we need to discern the setting of a passage both of the book and where the book and passage fit historically.
• Whole Bible: This step focuses our attention on how a passage connects to the redemptive arc of Scripture and how, even tangentially, it relates to Christ.
• Savor God: This is a devotional step where we meditate on what we've learned in the above areas and pray to God, considering what we learn about him in the process.
• Faithful Response: This final step assesses how we can apply what we learn from the passage. "What is God calling me to do in and through this passage?"

Going through this book, it fanned a flame in my own heart to break out of stale routines when it came to my own personal time with God's Word. There's a certain liturgy to these steps and I appreciate how each carries its own weight and importance in and of itself. They all build on one another of course too, but Abernethy has outlined a process that can be utilized in part and as a whole.

Kudos to him for authoring a work that can benefit any pastor, scholar, or beginning student of the Bible.