Precious Enemy A Biblical Portrait Of Death [Hardcover]

King Solomon asserted, love is as strong as death (Song of Solomon 8:6). Solomon, the wisest of all Israel's kings, recognized that while every human would eventually succumb to death, death is not ultimate in power. The God whose essence is love designed and created both human life and death as instruments for the display of his own splendor and purposes. Neither human life nor death, then, can deviate from God's ultimate purpose and good for the creature made in his own image. Biblically, death serves as the perfect foil to mark both the immeasurable value of human life and at the same time the relatively limited value of it. Rather than either worshipping or desecrating this finite gift of human life, we can value it rightly and also worship the God who, in his literally infinite wisdom, gives and takes away life in accord with his good and gracious purposes. FOR BACK COVER: Death is an unpleasant subject. We don't like to speak about it, so euphemisms like 'she's passed' and 'he's in a much better place' abound. We don't like to see it, so the embalmer's art seeks to mask its harsh reality by presenting the deceased in a state of peaceful repose. We don't like to bear the marks of its inevitable arrival, so we spend an inordinate amount of money trying to remain young in appearance. But is this a proper Christian orientation to death? No. And Toby Jennings offers us a biblically grounded, historically informed, sound theological approach to the topic. After reading his book, you will never speak about, look at, and live the reality of death in the way you do now. --Gregg R. Allison, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Dr. Jennings tackles the difficult and challenging topic of human life and death freshly and sure-footedly. He effectively engages with the 'difficult questions' of humanity in relation to the contours of the saving purposes of God. --Paul Helm, Emeritus Professor, King's College, London Thinkingl“.