Twelve Unlikely Heroes

 
I found “Twelve Unlikely Heroes” by John MacArthur to be a little blah. I didn’t feel like he was telling me anything new about these characters from the Bible. He spent more time re-telling what Scripture already says about each one than he did digging up helpful insights or examples to emulate. I’m not saying the book was a complete waste of time, just that I was disappointed and hoping for more from him. But I realize that just because I didn’t find this book very exciting doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial for somebody else.

His “unlikely” list of heroes includes Enoch (probably the best candidate of the bunch, in my opinion), Joseph, Miriam, Gideon, Samson, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark (John Mark), and Onesimus.

Even though I don’t think he fully answered the second part of his subtitle (“How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do With You”), I liked how he began the book with a clear definition of a hero, and that ultimately, GOD is the Hero in every one of these twelve stories. The whole idea behind someone being unlikely for a task means they’re not fit for the job, or incapable of claiming victory in and of themselves. But that’s why God received all the more glory in using these common-folk sinners to accomplish His will. So, as MacArthur says, the true hero is God Himself.

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” 1 Cor. 1:27

I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for this review.