Amos by Ray Beeley. Banner of Truth Trust paperback: 5/-.
This nicely produced paperback of 117 pages is the latest of the commentaries put out by the Banner of Truth Trust. Mr Beeley is a teacher, Head of Religious Education in a Yorkshire school, and is described as a ‘lay pastor’, the minister of Richmond Wesleyan Reform Church, Sheffield. ‘Lay pastor’ would appear to be the equivalent of a lay missionary among ourselves. Mr Beeley’s commentary originated as notes made during personal Bible study. The Commentary retains its devotional quality throughout and is suitable for the general reader as well as for the preacher.
First he gives the background to the prophecy, and then analyses it and shows the resemblance between the situation in Israel then and that in Britain today. There follows ten chapters dealing with the book section by section. Each sub-section within the chapters is headed by the verses as in the Authorised Version. These are then explained plainly and helpfully, and in many instances the portion is completed by a series of thoughts for meditation. Here and there Mr Beeley has drawn upon ‘Living Prophetic’ and the ‘Amplified Old Testament’ as well as the ‘Berkeley Version’ to obtain light on different passages. The first two of these versions are paraphrases of Scripture, and the reviewer is not at present in a position to give any opinion as to their value for this purpose. Apart from an unguarded statement on p. 64 which could be taken to mean that every reader is a child of God who needs chastening, the treatment of the prophecy is sound, interesting and wholesome.
A. MacP.