And God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament

by Fleming Rutledge

Sixty superlative sermons on familiar Old Testament texts Many Christian preachers today largely neglect the Old Testament in their sermons, focusing instead on the Gospel accounts of Jesus' teachings and activities. As Fleming Rutledge points out, however, when the New Testament is disconnected from the context of the Old Testament, it is like a house with no foundation, a plant with no roots, or a pump with no well. In this powerful collection of sixty sermons on the Old Testament, Rutledge expounds on a number of familiar Old Testament passages featuring Abraham, Samuel, David, Elijah, Job, Jonah, and many other larger-than-life figures. Applying these texts to contemporary life and Christian theology, she highlights the ways in which their multivocal messages can be heard in all their diversity while still proclaiming univocally, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One."

Genres: Old Testament, Religion, Theology

435 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Philip Yancey]

I've been overdosing on Rutledge lately, also reading her "Advent" and the LONG "Crucifixion." This book takes on the formidable challenge of making the Old Testament come alive. From one of America's best preachers.

[Lizzy Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read Fleming !!

[Casey Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When did you last hear a series of sermons that deeply engage the Christian Old Testament? Rev. Fleming Rutledge provides in "And God Spoke to Abraham" a rich resource for Christians looking for serious engagement with Old Testament texts.

Rutledge is an evangelical Anglican who has served numerous churches and traveled widely as a guest speaker. Reading a sermon is never the same as hearing a sermon but they still provide a window into one congregation's engagement with the Bible. The sermons are short enough that I could read one as my daily devotional. Recommended!

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

eloquent, scholarly but so readable.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of Fleming Rutledge's sermons on texts from the Old Testament. The sermons were given over a period of about 40 years, so some remain relatively topical (particularly those relating to divisions within the church), while others seem a bit dated. They are arranged by the Bible passage to which they refer, rather than by when they were written, so they do seem a little out of order at times (sermons will jump abruptly from the 1970s to the early 2000s). I thought the early sermons were the weakest, but the second half of the book was really good, so I would recommend sticking with it if you do read the book.

[Sam Blades · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It’s not too strong a statement to say that the entire structure of Christianity stands or falls on that foundation: ‘And God said …’”

Introduction and “The Lord Spoke to Abraham” (Genesis 12. 1-5) are required reading for every preacher. Some other favorite sermons from this collection:

“Entertaining Angels Unawares” (Genesis 18. 1-16)
“The Future of God” (Genesis 22. 1-14)
“Does God Need a Name?” (Exodus 3. 1-6)
“Seeing Sin as God Sees It” (Psalm 51)

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not often can a collection of sermons, some of which are over 20 years old, remain as potent, apt and inspiring as this collection. Time and again the author brings scripture alive by explaining what it means and how it challenges the way of thinking that is now taken for granted in much of USA and UK.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superlative sermons by Rutledge working through the Old Testament. Thoroughly orthodox and theologically sound. Interesting reflections on current events and our culture. Each sermon is relatively short making it easy to read when time is at a premium.

[Anne P. D.]

didn't finish this. Bought this to participate in an "advent" discussion group.
Unusual that the tone was kind of self -questioning, not trying to convince or persuade.