Finding Favor with the King is an enjoyable walk through the book of Esther. It’s a little repetitive and in some ways the repetition makes it feel like the author didn’t really have enough to write a book on. In truth I think the book would make a great sermon but as a book, it’s enjoyable but maybe not life changing.
The author hits on many of the great points and insights that can be gleaned from the book of Esther, but he doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table. I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. As long as the principles are right there are many different voices and many different communication styles that could be beneficial to people. So while the content isn’t new to me, I could take the book and give it to a new convert and be reasonably sure they would get a lot out of the book.
At the end of it all, it’s difficult to find any real fault with the book. There wasn’t anything fantastic about it, but it wasn’t without value either. As with many books like this one, I feel like the writing is lacking a little. It’s a little emotive. Not too much but it’s a little noticeable.
There were a few statements that made me crinkle my nose. One memorable one was that God will “give us extra innings to run up the score on our enemies.”That specific statement just rubbed me wrong. I believe God gives us complete victory and will do whatever it takes for us to have complete victory, but complete victory isn’t the same thing as “running up the score” and humiliating people.
Overall. It was enjoyable but it wasn’t special. Good but not original. I would definitely recommend it to the right person, but I don’t know that I would offer it to a seasoned saint. Well. Unless I offered it as a condensed version that was turned into a sermon. Even then it probably wouldn’t be anything new to a seasoned saint, but it may speak to their current circumstances.