What a good story of how God works. A sentence in the book just grabbed me on page 141, "Love is what faith looks like when we trust the sovereign promises of God secured by the blood of Christ." As Ruth discovered and I hope is true in my own life "there is no safer place in all the universe than under the wings of the sovereign, all-wise, all-loving God. But the shadow of these wings may take us to dangerous places in the cause of love." ( )

Few books or stories in the Bible match the grandeur and evocative power of the Book of Ruth. It may be one of the best stories from a literary perspective, of all time. John Piper has skillfully unpacked the beauty of this literary masterpiece in a beautifully produced work of his own.

A Sweet and Bitter Providence traces the story of Naomi and Ruth through tragedy and despair and on to grace and joy. Before I can even talk about Piper's writing I have to stop and point out how beautiful and attractive this book is. The sleeve is beautiful enough, with a first rate painting of Ruth from the Bridgman art gallery. Then the hardcover has the same beautiful image on the front with a detailed map of Israel on the back in soft whites and gray. The sleeve contrasts the white and gray with a bold maroon. Such a beautiful packaging will help draw the reader in to the glory of the Book of Ruth.

The book is divided into four chapters that match up with the four chapters in Ruth. Before each chapter the biblical text in the ESV is provided. This allows the book to serve as a devotional alongside the reading of the Biblical book of Ruth. Piper adds an introduction and "final appeals" on either side of the four main chapters.

As the subtitle indicates, several themes are addressed throughout Ruth which have contemporary significance. Piper highlights the sexual chastity and bold assessment of character displayed by Boaz and Ruth (with Naomi). He highlights the racial aspects of a despised and destitute Moabitess' return to Israel with her Jewish mother-in-law. The predominant focus is on the sovereignty of God clearly seen by the characters in the story as well as the author of Ruth. God is sovereign over both the bitter providential suffering of Naomi, as well as the beautiful and gracious provision of a redeemer and an heir.

Piper doesn't miss the author's intentional way of setting the story in the larger framework of canonical history. The book ends by declaring Ruth to be the great-grandmother of David.

The final appeals Piper offers sound like the wise advice of a seasoned man of God. Perhaps listing them here will encourage you to pick up this little book and by it be awakened afresh to the wonder of God's sovereignty and the glory found in the small book of Ruth.

Piper exhorts us to:
1)Study the Scriptures
2)Pursue Sexual Purity
3)Pursue Mature Manhood and Womanhood
4)Embrace Ethnic Diversity
5)Trust the Sovereignty of God
6)Take the Risks of Love
7)Live and Sing to the Glory of Christ

This little book will do much to infuse your soul with worship to our Lord and Savior. It will also call you to a greater trust and deeper obedience. I recommend it highly.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Crossway Books for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

An expanded version of this review is available at CrossFocusedReviews.com, where you can find book excerpts, giveaways, promotional offers, audio reviews and more. ( )

Excellent, short book. Teaches through Ruth and its implications. As is standard with John Piper's teachings, it is precise interpretation of Scripture and wise application. The books deals very well with the akwardness of Ruth 3 with Ruth going in the middle of the night to sleep at the feet of a single man - not a preferred Biblical example for pastors to preach. He stresses their righteousness and God-focused approach to the event. As the title indicates, there is a strong emphasis on God's sovereignty. I would have liked a more robust discussion of race issues. I highly recommend this book. ( )

John Piper is perhaps best known for his teaching on and passion for seeing the glory of God in all things. You cannot read or listen to him without him making a beeline for proclaiming the wonder of the sovereignty of God. I was excited to have the opportunity to read his newest book, A Sweet & Bitter Providence: Sex, Race & the Sovereignty of God and see how the sovereignty of God played out in the Biblical story of Ruth. I was not disappointed.

According to Piper, the book of Ruth is for those who, like Naomi, see God’s hand against them but cannot see that even in these dark times of suffering, God is working for their good and His glory. The question Ruth attempts to answer is “Can I trust and love the God who has dealt me this painful hand in life?”

Much of the book’s focus is on God’s sovereignty and how He is “plotting” for our good. Comparing the Christian life to a curvy, dangerous mountain road, Piper says Ruth was “written to give us encouragement and hope that all the perplexing turns in our lives are going somewhere good….In all the setbacks of our lives as believers, God is plotting for our joy.” In the narrative of Ruth, Naomi could see that it was God’s hand working against her in events such as the famine which drove them to Moab and the subsequent deaths of her husband and sons. It isn’t until later in the story that Naomi also sees God’s hand in bringing her through these trials.

As expected, Piper does a great job of pointing us through the story of Ruth to the comfort of knowing that not only is God in control, but He is “plotting for our joy.” Even though I was familiar with the book of Ruth, it was refreshing to read it in the light of God’s sovereignty, seeing how God was working even in circumstances that seemed to offer no hope. It was also interesting to read how Piper tied this book in with the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Although the book talks about sexuality and racial diversity, these two areas didn’t get very much attention and I felt they could have been flushed out a little more. Additionally, while many of the statements Piper makes regarding sexuality are true, he seems to be reading too much into the text, making it say something that it doesn’t with assumptions about the situation’s context that aren’t stated. But these do not detract from the greater message of God’s sovereignty in all circumstances.

On a note regarding the narration of the audio version, Grover Gardner is, as always clear, precise and easy to listen to. His voice seems to lend itself more to academic books and doesn’t feel like it fits quite right with the book’s poetic, pastoral style, but this doesn’t overly distract from the book’s message.

I would recommend this pastoral book for a study on God’s sovereignty in our circumstances, but not necessarily for the issues of sexuality and racial diversity. I’ve posted a preview video below, narrated by John Piper.

(Thanks to christianaudio.com for providing a copy of this book to review.) ( )

Read 2/2011; 04/2014