An exposition of the Old Testament from a covenantal perspective. This is in an ongoing exposition: the first four volumes (covering Creation to the Conquest of Canaan) were authored by Prof. Homer C. Hoeksema. Volume 5 is authored by Prof. David J. Engelsma, who plans to writes volumes 6 and 7 as well.
Volume 3 of the Unfolding Covenant History series is divided into three parts: the history of Jacob, the history of Joseph, and the history of the bondage and exodus of Israel from Egypt.
Jacob is a very strong character in the history of God’s covenant. His sins and shortcomings, as well as his penchant for running ahead of the Lord, are graphically described by the author. Yet the great strength of his faith in the covenant promise of God is the overriding theme. The history of this father of the tribes of Israel makes for interesting reading.
The history of Joseph is perhaps even more intriguing. The story of his life, from his being sold into slavery to his ascension to a position as ruler of Egypt, is almost stranger than fiction. The author explains how—through the awesome power of God’s sovereign providence by means of Joseph—the line of the covenant was preserved, and the fledgling nation of Israel came to live in Egypt.
The section on the bondage and exodus details the increasingly oppressive bondage of God’s people. It describes the ten plagues visited by God upon Egypt, culminating in God’s powerful deliverance of his people from the land of bondage, which is typical of our deliverance from the dominion of sin.
“These very readable volumes are a veritable treasure store into which, when the believer dips, he will surely increase his spiritual wealth” (The Outlook).
