Have you ever asked God why he allows evil in the world? Why is Satan allowed to reign?
For those familiar with John Piper’s writing, you already know that all of his books explore how God does all things for his glory. This book takes that same theme to look how even the evil in the world is used to glorify Jesus Christ in some way, without God being culpable for that sin. God is so big and glorious that all things work for good in some mysterious way.
Piper mainly looks at key evils in the Bible: Satan’s fall, Adam’s disobedience, the tower of Babel, Joseph’s casting off by his brothers into slavery, Israel asking for an earthly king, Satan entering Judas, and the murder of Jesus. As a commentary, this book is an excellent tool at showing unity of Scripture, and pointing all things to Jesus.
I do feel that the book stopped too soon, as I would have liked to see how Piper would handle how the sins and evils of the world today are “spectacular sins.” He alludes to it in his excellent introduction (in my opinion, the strongest section of the book). Our church services today pamper us away from pain and suffering, as if those cannot be used of God for His glory.
Consider this book as a powerful beginning to this difficult and important problem.
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