Even Better Than Eden: A Book Review
People can have a tendency to see the Bible as a disjointed collection of books and stories. Even more so, people tend to separate the Old and New Testaments going so far as to say there is almost a different God between the two or that God really changed once Jesus showed up. That's why I think Nancy Guthrie's new book, Even Better Than Eden is a valuable resource that most Christians need to take the time to read. According to Guthrie:
Every chapter will trace a theme that runs from Genesis to Revelation and that reveals an aspect of the excellencies and superiorities of the new heaven and the new earth (which we could also call Eden 2.0, or the new Eden, or the new creation, or the city to come, or the New Jerusalem)— superior not only to life in this sin-affected world we live in now, but superior even to what Adam and Eve experienced in the original Eden.
Having heard of Guthrie, but never having read her other books, I was eager to read this one and I was not disappointed. Guthrie masterfully takes us from Eden to new creation saturating us with the gospel chapter by chapter. When all hope seems lost for Adam and Eve in the garden, God does not give up on His creation and in fact, He is working His plans and purposes to redeem humanity for an eternity that is even better than Eden.
Guthrie shows the continuity of Scripture by tracing a theme in each chapter showing how it was broken in Eden through sin, but how God through the Old Testament uses that theme to point to a redeemer and ultimately it is made full in Christ. Jesus is the true and better Adam who did what the first man failed to do. He is bringing God's creation under His rule and bringing God's people to God's promised place.
Even Better Than Eden is a valuable resource that's been given to the Christian community. Guthrie writes in a way that is intelligent and easy to read. She is personal and theological. Most importantly, in every chapter she proclaims the excellencies of Christ. Guthrie says, "We're beginning to understand through this story of the Bible that our longing for home is a longing not for a place but for a person." Through her book, she helps all of us echo Revelation 22:20, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"
