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Gospel According to the Old Testament
Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace: The Gospel in the Lives of Isaac and Jacob
Elucidates the progress made toward God's plan to turn a small family into a mighty nation, in spite of Isaac and Jacob's weakness and sinfulness. "Our God delights in writing straight with a crooked pencil," says Iain Duguid. The lives of Isaac and Jacob are vivid examples of that principle. Time and again God displays his grace and glory by overcoming their weakness and sinfulness. In this latest addition to the Gospel According to the Old Testament series, we see once more how the message of Scripture converges on Jesus. Readers can take encouragement in the midst of their own shortcomings that the gospel triumphs not through human might or goodness but through God's relentless grace.
162 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2015
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September 15, 2021
Are you reading the Genesis narrative about the life of Isaac and Jacob in the Bible (Genesis 25:19-Genesis 35)? Are you looking for a good devotional commentary that focused on the literary details on these passages that also having an awareness of the unfolding of redemptive history? This would be a great resource for both pastors, teachers and general Christian Bible readers.
This work is part of the commentary series titled “The Gospel According to the Old Testament” published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. I started out this series with the commentary on Esther and the book of Nahum and enjoyed the contributors’ observation of Biblical passages with an eye for things like literary device, word play, a big picture perspective of biblical theology and relevant use of background information, etc. Then this year I read the series’ commentary on the Genesis narrative of Abraham’s life written by the same author Iain Duguid of this present book. Duguid is an Old Testament professor from Westminster Theological Seminary.
There are eleven chapters in the book with each chapter covering roughly a chapter from Genesis. Besides observation from the text the author also applies God’s truth from the passage to the readers’ lives. Duguid isn’t just an Old Testament professor but he’s a pastor at heart. I love that. This can also be used as a small group Bible study tool in light of the book’s feature including discussion questions after each chapter.
I learned a lot of new information of stories that I thought I knew about before. That’s one of my personal metrics of a good Bible commentary. Here are some of the insights I gained from this book:
- The commentary points out the many instances of history repeating itself in the book of Genesis. For instance we see how much of Isaac’s life repeats the same challenges and sins as his father Abraham. Both had a barren wife, both stayed in area where Abimelech ruled and both deceptively passed off their wives as their sister to the locals. In both instance God has to rescue them from the foolishness of their lies. Also both Abraham and Isaac had problems with squabbling herdsmen concerning resources. The point of all that is that Isaac is much like his father but in both father and son we see that God continue to show His faithfulness from one generation to the next generation.
- The book did a good job pointing out Esau’s problems. When I was younger I couldn’t understand if Esau committed any sins but the commentary did a good job with attention to details to note how Esau doesn’t really care about God and the things of God.
- A constant theme in the book is the author pointing out how many sins and problems is the result of various biblical characters deciding to pursue “shortcuts” with trying to achieve a goal but not according to God’s way.
- One of my favorite chapter was the book’s discussion about Genesis 27 about Jacob’s deception of his father Isaac in stealing his brother’s birthright. Of course Jacob was not right but the author did a good job pointing out the problems of the other characters too such as Isaac’s love for food, Jacob’s favoritism of her son and also Esau not appreciating blessing from God. Well done!
- The chapter on Jacob wrestling with God and the chapter on the sad episode of Dinah being raped and the subsequent events that followed was well explained and worth getting the book if it’s only these two chapters that you get, give how many don’t understand why its in the Bible or can’t figure out what’s going on. Since the author is an exegete you see his point is from the passage itself and it makes sense once one pays attention to the details. What an example of how to engage in biblical interpretation! Love it!
I recommend it! While I don’t see the same amount of continuity of the entity of Israel being the church as the author believes nevertheless this only came out more in the end of the book and I didn’t feel it take away from the larger good the author has with explaining the text. Believers of all theological stripes will benefit from this commentary.
This work is part of the commentary series titled “The Gospel According to the Old Testament” published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. I started out this series with the commentary on Esther and the book of Nahum and enjoyed the contributors’ observation of Biblical passages with an eye for things like literary device, word play, a big picture perspective of biblical theology and relevant use of background information, etc. Then this year I read the series’ commentary on the Genesis narrative of Abraham’s life written by the same author Iain Duguid of this present book. Duguid is an Old Testament professor from Westminster Theological Seminary.
There are eleven chapters in the book with each chapter covering roughly a chapter from Genesis. Besides observation from the text the author also applies God’s truth from the passage to the readers’ lives. Duguid isn’t just an Old Testament professor but he’s a pastor at heart. I love that. This can also be used as a small group Bible study tool in light of the book’s feature including discussion questions after each chapter.
I learned a lot of new information of stories that I thought I knew about before. That’s one of my personal metrics of a good Bible commentary. Here are some of the insights I gained from this book:
- The commentary points out the many instances of history repeating itself in the book of Genesis. For instance we see how much of Isaac’s life repeats the same challenges and sins as his father Abraham. Both had a barren wife, both stayed in area where Abimelech ruled and both deceptively passed off their wives as their sister to the locals. In both instance God has to rescue them from the foolishness of their lies. Also both Abraham and Isaac had problems with squabbling herdsmen concerning resources. The point of all that is that Isaac is much like his father but in both father and son we see that God continue to show His faithfulness from one generation to the next generation.
- The book did a good job pointing out Esau’s problems. When I was younger I couldn’t understand if Esau committed any sins but the commentary did a good job with attention to details to note how Esau doesn’t really care about God and the things of God.
- A constant theme in the book is the author pointing out how many sins and problems is the result of various biblical characters deciding to pursue “shortcuts” with trying to achieve a goal but not according to God’s way.
- One of my favorite chapter was the book’s discussion about Genesis 27 about Jacob’s deception of his father Isaac in stealing his brother’s birthright. Of course Jacob was not right but the author did a good job pointing out the problems of the other characters too such as Isaac’s love for food, Jacob’s favoritism of her son and also Esau not appreciating blessing from God. Well done!
- The chapter on Jacob wrestling with God and the chapter on the sad episode of Dinah being raped and the subsequent events that followed was well explained and worth getting the book if it’s only these two chapters that you get, give how many don’t understand why its in the Bible or can’t figure out what’s going on. Since the author is an exegete you see his point is from the passage itself and it makes sense once one pays attention to the details. What an example of how to engage in biblical interpretation! Love it!
I recommend it! While I don’t see the same amount of continuity of the entity of Israel being the church as the author believes nevertheless this only came out more in the end of the book and I didn’t feel it take away from the larger good the author has with explaining the text. Believers of all theological stripes will benefit from this commentary.
January 24, 2022
(I read the second edition, published in 2015.) This is another excellent volume in the series, and a follow up to Duguid's book on Abraham. As Duguid writes, "As Isaac relived his father's faith and his father's failures, he came to see that he too could rely on God's faithfulness to his promises." Furthermore, "If Abraham was the man who exemplified faith, Jacob exemplifies grace. In Jacob, God's love was extended to the unlovely sinner, promising great things to him at Bethel--not because of the kind of person he was but in spite of it."
In his introduction, Duguid writes that "the gospel triumphs not through might or through human goodness but through God's relentless grace." He takes us through the story of first Isaac and then Jacob, covering chapters 25-35 of Genesis. As he goes through the lives of Isaac and Jacob, he constantly shows us how God is sovereign over our bad deeds as well as our good deeds, how he can and does use both to accomplish his purposes, how he can and does use even the most deeply flawed individuals to accomplish his perfect will, how his grace is relentless.
I love the pastoral tone throughout! Duguid constantly reminds us of how we act like Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, and he at the same time reminds us of God's grace to each of them and similarly God's grace to us. Duguid points us to how the Scripture presents these individuals, sins and all: making progress in sanctification and obedience, and falling backward; trusting in God at times, at other times trying to do things on their own. It is clear that the chapters in the book were originally presented as sermons.
And, as with every other book in this series, the author is constantly drawing our attention to how the Biblical narrative points us to Jesus Christ. As Isaac and Jacob sin and fail, we are reminded over and over of the one who did not fail, who perfectly obeyed God, who is the true seed of Abraham and true Israel, who is the ladder between heaven and earth. God's relentless grace climaxes in the person and work of Christ.
As with his volume on Abraham, I appreciate Duguid's humility in confessing his own sins and the idols of his heart, and I appreciate the warm devotional tone of his writing. How blessed to be even in this small way sitting under his preaching and teaching!
In his introduction, Duguid writes that "the gospel triumphs not through might or through human goodness but through God's relentless grace." He takes us through the story of first Isaac and then Jacob, covering chapters 25-35 of Genesis. As he goes through the lives of Isaac and Jacob, he constantly shows us how God is sovereign over our bad deeds as well as our good deeds, how he can and does use both to accomplish his purposes, how he can and does use even the most deeply flawed individuals to accomplish his perfect will, how his grace is relentless.
I love the pastoral tone throughout! Duguid constantly reminds us of how we act like Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel, and he at the same time reminds us of God's grace to each of them and similarly God's grace to us. Duguid points us to how the Scripture presents these individuals, sins and all: making progress in sanctification and obedience, and falling backward; trusting in God at times, at other times trying to do things on their own. It is clear that the chapters in the book were originally presented as sermons.
And, as with every other book in this series, the author is constantly drawing our attention to how the Biblical narrative points us to Jesus Christ. As Isaac and Jacob sin and fail, we are reminded over and over of the one who did not fail, who perfectly obeyed God, who is the true seed of Abraham and true Israel, who is the ladder between heaven and earth. God's relentless grace climaxes in the person and work of Christ.
As with his volume on Abraham, I appreciate Duguid's humility in confessing his own sins and the idols of his heart, and I appreciate the warm devotional tone of his writing. How blessed to be even in this small way sitting under his preaching and teaching!
June 8, 2015
Maravilhosa exposição do evangelho na história de Isaque e Jacó.
January 30, 2025
Great book that zeros in on the imperfect lives of Isaac and Jacob and their families. Although they are the main characters, the reader learns about God's relentless grace and it's one beautiful lesson after another. I've used this at my church's bible study based on my pastor's recommendation and I and the ladies learned so very much about God, ourselves and His work even in our imperfect, stumbling lives. We were challenged to trust God, to quickly repent of wrongs and to live a life in gratitude and joy with Jesus our Savior.
February 16, 2021
A solid expository study of Genesis 25-35. Good application throughout.
June 30, 2015
Over the past few weeks I have had the joy of reading the second edition of Iain Duguid’s book, Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace: The Gospel in the Lives of Isaac & Jacob. Simply put, this book thrilled be from the first page to the last. Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace is a part of P&R Publishing’s The Gospel According to the Old Testament series. A series which I was not familiar with until reading this book and a series which is now at the top of my “to read” list.
In this book, Duguid takes you on a journey through the lives of Isaac and Jacob with a little bit of Abraham tossed in for context. As you wander through the pages of scripture, Duguid skillfully unfolds the story of God’s grace through the lives of these patriarchs. The result is a beautiful mosaic of the treasured doctrine of election in their lives. But he doesn’t leave it at mere observation. With his years of pastoral experience behind him, Duguid makes careful and relevant application at the most opportune moments. The result is a book which will not only set the proper theological context of the patriarchs, but also challenges the reader to dig deeper into the relentless and sovereign grace which is theirs in election.
I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to get my hands on another book in the Gospel According to the Old Testament series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In this book, Duguid takes you on a journey through the lives of Isaac and Jacob with a little bit of Abraham tossed in for context. As you wander through the pages of scripture, Duguid skillfully unfolds the story of God’s grace through the lives of these patriarchs. The result is a beautiful mosaic of the treasured doctrine of election in their lives. But he doesn’t leave it at mere observation. With his years of pastoral experience behind him, Duguid makes careful and relevant application at the most opportune moments. The result is a book which will not only set the proper theological context of the patriarchs, but also challenges the reader to dig deeper into the relentless and sovereign grace which is theirs in election.
I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to get my hands on another book in the Gospel According to the Old Testament series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 22, 2011
God's grace is relentless in that we are shown our brokeness and emptiness more fully, we come to cling more tightly still to God's promise that one day the work in us and in our world will be perfectly done. Amen. It is this self-revelation of ourselves (see our sin) and God's holiness and faithfulness we come to know the transforming work of grace in our lives that we are moved to worship. Isaac and Jacob lived that and so do we. Grace enables us for true repentance that challenges our pride, as it calls us to humble ourselves, admit our sin, and deal responsibilty with the consequences of our actions. During these times, we can be in the wilderness, where we experience the grace of God. Those deep seeded sins of pride, self-reliance, we end up wrestling with God such as Jacob. The wrestling comes down to us receiving the blessing of grace. Then and only then, we are humbled, content, and able to worship the Lord with a pure heart We start to see clearly that we become smaller and God becomes bigger. Grace is so much more that we miss out. I loved this book for the clarity of what grace is and how it is applied in our lives.
June 28, 2016
Excellent work by Ian Duguid. Shows how God's grace overcomes human weaknesses and sinfulness in the lives of Isaac and Jacob. Shows us the 'story-line' of the Old Testament that ultimately leads to Christ.
March 18, 2015
This is a very good study of the Jacob narrative in Genesis. Exegetical, practical, Christ-centered, clear.
November 1, 2020
D’excellentes méditations sur la partie de Genèse sur Isaac et Jacob (Genèse 26 à 35) à raison d’un chapitre par chapitre de Genèse environ. Elles sont très pertinentes et encourageantes, tout en restant profondes et centrées sur Jésus-Christ sans se perdre dans des interprétations hors-contexte, limitées et étranges. A chaque fin de chapitre il y a des questions pour vérifier qu’on a bien compris le texte et pour appliquer les vérités du passage dans nos vies.
En gros, cette partie de Genèse nous montre :
- La puissance de Dieu pour transformer un pécheur comme Jacob
- La puissance de Dieu pour Lui enseigner à dépendre entièrement de lui
- La puissance de Dieu pour se servir de gens complètement imparfaits (Jacob, trompeur, comprometteur, rusé, indépendant) pour accomplir son plan parfait
- La puissance de Dieu pour enlever les obstacles à son plan qui le rendent pourtant impossible en apparence (Abimélec qui est méchant, Laban, la vengeance d'Esaü, une extermination potentielle comme une vengeance de la part des Cananéens dans Ge 34-35, des divisions et des tensions familiales etc)
J'espère plus tard pouvoir écrire sur parlafoi.fr des méditations basées sur ce livre ;)
En gros, cette partie de Genèse nous montre :
- La puissance de Dieu pour transformer un pécheur comme Jacob
- La puissance de Dieu pour Lui enseigner à dépendre entièrement de lui
- La puissance de Dieu pour se servir de gens complètement imparfaits (Jacob, trompeur, comprometteur, rusé, indépendant) pour accomplir son plan parfait
- La puissance de Dieu pour enlever les obstacles à son plan qui le rendent pourtant impossible en apparence (Abimélec qui est méchant, Laban, la vengeance d'Esaü, une extermination potentielle comme une vengeance de la part des Cananéens dans Ge 34-35, des divisions et des tensions familiales etc)
J'espère plus tard pouvoir écrire sur parlafoi.fr des méditations basées sur ce livre ;)
October 7, 2018
Excellent, enjoyable book by Iain Duguid. This author helped me understand how God uses most often broken vessels of his grace to accomplish his great purposes and his plan of salvation. This is by no means a stuffy theological book, but rather one that will captivate your attention until the very end. I highly recommend it!
March 20, 2023
This is the second book I’ve read in this series which has been excellent. A great help to see the gospel in the Old Testament text. Many practical applications that speak to our hearts. The author is very transparent even when he sees his own sinful heart in the text. Solid exegesis that’s well worth the read.
December 7, 2022
Another helpful study of Genesis from Duguid. It is devotional, pastoral, but also intellectual and academic. It would be useful to pastors in sermon preparation and to any Christian in their personal study or for small group study.
March 8, 2022
I love this author! This is a great book. “Our God delights in writing straight with a crooked pencil,” says Iain Duguid.
October 7, 2023
Excellent book with helpful insight and application for the Christian.
June 10, 2025
Great Bible study - started with Living in the Gap - Gospel of Abram, then onto this then the next to close out Genesis. Great foundation for those who do not know about the Patriarchs and formation of Israel, the 12 tribes, how Israel was established (map of the 12 tribes).
May 16, 2020
Duguid doesn't have much to say about Isaac in this book (if you want to learn some amazing lessons from Isaac's life, check out what Watchman Nee wrote in "Changed into His Likeness"!), but most of us can easily relate to Jacob's control issues, and I felt that Duguid did a fantastic job of explaining how relevant the lessons of Jacob's life are to me! I've struggled with my own spiritual ups and downs as I read this book, and as a result, this book felt extremely relevant and encouraging. As Duguid did so well in book #13 above, he helped me to repeatedly shift my focus from myself and onto Christ and His Gospel and His faithfulness and to the new covenant He has included me in! The truths I found in this book are truths I want to remind myself of every day!
December 30, 2013
In his second entry into The Gospel According to the Old Testament series, Duguid examines the lives of Isaac and Jacob. From these two men and the events of their lives, we gain understanding about the ways God chooses and preserves His people. Although these men have glaring flaws, God’s promises are never in doubt—due only to His faithfulness. Duguid has written another helpful, much-needed volume on how the Old Testament points us to Christ.
October 11, 2013
I used this while preaching through the Jacob cycle in Genesis. Living in the Grip of Grace is a solid book of sermons. Pretty straightforward, but a little dry at times. I much preferred Tim Keller's Redeemer Study on Genesis, or even Kent Hughes for homiletical help. Derek Kidner is an excellent short commentary and for fuller exploration, see commentaries by Allen Ross, Sidney Greidanus, Bruce Waltke or Leon Kass.
February 8, 2016
Currently reading this in Men's Discipleship for my church. I missed the first week, but I'm excited to read this and to meet up with the Men of Redeemer OPC in the coming weeks. I'll write a full review once I am able.
May 7, 2015
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