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Blessed Are the Unlikelies
Are you caught in the tension between wanting to do great things for God, yet finding yourself dragging through life with a dull sense of failure? Then consider Gideon, a member of a divided tribe, he was “a man unknown, and unheard of, whose occupation was to thresh corn stealthily, lest the Midianites should take it, a man thought nothing of by his own countrymen, and contemptuously overlooked by his foreign masters.” An unlikely candidate by human standards, yet Gideon was chosen by God as the instrument through which to deliver Israel.
The Bible is crammed full of stories of men and women who seemed just as people like Samson, Jephthah, Rahab, and Nebuchadnezzar.
Blessed Are the Unlikelies takes a refreshing look at these and other familiar characters, and challenges us to look beyond their shortcomings to a place where we can see how the name of God was magnified in their lives. Relying heavily on insight from the Spirit of Prophecy, the author reveals the miraculous transformation that takes place in the heart of each one.
While, deep down, we are all very aware of our own shortcomings, secret struggles and failings, Dunham reminds us that we serve a God who is not willing that any should perish. A God of mercy, love, forgiveness, and grace. A God who isn’t interested in impressive resumes or sterling character references, but in willing obedient hearts.
The Bible is crammed full of stories of men and women who seemed just as people like Samson, Jephthah, Rahab, and Nebuchadnezzar.
Blessed Are the Unlikelies takes a refreshing look at these and other familiar characters, and challenges us to look beyond their shortcomings to a place where we can see how the name of God was magnified in their lives. Relying heavily on insight from the Spirit of Prophecy, the author reveals the miraculous transformation that takes place in the heart of each one.
While, deep down, we are all very aware of our own shortcomings, secret struggles and failings, Dunham reminds us that we serve a God who is not willing that any should perish. A God of mercy, love, forgiveness, and grace. A God who isn’t interested in impressive resumes or sterling character references, but in willing obedient hearts.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2013
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May 27, 2019
The premise of this book is sound: The most unlikely of people are still loved and pursued by God, and can be saved regardless of their past. What Dunham has to say about the character of God as loving, relentless and full of grace is true. That's why this review is two stars instead of one star. The issue is that the execution of his premise is poor (see below).
1. This book is exclusively written for SDA Christians. It continuously references Adventist authors, publications and traditions, using Adventist lingo, without any explanation for the reader. It is almost inaccessible for the average person, presumably who his audience is. For example, the vast majority of his supporting sources are Ellen White and the SDA Bible Commentary. Also, a couple times in the passage, he tries to be clever and creative but only succeeds in alienating the non-SDA reader.
"Did someone send Rahab the Signs of the Times from the Palestinian press? Did she live next door to a Seventh-Day Israelite? Had someone arranged for her to take the correspondence course from the VOP (the Voice of the Prophets)?"
"Nebuchadnezzar didn't exactly grow up singing "Jesus loves me, this I know." Nor was he in Pathfinders, and he didn't go to church school or attend either Babylon Adventist Academy or Babylon Adventist University."
None of these passages would make sense to someone who wasn't raised SDA.
2. I do not have a degree in religion or ancient societies, but I found myself better educated about these things than he was. The text seemed to be poorly researched, with one of his sources that addressed ancient culture being from 1871. We have since discovered much more about ancient Israel and Mesopotamia, so there is no reason to use such outdated sources.
3. Dunham seemed to be more upset about and judgmental of women being prostitutes, men having multiple wives, people worshiping a pagan god, etc. than he was about the slaughter of the Canaanite people (including children and infants) 'by order of God', which I have always found problematic and counter to God's character.
4. He takes the time to point out that the sin of Sodom was sexual in nature, which I found unnecessary and (again) alienating to the average reader. Wasn't it enough to just say that the city was full of 'evil' people, without specifying their 'evilness', especially given the progress in LGBT+ rights in the 21st century?
5. Dunham blames Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, for her own rape, saying that she shouldn't have been friends with the women of Shechem and that because she was, she put herself in a position to be raped. To quote him, "I don't know this for sure, but I can't help but wonder if this whole sad incident didn't begin with a decision Dinah made". Enough with victim-blaming, especially by someone claiming to communicate the love and grace of God!
6. Dunham states that Rahab lying to protect the Israelite spies was just as sinful as her being a prostitute - and not in the positive, "everyone is a sinner", "no sin is worse" way. He says that a Christian must NEVER lie, not even to protect the innocent. I have huge issues with that.
7. Gideon is a "faith hero" and one I have always respected because he was outspoken and straightforward, asking God for a sign and using his brain, rather than believing the first thing he's told. He's a lot like me in that way. Dunham characterizes Gideon's challenge to God as "negative, down-in-the-mouth, whiny and really pessimistic"; this perpetuates the mindset that we must have absolute, blind faith, even when what we are told to do makes absolutely no sense and is completely counter-intuitive. Sometimes, this kind of faith produces miracles. Other times, it produces idiots.
Also, Dunham's biggest issue with Gideon was that he had multiple wives. Again, why is that the biggest issue? (See #3)
8. Dunham sarcastically criticizes the pro-choice position by using Samson's conception and later life as evidence that God has plans for people from their conception. "Clearly, Samson was on God's mind - and not only his birth, but his life and mission as well. (What is this thing about a little clump of cells, a "fetus," not being a person?)" This was an unnecessary aside - it did not further his premise. It was inappropriate and (once again!) alienating to the average person.
In conclusion, ONE quote from Dunham stood out to me as being divinely inspired and true to the character of God. Was it worth reading the entire book to find? Hell, no.
"We judge by what's on the outside; God takes into account what's inside. We form our opinions with limited knowledge; God weighs all the factors - birth, heredity, environment, upbringing - and does so righteously and justly, with an incredible love for every individual."
Too bad Dunham couldn't follow God's example and take the culture, environment and upbringing into account when judging his cast of unlikelies and addressing today's people!
1. This book is exclusively written for SDA Christians. It continuously references Adventist authors, publications and traditions, using Adventist lingo, without any explanation for the reader. It is almost inaccessible for the average person, presumably who his audience is. For example, the vast majority of his supporting sources are Ellen White and the SDA Bible Commentary. Also, a couple times in the passage, he tries to be clever and creative but only succeeds in alienating the non-SDA reader.
"Did someone send Rahab the Signs of the Times from the Palestinian press? Did she live next door to a Seventh-Day Israelite? Had someone arranged for her to take the correspondence course from the VOP (the Voice of the Prophets)?"
"Nebuchadnezzar didn't exactly grow up singing "Jesus loves me, this I know." Nor was he in Pathfinders, and he didn't go to church school or attend either Babylon Adventist Academy or Babylon Adventist University."
None of these passages would make sense to someone who wasn't raised SDA.
2. I do not have a degree in religion or ancient societies, but I found myself better educated about these things than he was. The text seemed to be poorly researched, with one of his sources that addressed ancient culture being from 1871. We have since discovered much more about ancient Israel and Mesopotamia, so there is no reason to use such outdated sources.
3. Dunham seemed to be more upset about and judgmental of women being prostitutes, men having multiple wives, people worshiping a pagan god, etc. than he was about the slaughter of the Canaanite people (including children and infants) 'by order of God', which I have always found problematic and counter to God's character.
4. He takes the time to point out that the sin of Sodom was sexual in nature, which I found unnecessary and (again) alienating to the average reader. Wasn't it enough to just say that the city was full of 'evil' people, without specifying their 'evilness', especially given the progress in LGBT+ rights in the 21st century?
5. Dunham blames Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, for her own rape, saying that she shouldn't have been friends with the women of Shechem and that because she was, she put herself in a position to be raped. To quote him, "I don't know this for sure, but I can't help but wonder if this whole sad incident didn't begin with a decision Dinah made". Enough with victim-blaming, especially by someone claiming to communicate the love and grace of God!
6. Dunham states that Rahab lying to protect the Israelite spies was just as sinful as her being a prostitute - and not in the positive, "everyone is a sinner", "no sin is worse" way. He says that a Christian must NEVER lie, not even to protect the innocent. I have huge issues with that.
7. Gideon is a "faith hero" and one I have always respected because he was outspoken and straightforward, asking God for a sign and using his brain, rather than believing the first thing he's told. He's a lot like me in that way. Dunham characterizes Gideon's challenge to God as "negative, down-in-the-mouth, whiny and really pessimistic"; this perpetuates the mindset that we must have absolute, blind faith, even when what we are told to do makes absolutely no sense and is completely counter-intuitive. Sometimes, this kind of faith produces miracles. Other times, it produces idiots.
Also, Dunham's biggest issue with Gideon was that he had multiple wives. Again, why is that the biggest issue? (See #3)
8. Dunham sarcastically criticizes the pro-choice position by using Samson's conception and later life as evidence that God has plans for people from their conception. "Clearly, Samson was on God's mind - and not only his birth, but his life and mission as well. (What is this thing about a little clump of cells, a "fetus," not being a person?)" This was an unnecessary aside - it did not further his premise. It was inappropriate and (once again!) alienating to the average person.
In conclusion, ONE quote from Dunham stood out to me as being divinely inspired and true to the character of God. Was it worth reading the entire book to find? Hell, no.
"We judge by what's on the outside; God takes into account what's inside. We form our opinions with limited knowledge; God weighs all the factors - birth, heredity, environment, upbringing - and does so righteously and justly, with an incredible love for every individual."
Too bad Dunham couldn't follow God's example and take the culture, environment and upbringing into account when judging his cast of unlikelies and addressing today's people!
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