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Leap Over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians
Leap Over a Wall is Eugene H. Peterson’s vibrant, insightful, and heartfelt exploration of one of the Bible’s most controversial figures: King David. Peterson beautifully elucidates the Old Testament’s rich depictions of David's failures and victories, recapturing their excitement and immediacy to reveal David himself as a crucially human example of how we relate to God. A vision brought to life by one of the world’s most respected and influential theologians, the author of The Pastor, The Jesus Way, Practice Resurrection, and The Message—a bestselling contemporary translation of the Bible—Leap Over a Wall is a unique opportunity to reconnect with David, a man simultaneously admirable, soulful, and dark, and one of the most complex and vital characters of the greatest story ever written.
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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1349 people want to read
About the author
Eugene H. Peterson
432 books999 followersEugene H. Peterson was a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. For many years he was James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He had written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language a contemporary translation of the Bible. After retiring from full-time teaching, Eugene and his wife Jan lived in the Big Sky Country of rural Montana. He died in October 2018.
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February 15, 2011
I've read 100% of the book Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson. Eugene Peterson is best known for his work in translating the complete Bible into a contemporary message called The Message. The book was a reflection on the life of David, specifically in the texts of 1st and 2nd Samuel in the Bible. Each chapter of the book was named a specific topic, followed by a subtitle describing a specific story of David. For example, the first chapter was named “Stories – David and Jesus”. The second chapter was named “Names – David and Samuel”, and the third chapter was named “Work – David and Saul.” Each chapter we learn about a specific characteristic of David and then a person that David interacted with somehow. Eugene takes the story and applies it to principles about every day life. The book is not a systematic exegesis of these books of the Bible but rather interpretations of them used for inspiring Christians into better living. The author is attempting to outline the life of David and show that he was a man worth intimating because of his realness. He wasn't a perfect man which was outlined in the book but he was a man who was after God's heart (the only man in the Bible who was said to do that). But the way he treated God was something that we should look up to and do as well. God was treated as God by David, not as some object or something that he compartmentalizes into his life. Overall, the book was a way to teach people spiritual qualities that David exemplified in concrete biblical examples followed by insights from daily living of Eugene Peterson.
There were many things that stood out to me in this book, but a few of them were life-changing and worth mentioning and focusing on. Firstly, God loves when we treat him like God. The story of Uzziah who died because he was so 'religious' but never really thought much of God. He was the man who was transferring the Ark of the Covenant to it's new location, when the box almost fell as a donkey stumbled into a hole, he grabbed it with his hands and immediately was struck down by God. Some people misinterpret this as God being overly angry and quick to punish which is inconsistent with the rest of his nature, but what Eugene Peterson says, and what probably is the truth, is that, along with the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who thought they could treat God in their own manner, that we do not treat God in a way that is overpowering of him. We do not control him, but he controls us. God does not want to be treated like that. He does not want to be grasped. He is the Almighty God. He is above all of that. So, do not take care of God. God takes care of you.
Secondly, a topic that David was a real dude with real sin and real problems--we can learn more about human nature and connect with him and learn about ourselves and how to accept ourselves. David wasn't some perfected saint that was all holy and something out of grasp of our imagination. David was just like you or me, not original in any of his sin. He had lust problems, he actually committed adultery and that was the downfall of his kingship. He experienced loneliness. Actually, most of his life (or a large portion of it) he spent alone in the wilderness, where he wrote the majority of his Psalms. David had anger problems, he actually killed many people! And David went through cycles of spirituality and worldiness. His downfall was when he started having pride in himself and ordering people around, directing them instead of being intimately involved in their lives, and even after that season of his life he returned back to the woods and was again humbled in the state of naturalness before God.
Another topic that I found to be beneficial was the theology about lamenting. David expressed Lamentation for his friend Jonathan when he died, as well for his King Saul, who was actually out to persecute David. Lamenting, as David expressed in the Psalm for Jonathan, was something that expressed his true heart feelings to God. Nowadays, we have a lot of psychology and secular ideas about how to deal with our emotions. We're told by psychologists to write them down and express them. We are told to think of them as apart from us and not really a part of our person, also known as separating ourselves from our emotions. There are a lot of methods to dealing with our emotions. David, on the other hand, felt like he could express his emotions truly and completely to God without holding back. He was able to feel his emotions about God completely. After writing his Psalm, he ordered other people to memorize the psalm in order to learn from the example. He expressed healthy emotions of lamenting.
Lastly, I learned that God takes time to build up his people. We hear of David learning about community in the wilderness when he is all alone. David is out in the wilderness for years at a time and he is being built up in the way that God needs him to be in order to be a good king. It is like the same thing when Moses is being built up in the desert, preparing himself by being with God before he leads people to the promise land. This gave me an understanding that God may want me to be in a powerful position for his purpose, but at the same time there is no rushing God. He might take time, as many years as he desires and thinks is right, before he sees me as ready. He could be preparing my mind, my heart, or my character, or a combination of all, before I am ready to do what he calls me to be or do. It is a similar principle that God uses the weak to display his glory and to humble the strong. He used Moses who was a stutterer in speech and built him up to be a preacher and a leader of many men. He also used David who was just a loyal humble, no-body shepherd boy and built him up to be a king. God uses the weak and takes his time to build them up to God-strengthened men.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. I am fascinated with the story of David and I want to learn more about him. This book was a great introduction and not only talked about David but introduced spiritual principles and helped me grow as a Christian. I would recommend this book to anybody who is a Christian.
There were many things that stood out to me in this book, but a few of them were life-changing and worth mentioning and focusing on. Firstly, God loves when we treat him like God. The story of Uzziah who died because he was so 'religious' but never really thought much of God. He was the man who was transferring the Ark of the Covenant to it's new location, when the box almost fell as a donkey stumbled into a hole, he grabbed it with his hands and immediately was struck down by God. Some people misinterpret this as God being overly angry and quick to punish which is inconsistent with the rest of his nature, but what Eugene Peterson says, and what probably is the truth, is that, along with the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who thought they could treat God in their own manner, that we do not treat God in a way that is overpowering of him. We do not control him, but he controls us. God does not want to be treated like that. He does not want to be grasped. He is the Almighty God. He is above all of that. So, do not take care of God. God takes care of you.
Secondly, a topic that David was a real dude with real sin and real problems--we can learn more about human nature and connect with him and learn about ourselves and how to accept ourselves. David wasn't some perfected saint that was all holy and something out of grasp of our imagination. David was just like you or me, not original in any of his sin. He had lust problems, he actually committed adultery and that was the downfall of his kingship. He experienced loneliness. Actually, most of his life (or a large portion of it) he spent alone in the wilderness, where he wrote the majority of his Psalms. David had anger problems, he actually killed many people! And David went through cycles of spirituality and worldiness. His downfall was when he started having pride in himself and ordering people around, directing them instead of being intimately involved in their lives, and even after that season of his life he returned back to the woods and was again humbled in the state of naturalness before God.
Another topic that I found to be beneficial was the theology about lamenting. David expressed Lamentation for his friend Jonathan when he died, as well for his King Saul, who was actually out to persecute David. Lamenting, as David expressed in the Psalm for Jonathan, was something that expressed his true heart feelings to God. Nowadays, we have a lot of psychology and secular ideas about how to deal with our emotions. We're told by psychologists to write them down and express them. We are told to think of them as apart from us and not really a part of our person, also known as separating ourselves from our emotions. There are a lot of methods to dealing with our emotions. David, on the other hand, felt like he could express his emotions truly and completely to God without holding back. He was able to feel his emotions about God completely. After writing his Psalm, he ordered other people to memorize the psalm in order to learn from the example. He expressed healthy emotions of lamenting.
Lastly, I learned that God takes time to build up his people. We hear of David learning about community in the wilderness when he is all alone. David is out in the wilderness for years at a time and he is being built up in the way that God needs him to be in order to be a good king. It is like the same thing when Moses is being built up in the desert, preparing himself by being with God before he leads people to the promise land. This gave me an understanding that God may want me to be in a powerful position for his purpose, but at the same time there is no rushing God. He might take time, as many years as he desires and thinks is right, before he sees me as ready. He could be preparing my mind, my heart, or my character, or a combination of all, before I am ready to do what he calls me to be or do. It is a similar principle that God uses the weak to display his glory and to humble the strong. He used Moses who was a stutterer in speech and built him up to be a preacher and a leader of many men. He also used David who was just a loyal humble, no-body shepherd boy and built him up to be a king. God uses the weak and takes his time to build them up to God-strengthened men.
Overall, I liked this book a lot. I am fascinated with the story of David and I want to learn more about him. This book was a great introduction and not only talked about David but introduced spiritual principles and helped me grow as a Christian. I would recommend this book to anybody who is a Christian.
February 21, 2013
Leap Over A Wall is a unique and fascinating study on the life of David. Throughout the book - from David and Goliath to David and Bathsheba to the death of Absalom- we learn of the humanity of David. He began as a shepherd boy, was “a man after God’s own heart,” a fugitive, a poetic writer of seventy-three Psalms, a mighty warrior, a king and a murderer. Peterson, the translator of the Message Bible, writes beautifully, even eloquently, of the many dimensions of David’s life, fleshing them out and bringing him to life. In addition he shows us that our lives are like David’s. In telling of David’s decade in a real wilderness he compares this to circumstantial wildernesses we face when our lives are out of control. He says:
“This circumstantial wilderness is a terribly frightening and dangerous place; but I also believe it’s a place of beauty. There are things to be seen, heard and experienced in the wilderness that can be seen, heard and experienced no where else. When we find ourselves in the wilderness we do well to be frightened; we also do well to be alert, open-eyed. In the wilderness we’re plunged into danger and death; at the very same moment we’re plunged, if we let ourselves be, into an awareness of the great mystery of God and the extraordinary preciousness of life.” Pg.74
Toward the end of the book Peterson says:
“David’s morals and manners left a lot to be desired....These are narrated as conditions that we share. They aren’t narrated to legitimize bad behavior but are set down as proof that we don’t first become good and then get God. first we get God-and then, over a patient lifetime, we’re trained in God’s ways.” Pg 216
Though this book was published in 1997 it is a timeless and excellent book for studying and learning from the life of David. I found this book in my church library.
“This circumstantial wilderness is a terribly frightening and dangerous place; but I also believe it’s a place of beauty. There are things to be seen, heard and experienced in the wilderness that can be seen, heard and experienced no where else. When we find ourselves in the wilderness we do well to be frightened; we also do well to be alert, open-eyed. In the wilderness we’re plunged into danger and death; at the very same moment we’re plunged, if we let ourselves be, into an awareness of the great mystery of God and the extraordinary preciousness of life.” Pg.74
Toward the end of the book Peterson says:
“David’s morals and manners left a lot to be desired....These are narrated as conditions that we share. They aren’t narrated to legitimize bad behavior but are set down as proof that we don’t first become good and then get God. first we get God-and then, over a patient lifetime, we’re trained in God’s ways.” Pg 216
Though this book was published in 1997 it is a timeless and excellent book for studying and learning from the life of David. I found this book in my church library.
October 30, 2016
Peterson does it again. This guy is one of my favorite authors. His style can be a bit slow, but highly rewarding. It's like following a leisurely driver. The impatient reader can get a little antsy, but if you hang in there this guy can lead ya to some of the greatest sights. I'll go 10 pages and nothing pops. Just gentle and relatively uneventful (yet beautiful) prose. And then Peterson takes a turn, and, all of a sudden, you're traveling down one of the most breathtaking roads you've ever seen. And he never seems to get too excited about it, but you can see a gleam in his eye all the while. He knows he has important things to say. He just never gets too hasty about it. And true to his philosophy, he assures his reader the journey is just as important as the destination. A true prophet for those who will have ears to hear.
December 28, 2022
BIG FAN OF EUGENE PETERSON.
I am always so deeply moved by Eugene Peterson's writing and this is no exception. Leap Over A Wall focuses on the life of David from start to finish. There were times when I would read a chapter and go... "Wait, that's in the Bible?!" And then there were times when I would read a chapter and go, "I have read this passage so many times and I have never considered this."
If you are looking for a technical commentary, keep looking. But if you are looking for a man who loves the Scriptures and his congregation so much that he chooses to write a pastoral commentary on the life of David... this book is for you.
I am always so deeply moved by Eugene Peterson's writing and this is no exception. Leap Over A Wall focuses on the life of David from start to finish. There were times when I would read a chapter and go... "Wait, that's in the Bible?!" And then there were times when I would read a chapter and go, "I have read this passage so many times and I have never considered this."
If you are looking for a technical commentary, keep looking. But if you are looking for a man who loves the Scriptures and his congregation so much that he chooses to write a pastoral commentary on the life of David... this book is for you.
December 12, 2015
This is one of my final reads of the year, and I think perhaps the best. The insight Peterson brings into the David story is remarkable. It felt like each chapter was a beautifully crafted narrative sermon on the different scenes in David's life. Highly devotional, challenging, and ripe. He breaks down David's life scene by scene, and as a reader you travel from the fields of sheep in 1 Samuel 16 to the great king's deathbed in 1 Kings 2. On the way you get acquainted with (outside of Jesus) the preeminent character in all of Scripture. David is not a model. He is a human being, most fully human in his relationship with God. David does not show us how to live, he shows us how we live. Peterson's study of David is a great book study for a discipleship group, a challenging personal devotional, or a good read for a doctoral class on Old Testament narrative preaching (my purpose for reading it). Highly recommended.
November 22, 2017
This is Peterson's take on the life of David. All that you expect from Peterson - beautiful writing, thoughtful meditations, deep application. The main thrust here is that spirituality does not diminish our humanity but actually enlivens it. That to be fully human is to be fully centered on God. Peterson does believe in a sanctified use of the imagination, so some of his speculations which fill the gaps in the biblical narrative may seem farfetched. However, more often than not, they bring out the depth and nuances of what is in the text. Food for the soul that has been well-prepared and tastes great.
November 1, 2016
I love Eugene Peterson's books and I love to hear him speak. He's gentle and pastoral and REFRESHING. This book was SO GOOD... but I had to get about halfway through it before I started to get a good feel for the way it all hangs together. The last few chapters alone are worth the price of the book. I finished it, but I'm going back over several chapters because I want to remember these things. My copy is now marked up and heavily dog-eared. That's the sign of a great book! If the Bible is feeling stale to you or you're looking for a way to read it with new eyes, Peterson is very helpful. Highly recommend.
November 3, 2016
This is a great book for normal people facing life, working and living without reality tv coverage of their every decision. David was a man who killed people for a living, but he wrote great psalms and walked with God. Peterson translates David's life into an encouraging litany for everyday people, complete with ups and downs. Peterson also clarifies why the absence of lament from American society has led to increased depression and addiction. Quite an interesting read for a psych nurse. Thank you, Pastor P.
October 3, 2021
Perhaps no one in the Old Testament is honored more than King David. Afterall, he slew the evil Goliath as a young boy and gave us the beautiful Psalms. He loved God with all his heart. That’s what we learned when we were kids. Later on as adults we learned how he killed Bathsheba’s husband so he could sleep with her, and he had one of his sons killed (not to mention other heinous deeds). Really bad stuff. So how do we reconcile these two aspects of David? Is he a good man or a bad man? In today’s world we like to think of things in black and white terms. It’s just easier. But is it true? It is said that David is arguably the most fully human character in the Bible. He represents all of us with all our good and evil sides.
Esteemed theologian Eugene Peterson takes the reader through David’s life, warts and all, using a series of themes, such as: friendship, sanctuary, wilderness, grace, generosity, love, sin, suffering, and death. Twenty chapters and themes showing us how God worked in David’s life in dark times as well as light, giving hope to all us sinners out there. In each chapter we can see ourselves.
I read this book with my women’s church group. We read one chapter a week, and that was plenty. There is a lot to talk about in each theme.
Peterson is so down to earth that, despite heavy themes, he is very easy to read. I highly recommend Leap Over a Wall: Earthly Spirituality for Everyday Christians. And despite the word “Christian” in the title, I believe it is good reading for any human who believes in an involved God.
Esteemed theologian Eugene Peterson takes the reader through David’s life, warts and all, using a series of themes, such as: friendship, sanctuary, wilderness, grace, generosity, love, sin, suffering, and death. Twenty chapters and themes showing us how God worked in David’s life in dark times as well as light, giving hope to all us sinners out there. In each chapter we can see ourselves.
I read this book with my women’s church group. We read one chapter a week, and that was plenty. There is a lot to talk about in each theme.
Peterson is so down to earth that, despite heavy themes, he is very easy to read. I highly recommend Leap Over a Wall: Earthly Spirituality for Everyday Christians. And despite the word “Christian” in the title, I believe it is good reading for any human who believes in an involved God.
March 12, 2025
This book breaks down David from a the kingly figure in the Bible to a very human person. A person who has relationships with other people. Each chapter examines his relationship with a person and what that reveals about David’s character and about his relationship with his God. David was not a perfect man, but he was “a man after God’s own heart.” He stands as a figure we can learn from, in both his mistakes and actions. Eugene Peterson does a good job putting David on a pedestal and under the microscope. This book was easy to read and gives you a lot to think about the life of David and the parallels between King David and the King of Kings, Jesus.
February 5, 2022
I've been re-reading this, because it is so good.
Peterson draws wisdom from the stories of David, and applies that wisdom to the issues and problems of living a contemporary Christian life.
I especially love the chapter on David assuming "kingwork," where Peterson says, "For David, serving was in itself ruling. The servant was simultaneously king . . . All true work combines these two elements of serving and ruling. Ruling is what we do; serving is the way we do it. There's true sovereignty in all good work. There's no way to exercise it rightly other than by serving."
Amen.
Peterson draws wisdom from the stories of David, and applies that wisdom to the issues and problems of living a contemporary Christian life.
I especially love the chapter on David assuming "kingwork," where Peterson says, "For David, serving was in itself ruling. The servant was simultaneously king . . . All true work combines these two elements of serving and ruling. Ruling is what we do; serving is the way we do it. There's true sovereignty in all good work. There's no way to exercise it rightly other than by serving."
Amen.
August 24, 2025
My Hebrew professor gave me this book when I won the Kahoot review session on our last day of class:)
I love the way that Eugene Peterson explores not just the well-known stories of David but the lesser known ones as well. He strikes the perfect balance of being both scholarly and pastoral as the life of David is connected to our experiences today. This book gives me the feeling that you'll get something different out of it each time you read it. I look forward to my inevitable re-read in another stage of life to see what more I can glean from the life of David.
I love the way that Eugene Peterson explores not just the well-known stories of David but the lesser known ones as well. He strikes the perfect balance of being both scholarly and pastoral as the life of David is connected to our experiences today. This book gives me the feeling that you'll get something different out of it each time you read it. I look forward to my inevitable re-read in another stage of life to see what more I can glean from the life of David.
January 17, 2024
Solid, thoughtful, insightful, a great encouragement. A collection of Peterson's sermons on David. It was useful for me in this season, and I particularly liked his emphasis on how David, as essential of a Bible character as he is, never had anything really "supernatural" happen to him. His life was much like our lives - very "earthy".
Because it's a collection of sermons, it is best read like a devotional book - one at a time, not a few chapters at a time.
Because it's a collection of sermons, it is best read like a devotional book - one at a time, not a few chapters at a time.
July 18, 2020
Read this over a number of mornings and always looked forward to it.
A few chapters stood out to me as particularly insightful and interesting but I don’t have the book to hand so can’t remember which ones. I think the one on the wilderness and beauty were particularly good.
Real life Christianity brought to life through great retelling of classic stories. All about David, who lived out his calling in a subversively God-focussed way.
Good job Eugene
A few chapters stood out to me as particularly insightful and interesting but I don’t have the book to hand so can’t remember which ones. I think the one on the wilderness and beauty were particularly good.
Real life Christianity brought to life through great retelling of classic stories. All about David, who lived out his calling in a subversively God-focussed way.
Good job Eugene
March 22, 2024
Sitting with Eugene through various Davidic stories has been a nice change of pace for my recent reading. Hearing the stories and then learning the Psalm(s) connected to that story have been my favorite part.
September 20, 2025
Characteristically personal, insightful, allusive, and full of grace. I like Peterson's very storied approach to David's life and how well he draws in various psalms. It's also has fairly short chapters and is quite easy to read (compared to some of this other stuff). Very enriching.
April 14, 2022
He had many good things to say. I hope to remember some of them!
September 30, 2024
This is one of those books I will want to read every year.
May 11, 2025
Amazing intermingling of the key events of David's life in story interwoven masterfully with theology.
March 26, 2021
This book gives an in-depth look at the life of David. How encouraging to know that God uses unlikely people, people who have failed. That we can return to God and not be disqualified from God's kingdom.
October 19, 2008
Recalling the magic of listening to the narratives from his story telling mother, Peterson gives us permission to tell our story and weave our life-tale into the chronicle of God’s work. The David story is the basis for connecting the Most High God to our human and earthy lives in this book of identification and encouragement. The David story provides us with a context to understand our own lives, our humanity and how God shapes us. The license of Peterson’s mother in embellishing and bringing to life the account of David is sanctioned by identifying David’s own narrative license in describing how God created the world in the Psalms of the poet. We are encouraged to enter the story ourselves.
Twenty David stories are used by Peterson to show how the Holy Spirit keeps us aware and responsive to the hand of God in our lives. The humanness of David heightens our attentiveness to the evil that weakens and destroys us. By entering these stories and finding ourselves in them, we gain understanding on our own human condition and God’s hand in shaping us.
The story of David and Goliath is identified by Peterson a pivotal point in human history. It is a point of choosing between two human ways or God’s way. It is about embracing the salvation of God in the midst of our human condition. This well known tale is a reminder to us of the ever pervading God ready to intervene and save us from our own destruction. The story is indicative of the lessons that Peterson provides as he invites us to write our own mark in the chronicle of God and His creation.
Twenty David stories are used by Peterson to show how the Holy Spirit keeps us aware and responsive to the hand of God in our lives. The humanness of David heightens our attentiveness to the evil that weakens and destroys us. By entering these stories and finding ourselves in them, we gain understanding on our own human condition and God’s hand in shaping us.
The story of David and Goliath is identified by Peterson a pivotal point in human history. It is a point of choosing between two human ways or God’s way. It is about embracing the salvation of God in the midst of our human condition. This well known tale is a reminder to us of the ever pervading God ready to intervene and save us from our own destruction. The story is indicative of the lessons that Peterson provides as he invites us to write our own mark in the chronicle of God and His creation.
March 27, 2014
We used this book, based on the life of David, to structure our discussions for the college ministry I worked with this spring. Each week we focused on a section of David's story and were often able to use Peterson's book to get ideas and identify the main thrust of the passage.
It was a quick read, once I sat down and decided to finish it, and Peterson has some great insights about some of the lesser-known parts of David's story. He does a great job of connecting it with the larger story of the Bible, and the ways that David's story in some way foreshadows Jesus' redemption in the New Testament. The accompanying study guide was helpful to spark ideas for our weekly discussions, and would also work well in a small-group setting.
It was a quick read, once I sat down and decided to finish it, and Peterson has some great insights about some of the lesser-known parts of David's story. He does a great job of connecting it with the larger story of the Bible, and the ways that David's story in some way foreshadows Jesus' redemption in the New Testament. The accompanying study guide was helpful to spark ideas for our weekly discussions, and would also work well in a small-group setting.
December 27, 2013
It's been a while since I've read a "Christian" book, but this was fantastic. Definitely the best book on David I've ever read. "Earthy Spirituality" is the perfect subtitle for it. Peterson shows how David is made fully human by both his spiritual walk with God and his failings. Although, on the note of failings, the one area I wished he'd have addressed more was in David's decision to take multiple wives. It was, of course, just a part of the culture then--especially expected of a king; but I do believe this was part of David's life unraveling a bit towards the end (e.g.--problems with Absalom). But I digress. The book is brilliant, in my humble opinion.
December 15, 2016
I love books that help illuminate scripture and make me see it in a new way. Peterson has done that by following the life of David through 1st and 2nd Samuel.
Did you know that in all of David's life - from his boyhood to his death - the Bible never records any miracles? That's what makes his life so interesting for us - how do we interact with God as normal human beings? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be "spiritual"? God gave us the story of David to answer some of these questions, and Peterson is a fantastic guide.
Did you know that in all of David's life - from his boyhood to his death - the Bible never records any miracles? That's what makes his life so interesting for us - how do we interact with God as normal human beings? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be "spiritual"? God gave us the story of David to answer some of these questions, and Peterson is a fantastic guide.
February 19, 2013
I've studied and read this book completely for school and it was such an engaging and marvelous read. The chapters helped to jumpstart wonderful conversations and provided thought-provoking ideas to consider. I enjoyed this book immensely and have included a few of the concepts and reflection in an upcoming publication.
November 5, 2016
I read this book (non-fiction) by a Christian Man along with The Secret Chord (fiction) by a Jewish Woman. Both about the Life of David
December 18, 2024
Eugene Peterson wrote a masterpiece in Leap Over A Wall. Taking us through the life of David, the longest and most in-depth narrative/story about one person in the Bible, he shows us what it looks like to walk with God in practical ways. What to David was following after God is to us living in Christ. His subtitle for the book is “earthy spirituality for everyday Christians.” He defines these terms this way:
-earthy: down-to-earth, dealing with everydayness, praying while doing laundry, singing in the snarl of traffic.
-spiritual: moved and animated by the Spirit of God and therefore alive to God.
Just about every scene of David’s life is retold— sometimes with poetic license— and then examined. Each chapter begins with a reference for the scene to be looked at, as well as a brief passage from the gospels that relates to the following scene.
Themes such as king-work, imagination, friendship, grief, love, theology, sin, and more are explored in the context of David’s relationships— David + Samuel, Saul, Doeg, Bathsheba, Absalom, etc. Peterson somehow fleshes out each story in vivid, practical ways. He helps us see David in ourselves, and therefore God’s work in ourselves. We see a real human in his sin, joy, passion, triumph, and suffering. We get to see how God deals with him in all of this. And we get a fresh look at some parts of the story which we may not have considered before.
This book is a new favorite. I’ll definitely be reading this again!
5 ⭐️
Note: He primarily uses his version, The Message throughout the book. I really enjoy his writing, but I do not enjoy The Message. However, there was so much gold in this book that I ended up feeling like the version didn’t take away from the rest of the book.
There are so many wonderful quotes, and I’ll include a few of them here:
“By means of stories we develop an imagination that can recognize and explore the tensions between good and evil, love and hate, acceptance and rejection. The world is a dangerous and fearsome place: the story of Goldilocks gets us acquainted with such dark realities. The way the people closest to us treat us isn't always the truth of our lives: the story of Cinderella opens up possibilities we hadn't guessed were there. Our first impressions of what we like and dislike are often quite wrong:
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham prepares us for surprising reversals on what we think we like and don't like. Clearly, the stories that tell us what the world means are as essential to our growing up as the toys that show us how the world works.”
“Friendship is a much underestimated aspect of spiritualicy. I's every bit as significant as prayer and fasting. Like the sacramental use of water and bread and wine, friendship takes what's common in human experience and turns it into something holy.”
“There's a long tradition in the Christian life, most developed in Eastern Orthodoxy, of honoring beauty as a witness to God and a call to prayer?
Beauty is never only what our senses report to us but always also a sign of what's just beyond our senses— an innerness and depth. There's more to beauty than we can account for empirically. In that more and beyond we discern God. Artists who wake up our jaded senses and help us attend to these matters are gospel evangelists.”
“One of the supreme ironies of our age is that the society that has talked and written most about the fulfillment of the self shows the least evidence of it. People obsessed with the cultivation of the self have nothing to show for it but a cult of selfishness. A few generations of economic affluence, political liberation, and religious freedom have fowered into obesity, anxiety, and meanness. Happily, there are numerous exceptions; still, the generalizations are plausible. Our world is splendidly filled with glorious things and a glorious gospel but appallingly diminished in persons who celebrate them with passion and share them with compassion. We're not the first generation to do this.
Augustine looked at the world around him and acerbically observed that his parishioners were ‘more pained if their villa is poor than if their life is bad’.”
“We’re never wholly ourselves until we’re open before God, attending to the reality of God, responding to the action of God in us, receiving the word of God for us. Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God. Worship is the time and place that we assign for deliberate attentiveness to God— not because he's confined to time and place but because our self-importance is so insidiously relentless that if we don't deliberately interrupt ourselves regularly, we have no chance of attending to him at all at other times and in other places.”
-earthy: down-to-earth, dealing with everydayness, praying while doing laundry, singing in the snarl of traffic.
-spiritual: moved and animated by the Spirit of God and therefore alive to God.
Just about every scene of David’s life is retold— sometimes with poetic license— and then examined. Each chapter begins with a reference for the scene to be looked at, as well as a brief passage from the gospels that relates to the following scene.
Themes such as king-work, imagination, friendship, grief, love, theology, sin, and more are explored in the context of David’s relationships— David + Samuel, Saul, Doeg, Bathsheba, Absalom, etc. Peterson somehow fleshes out each story in vivid, practical ways. He helps us see David in ourselves, and therefore God’s work in ourselves. We see a real human in his sin, joy, passion, triumph, and suffering. We get to see how God deals with him in all of this. And we get a fresh look at some parts of the story which we may not have considered before.
This book is a new favorite. I’ll definitely be reading this again!
5 ⭐️
Note: He primarily uses his version, The Message throughout the book. I really enjoy his writing, but I do not enjoy The Message. However, there was so much gold in this book that I ended up feeling like the version didn’t take away from the rest of the book.
There are so many wonderful quotes, and I’ll include a few of them here:
“By means of stories we develop an imagination that can recognize and explore the tensions between good and evil, love and hate, acceptance and rejection. The world is a dangerous and fearsome place: the story of Goldilocks gets us acquainted with such dark realities. The way the people closest to us treat us isn't always the truth of our lives: the story of Cinderella opens up possibilities we hadn't guessed were there. Our first impressions of what we like and dislike are often quite wrong:
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham prepares us for surprising reversals on what we think we like and don't like. Clearly, the stories that tell us what the world means are as essential to our growing up as the toys that show us how the world works.”
“Friendship is a much underestimated aspect of spiritualicy. I's every bit as significant as prayer and fasting. Like the sacramental use of water and bread and wine, friendship takes what's common in human experience and turns it into something holy.”
“There's a long tradition in the Christian life, most developed in Eastern Orthodoxy, of honoring beauty as a witness to God and a call to prayer?
Beauty is never only what our senses report to us but always also a sign of what's just beyond our senses— an innerness and depth. There's more to beauty than we can account for empirically. In that more and beyond we discern God. Artists who wake up our jaded senses and help us attend to these matters are gospel evangelists.”
“One of the supreme ironies of our age is that the society that has talked and written most about the fulfillment of the self shows the least evidence of it. People obsessed with the cultivation of the self have nothing to show for it but a cult of selfishness. A few generations of economic affluence, political liberation, and religious freedom have fowered into obesity, anxiety, and meanness. Happily, there are numerous exceptions; still, the generalizations are plausible. Our world is splendidly filled with glorious things and a glorious gospel but appallingly diminished in persons who celebrate them with passion and share them with compassion. We're not the first generation to do this.
Augustine looked at the world around him and acerbically observed that his parishioners were ‘more pained if their villa is poor than if their life is bad’.”
“We’re never wholly ourselves until we’re open before God, attending to the reality of God, responding to the action of God in us, receiving the word of God for us. Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God. Worship is the time and place that we assign for deliberate attentiveness to God— not because he's confined to time and place but because our self-importance is so insidiously relentless that if we don't deliberately interrupt ourselves regularly, we have no chance of attending to him at all at other times and in other places.”
April 9, 2021
"Wonderful things happen in sanctuaries. On the run we stop at a holy place and find that there's more to life than our circumstances and feelings indicate at that moment. We perceive God in and around and beneath us. New life surges up within us. We discover a piece of our lives we had thought long gone restored to us, remember an early call of God, a place of prayer, a piece of evidence that GOd saves. And now, there it is again: "There is none like that; give it to me." We leave restored, revived, redeemed. But terrible things also happen in sanctuaries. We can use a religious ritual to insulate ourselves from people we have come to despise. We can stop by a holy place to cultivate a sense of superiority, look for a way to acquire an advantage over the competition, or legitimize our hate and meanness with the authority of religion. And then we leave callous, cold, and conniving. Every time we enter a holy place and become aware of the presence of a holy God, we leave either better or worse. If we come to separate ourselves from common people and things, we will almost certainly leave worse. We will leave, as Doeg did, ready to impose our notion of right on someone else, forcing our idea of God on another, full of indignation, crusading in a holy war. But if we enter hungry and needy, letting ourselves be vulnerable before God, bluntly, even belligerently, asking for what we need, we will almost certainly leave better. We will leave, as David did, grateful to be simply alive, amazed to know that God is with us, that the most holy sacrament is food for our most everyday needs."
I loved this book. Eugene has a way with words and it was an absolute treasure to go through the life of David being led by Peterson. He takes us through David's life story by story, moment by moment, highs and lows, the seemingly significant and the seemingly insignificant to show the reader that the life of David is all about being human. David shows us what humanity looks like. He is not one to aspire to be like, he is one to lead us to the feet of Jesus recognizing we are never enough but Jesus is.
I loved this book. Eugene has a way with words and it was an absolute treasure to go through the life of David being led by Peterson. He takes us through David's life story by story, moment by moment, highs and lows, the seemingly significant and the seemingly insignificant to show the reader that the life of David is all about being human. David shows us what humanity looks like. He is not one to aspire to be like, he is one to lead us to the feet of Jesus recognizing we are never enough but Jesus is.
February 14, 2025
My golly, this book was incredible. It's absolutely a contender for my book of the year in 2025. And it's not a book I expected to be this good by any means. I've never even heard of it before! Not until one of my mentors and pastors David Miller recommended we go through it together.
But one thing I will say is that Eugene Peterson is becoming one of my new favorite authors. I mean, I've only read two books of his and both of them belong in my all-time favorites list for books. I'd even say this one is better than "The Pastor!"
For me, what I like is that his writing style is very poetic, and even though it takes a while to really start cooking as he writes in prose, it's all to set up some of the most powerful and impactful moments in the book – and trust me, each chapter is full of them. It's elegant, intentional, and truly a beautiful look at what it means to be truly human.
He highlights different stories from the life of David, whether it be characters in the story, or places, or even just moments like David's anointing, him becoming king, his sin-struggles, and his death.
And his description of the other characters in David's story is also right on point. He goes beneath the surface and challenges you to look at the story in a deeper, more human lens. To me, I think "Leap Over a Wall" is the way the David story should be read and understood. I think whenever I preach a series on the life of David, this will be my first and most important resource I use for it.
My favorite chapters are Stories (David and Jesus); Beauty (David and Abigail); Grief (David in Lament); Sin (David and Bathsheba); Theology (David and God); and Death (David and Abishag).
Highly, HIGHLY recommend this read. One of the best devotionals I've ever read.
Rating: 9.5/10, five stars!
But one thing I will say is that Eugene Peterson is becoming one of my new favorite authors. I mean, I've only read two books of his and both of them belong in my all-time favorites list for books. I'd even say this one is better than "The Pastor!"
For me, what I like is that his writing style is very poetic, and even though it takes a while to really start cooking as he writes in prose, it's all to set up some of the most powerful and impactful moments in the book – and trust me, each chapter is full of them. It's elegant, intentional, and truly a beautiful look at what it means to be truly human.
He highlights different stories from the life of David, whether it be characters in the story, or places, or even just moments like David's anointing, him becoming king, his sin-struggles, and his death.
And his description of the other characters in David's story is also right on point. He goes beneath the surface and challenges you to look at the story in a deeper, more human lens. To me, I think "Leap Over a Wall" is the way the David story should be read and understood. I think whenever I preach a series on the life of David, this will be my first and most important resource I use for it.
My favorite chapters are Stories (David and Jesus); Beauty (David and Abigail); Grief (David in Lament); Sin (David and Bathsheba); Theology (David and God); and Death (David and Abishag).
Highly, HIGHLY recommend this read. One of the best devotionals I've ever read.
Rating: 9.5/10, five stars!
February 9, 2020
Jesus was often called the Son of David as well as the Son of God. I never really understood the former (except for the lineage aspect) until I read this marvellous exploration of David's life. Peterson, in his wonderfully inclusive manner, reveals to us David's humanity, his strengths, weaknesses and everything in between. In so doing he draws us into the David story but also draws Jesus, the man, into it as well. Jesus was fully human and fully God, a mystery that we'll never fully understand until we sit down for a cuppa with Him, and in David's humanity we see some reflections of Jesus, the man. Certainly, Jesus never succumbed to temptation like David did and we do, but in the struggles, in the victories and in the humility we get a picture of Jesus.
This is a tremendous commentary, come-devotional, that is so enjoyable to read. The experience is heightened by working through the accompanying but separate Study Guide of the same title. The chapters marry up in both and allow you to soak in Peterson's reflections and challenges you to respond to the key aspects of the chapter from a personal perspective.
The book steps through the two books of Samuel and ends with the King's death in 1 Kings but also Peterson looks at the relevant Psalms that David wrote in each section.
If you're wanting to learn more about David then grab both books. This is top shelf Biblical teaching.
This is a tremendous commentary, come-devotional, that is so enjoyable to read. The experience is heightened by working through the accompanying but separate Study Guide of the same title. The chapters marry up in both and allow you to soak in Peterson's reflections and challenges you to respond to the key aspects of the chapter from a personal perspective.
The book steps through the two books of Samuel and ends with the King's death in 1 Kings but also Peterson looks at the relevant Psalms that David wrote in each section.
If you're wanting to learn more about David then grab both books. This is top shelf Biblical teaching.
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