I read this little book, by Andrew Jukes, almost 30 years ago. I remember it as, at the time, one of the most profound and spiritual books I had ever read. It made the Old Testament, particularly the Book of Leviticus, applicable to my daily life and walk as a Christian. It opened to the eyes of my understanding many an obscure passage. It made me hunger more and to be more thirsty for righteousness. It was a book I so treasured that I still have the same copy I read almost 30 years ago on my shelf today; and, as I was reading this morning from Leviticus, my thoughts went back to the book, and I pulled it down from the shelf to peruse its contents once again.
There is a decent review of the book here.
You can read this book online here and here.
My copy looks like the one pictured on the left. The note inside the front cover indicates that I purchased it in 1985, in El Paso. That was when we were stationed at the
White Sands Missile Range. There was a bookstore in El Paso, an hour's drive away, that I used to visit every chance I got. I discovered
Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' books there, too.
One of my memories associated with this book is being laughed at for reading it. There was a young man (about my own age, at the time, or perhaps a couple of years younger) at our church who had just recently graduated from
Hyles-Anderson College. He was about to 'go into the ministry,' as they say, and, wanting to be an encouragement to him, I suggested that he read this book. I even offered to let him borrow my copy. But he laughed at me and as much as said that he no longer had any time for books. His unspoken meaning was that he had no time for books which were not recommended by Hyles-Anderson College, which was too bad. The young man fancied himself so smart, but he had no idea, not even a clue, what he was turning down. It couldn't be helped, but, consequently, I developed a rather low opinion of the young man, who I never saw again, and of Hyles-Anderson College. I did have occasion in later years to cross paths with others from the school, but my opinion of it, as a Christian institution, has never changed.
To that young man about to enter upon the ministry of enlightening others, Mr. Jukes might have said, as he had already spoken to me,
"The real secret of our difficulty is that we know so little, and, what is worse, we do not know our ignorance. And the natural pride of our hearts, which does not like to confess our ignorance, or to go through the deep searchings of should which attend learning and abiding in God's presence, excuses itself under the plea that thee things are not important, or, at least, non-essential." (1)
And again ...
"The low standard of truth in the church, making the possession of eternal life the end instead of the beginning of the Christian's course, has led many to think that if they have, or can at least obtain, this life, it is enough. But these are not God's thoughts." (2)
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1. p. 16.
2. p. 17.
You'd think that with all the books I already have, I wouldn't be purchasing any more. But if you really thought that way it would only prove that you do not yet understand books, or reading, or me. My family and close acquaintances have long since quit getting me anything for my birthdays or for Christmas except for gift cards at bookstores, like Barnes and Noble's. This year they even got me one of those pre-paid Visa cards so I could shop at my favorite online, second-hand bookstore, Abe Books. So I'm anxiously awaiting the mailman's delivery of this year's haul; and, as you can see, I've opted for something besides military history.
