52 Men of the Bible review

Carl Beech has written a book for men; men who don’t have much of a faith and/or who don’t read the Bible – or much else. This contains short background notes on 52 men, faulty, complex, even dysfunctional at times; men who God used despite themselves. He starts with Adam and ends with Jesus – the only one who doesn’t fit the description in the previous sentence. With only 52 here there are possibly some notable characters missing (Elijah for one) but there are some often overlooked, yet significant (for us) characters too: The grateful man, the rich yuppie, the centurion, Caleb and Ehud, alongside giants such as Abraham, Jacob, Samson, David, Solomon and Peter. All flawed, all faulty at times, but all used by God. Beech encourages us to recognise that whoever we are, whatever we’ve done, God has a purpose for us and can use us. This might also just make reluctant men pick up and read the Bible – now that would be a result!