As with his first book, there are many suggestions Skousen makes that really make the reader ponder about the scriptures. Other suggestions he makes do not hold as much weight in my opinion. For example, in the story of David and Bathsheba, Skousen suggests David was trying to hide his sin for Bathsheba's sake. I don't buy that for a second. Any person would have a really hard time convincing me that David wasn't just trying to cover his own tail.
Other parts of this book were extremely rewarding and fascinating. Perhaps one of my favorite parts was the story of Jonah and the whale (Skousen uses good arguments to show it was a whale as Jesus said, and not just a "big fish"). Before going into Jonah's story, the author recounts a true story about a whaler who was swallowed whole by a whale and survived for two days before he was rescued.
I also highly appreciated Skousen's efforts to help the reader keep track of the chronology of the Old Testament. Not only did he help clarify what was happening in both the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel, but he also does his best to help us know when the various prophets conducted their ministries. It was neat for me to learn who was a contemporary with whom.
I have heard differing arguments about Skousen. Some people say that some of his ideas are "out there." While I do not agree with all of his conclusions, I still found this series to be a wonderful enlightening read and it certainly encourages the reader to examine the scriptures more closely. For that reason alone I would recommend reading these books by Skousen.
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