Daughters of the King by Melissa Deming
Jessalyn Hutto
It’s the reason why we shy away from the Old Testament, but also the reason why we underestimate the importance of what happened in the New. It’s the reason we turn our faith’s history into moralistic Sunday school lessons and at the same time the reason why we doubt the victorious promises of its future. To what theological flaw am I referring? The simple mistake of not viewing the Bible as one unified, continuing, and self-interpreting story. The importance of understanding the Word of God in this way cannot be overstated, which is why I am so thrilled that Melissa Deming’s new ebook Daughters of the King: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Story is now available.
This study–written specifically for women–is a perfect introduction to Biblical theology. In the span of 10 chapters, Melissa Deming takes her readers on a journey through the entire Bible, giving us a “birds-eye view” of the overarching and unifying theme of God’s kingdom from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. It is extremely accessible and will benefit even the newest believer who has barely begun to explore her Bible. This is perhaps one of the study’s greatest strengths and will make it a valuable tool in small group and discipleship settings. How blessed is the woman who learns early on in her Christian life to view all of the Scriptures as building up and pointing to the glorious news of the gospel! Indeed, this would be the perfect book to walk through with a new Christian. Yet, there are also many within our churches today who have much Bible knowledge, and yet lack the crucial ability to view the Word of God as unified and purposeful. They too will benefit immensely from this study.
As Melissa traces the themes of the kingdom of God through the biblical narrative, she not only gives us a vision of the incredible work of redemption being accomplished by God throughout history, but also a vision of the part we play in it. She does so by repeatedly coming back to the definition of the kingdom of God–God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule and blessing–and explaining how this definition applies to each moment in Biblical history. It is so helpful to view Scripture through this framework! While we have lost the perfect kingdom of God first created in the garden of Eden, we look forward to the day when he will usher in his new, glorious kingdom, and we will forever be with our King as his people, in his place, experiencing his perfect rule and blessing for all of eternity!
However, today we find ourselves in the in-between time where we are indeed a part of the eternal kingdom, but that kingdom has not yet been fully established. So how are we to live as members of this in-between kingdom? What does our identity as daughters of the King demand of us? Here is one of my favorite quotes from Melissa:
Throughout the biblical story, we’ve noted that part of living under God’s rule and enjoying his blessing was to fulfill the God-given role of being God’s image bearers- to be his representatives on earth. Each one of us is a representative of God through Christ. Whether you are male or female, full-time minister or servant in the pew, a mother of four or a single woman searching for God’s best, the title of Daughter of the King is a resounding call to action. A true Daughter of the King spends little time sitting idly in the privileged position of the throne room. Instead, she is out among the people representing the goodness, humility, and submissive spirit of the One she serves.
As daughters of the King, we have a powerful story to share with the rest of the World: a story about a gracious God who delights in seeking and saving the lost. But in order for us to effectively tell this story, we must have a firm grasp on its content and themes. Daughters of the King will give you just that! It will encourage your own soul as you begin to view Scripture in a more unified way and at the same time, make you more effective in communicating the gospel message to others! For these reasons I am happy to recommend this new resource to all of Desiring Virtue’s readers!
You can purchase the ebook at Melissa’s blog Hive Resources or the Kindle edition at Amazon.