I think Davis succeeds admirably in his goal. I found myself stirred up reading the book. He writes well and shows how, even though there are difficult and confusing parts of Scripture, it is not that difficult to find key truths. This is a very encouraging and helpful book.

"Dale Ralph Davis has written a wonderfully straightforward, readable book entitled, The Word Became Fresh: How to Preach from Old Testament Narrative Texts (Christian Focus; pb., 154 pp.). Davis, like Goldsworthy, laments how complicated we have sometimes made biblical interpretation and instead outlines a basic approach to careful, sensible reading which opens up the theology of Old Testament narratives. This is one of those books that makes you want to preach after reading it!"

This is vintage Dale Ralph Davis - accessible and practical scholarship in a readable and stimulating Style. The Subtitle of the book is 'How to preach from Old Testament narrative and that's exactly what Davis describes. With many examples, and that's exactly what Davis describes. With many examples, and interesting illustrations, he teaches us how to grapple honestly with what sometimes can be intimidating, difficult and uncomfortable portions of Scripture.

"Davis maintains that avoidance of difficult texts ‘gets us and nowhere and impoverishes the church'. His excellent chapter on appropriation/application includes the damming sentence: ‘ I hold a reader who does not appropriate and/or a teacher who will not apply Scripture is practising abortion on the Bible'
You may or may not want to imitate Davis Style but if you read this book you will want to lift his structures and insights straight off the page. And that is no bad thing for the church."