Here is an interview with Phil Ryken about James Montgomery Boice, the author of The Life of Moses: God’s First Deliverer of Israel. 
- Can you share any fond memories of your time with Boice?
Jim Boice was always a huge encouragement to me in ministry, especially by affirming my gift for preaching and giving me the freedom to grow into wider leadership responsibilities. One of my favorite memories is gathering with him and other members of our pastoral staff for the last time in order to sing some of his favorite hymns, including ones that he had written. His confidence in Christ and joy in worship were strong through his last days.
- Do you have a favorite sermon from Boice?
One of Dr. Boice’s strongest gifts was his ability to preach faithful, compelling, edifying sermons on a weekly basis. The strength of his ministry did not rest on a handful of exceptional sermons, but on consistently excellent preaching over the course of a life in ministry. That said, I still love his sermon “This People, This Place,” in which he called the congregation of Tenth Presbyterian Church to embrace its calling to the City of Philadelphia. I also love his sermon on the Pharisee and the Publican, in which he connected the publican’s prayer to the mercy seat in the temple. But his most memorable message was his short farewell address to the people of Tenth Church, when—as a dying man—he grounded his own experience of suffering in the cross of Christ and affirmed his absolute and enduring faith in the sovereignty of God.
- Is there anything the reader should know about Boice before reading this book?
By far the most important thing to know about James Montgomery Boice is his consistent commitment to the Bible as the Word of God, which he sought to communicate clearly in every sermon he ever preached and every book he ever wrote. With respect to this particular book it is also helpful to know that as a spiritual leader, Dr. Boice was a lot like Moses: willing to serve God’s people faithfully over a lifetime in ministry. I see the two men as kindred spirits, which gives Dr. Boice’s exposition of the life of Moses special credibility and applicability.
- What should the reader expect to take away from this book?
This book covers the broad sweep of Moses’s life and ministry—not just in the Book of Exodus, but also in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. But it is more about the God of Moses than it is about Moses himself, which makes it a book for all of us.
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