New Book by Tim Clinton, ‘Take It Back,’ Explores Reclaiming Biblical Manhood for the Sake of Marriage, Family and Culture
LYNCHBURG, VA.—Around 970 BC, as King David’s time on earth was drawing to a close, his son, Solomon, was waiting, listening and grieving by his father’s side. Of all the things David could have said to his son, he began with: “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.”
David, the giant-slayer, the warrior-king and a man after God’s own heart, knew that effective leadership began with the foundation of being a man.
In their forthcoming book, “Take It Back: Reclaiming Biblical Manhood for the Sake of Marriage, Family, and Culture,” Dr. Tim Clinton and Max Davis write that the type of manhood David was talking about didn’t simply happen as a result of testosterone and the ability to wield a sword.
It’s all about God’s definition of manhood, not man’s definition.
“King Saul before David possessed these human qualities, but he was not a man after God’s heart,” Clinton says. “He had the physical statute, was charismatic, handsome and a great warrior, but he let his ego pride, and self-sufficiency lead to his fall. Saul had many ‘toxic’ characteristics and behaviors that were not repented of and submitted to God.
“David, on the other hand, was talking to his son, Solomon, about a manhood that was to be proven by godly character,” Clinton adds. “In short, proving himself a man meant Solomon was to embrace God’s definition of manhood and to be strong in the face of adversity. David understood that Israel’s many enemies, from without and within, would be launching full-frontal attacks against them. Solomon was to man-up by making godly choices. To lead efficiently, he needed to see God as his source, not his own strength.”
David understood that as Israel’s new leader, Solomon, would need to take a stand, leading the people in keeping God’s ways. His leadership of Israel, however, had to begin with his own personal integrity before God. David’s deathbed exhortation continued to his son: “And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”
According to David, Clinton says, Solomon proving himself a man and being an effective leader, started with embracing God’s plan and walking in His ways. David related authentic manhood to serving God.
“The same is true today,” Clinton writes. “For men to impact the culture around them, their circles of influence and their families, they must embrace God’s true definition of manhood and masculinity. You don’t have to accept mainstream media’s or some liberal organization’s label of who you are, and certainly not the mischaracterized version of traditional masculinity, but the absolute truth of what God’s Word says about you.
“The great need of our culture today is not for more talented men or more successful men, but for men of character with hearts that follow hard after God. They have taken up David’s challenge to Solomon to ‘be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man’ and understand what it means. Yes, God is looking for a man. Will He find you?”