BOOK: a LINEAGE of GRACE
AUTHOR: Francine Rivers
SUMMARY:
This is a historical-fiction that tells the story of five pivotal women in the Bible. Not only does this book give us a BEAUTIFUL story of HOPE (Tamar), FAITH (Rahab), LOVE (Ruth), GRACE (Bathsheba) and OBEDIENCE (Mary), it shows how each woman part of the bloodline of Jesus Christ himself!
What an incredible reminder of how God will use our brokenness, sin, fear and doubt to change history!
YOU’LL LOVE THIS BOOK IF…
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone!
* If you’ve never read through the Bible, this book would be GREAT to gain knowledge of these important women and how God used them. (Also, how He can use anyone!)
* If you HAVE read through the Bible, it will CERTAINLY help you put many pieces together and help you remember these women in a more deep and intimate way. (I love reading through the Bible, but THIS historical-fiction opened up my heart to new feelings, thoughts and revelations I’d never considered before!)
* Even if you don’t believe the Bible, I still believe you’ll enjoy the story of these women.
QUICK-FACTS:
Faith-based? YES!
Easy read? Enjoyable, but a VERY big book!
Age group? Anyone would enjoy, but children/teens might not understand a lot of the older practices the women had to endure
PERSONAL TAKE-AWAY:
Like any historical-fiction, the author must take liberties with the the details of each woman’s life. However, I really appreciated how Francine Rivers:
* reminds the reader that much of the story is only an interpretation
* encourages the reader to pray, seek and search the BIBLE for truth
* includes direct, Biblical quotes and historical facts (“I have attempted to remain true to the scriptural message in all points, adding only what is necessary to aid in our understanding of that message.”)
* offers a Biblical study guide at the end of each section (book within the book) which allows you to dive deeper into God’s word
It’s hard for me to read fiction over Christian/self-help (because I feel like there’s so much about me I need to ‘fix’ first), but I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this book!
I naturally lean towards feelings and emotions. So I really loved taking the time to understand what these women must have gone through. Sitting in their story gave me so much compassion and a deeper understanding about God’s love.
It sounds crazy, but, for the first time, I actually started looking forward to meeting these REMARKABLE women in Heaven one day!
QUOTES:
- “Rahab looked out a the plains of Jericho, where thousands of campfires flickered beneath the starry night. Jobab came and stood beside her. “What is that sound?”
“Singing.”
“They’re celebrating as though they’re already victorious.” “ - “Ah, yes, Ruth, her precious Ruth. Naomi smiled, lifting Obed to her shoulder and rubbing his back, delighting in the way the baby nuzzled against her neck and melted against her. She couldn’t remember a happier time in her life than now, with this child in her arms. God had stripped her bare and now was rebuilding her house on a firm foundation. This child who had been born to replace her sons and husband would be brought up by Boaz, a man of faith, who studied the Law with diligence and passion, a man who sat in the city gate and ruled his people with wisdom and loving-kindness.”
- “She lived in constant fear, for she had no possessions of her own, no money to buy sacrifices. All she had to offer God was a contrite heart and the desire to do right for the rest of her life.”
- “If she said yes, she would become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. Why the Lord had chosen her to be part of his plan she couldn’t even guess. She was uneducated, poor, and lived in an obscure village that most Jews disdained. Yet she also knew from listening to Scripture readings in the synagogue that God often used the most unlikely and unworthy to fulfill his purposes. It didn’t matter who she was. God would accomplish his purposes in his way. The angel of the Lord was asking her to be part of God’s plan. And everything within her heart and soul cried out a joyous yes.”
- “As they walked away together, Mary looked back in sorrow as two men she didn’t know carried her son to a borrowed tomb.”
INFORMATION:
Francine Rivers Website: https://francinerivers.com/
