The Warrior : Caleb

Sons of Encouragement #2

by Francine Rivers

Book 2 in the Sons of Encouragement series Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. With her hallmark touches of brilliant prose and gripping characterizations, Francine Rivers tells the stories of men who faithfully sought after God in the shadows of God's chosen leaders. Joshua succeeded Moses as the nation's leader, but it was another man's zeal that pushed the people to put their faith into action: Caleb.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the details of a story I had previously read before, in a different light and from a different standpoint. The reality of the daily struggle of sin was depicted so well in the story of Caleb, and how a person with integrity and so many characteristics I admire, fought this struggle to not let sin take control.

"Sin crouches at the entrance of my heart waiting to devour me. I must fight against it. Oh, how I must fight the fire in my blood."

I realise how I had glossed over and missed details when I previously read this story in the Bible. I had failed to focus on the words not written in this story and the implications this would have had in Joshua and Caleb's lives, as well as the Israelites. I was moved most by the fact that the Israelites wandered for 40 years until all the men who grew up in fear of the Pharoah died off, and were replaced by men who grew up in fear of the Lord.

When I finished reading, I felt the weight of my sin; of my unfaithfulness to God. I felt the burden of my failure - to walk in all His ways wholeheartedly, genuinely and with integrity. Yet I wasn't left without hope and desire to pursue this relationship in my own life. It is attainable if I trust and hope, like Caleb did.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Francine Rivers! I've loved almost everything I've read by her. Interestingly enough, one of the only other books I've read by her I didn't enjoy so much, was in her Lineage of Grace series. I'm hoping that Caleb is the only book in the Sons of Encouragement series that I will not enjoy, and am holding out hope for the others in the series.

I was very surprised with how much was taken out of biblical context. I was also surprised that the main character, who was not spoken of negatively in the bible, was written as such a dark and horrible character. Not only was the main character written as a self righteous, angry and cold man, but his character constantly spoke of and to Joshua like Joshua was a weak minded wimp. Even Moses seemed not meet the main characters standards. While I understood Caleb was only one of two spies who had the faith to take the land, the bible doesn't say Caleb was the only one on the planet at that time who was righteous and had faith, but that is how the story made it seem. There were so many scenes of Caleb being the only worthy man in the entire book, that I became weary with how negative his environment was.

I also really disliked how Calebs violence and willingness to kill for God seemed to be written as him being righteous, when it came across as cold and not at all the heart of God.
"Caleb grabbed Mesha by the throat. Mesha grabbed his wrist, but could not break free. Caleb dug his fingers in until Meshas eyes rolled back, then let him go. Meshas rasped and coughed. 'If you ever speak rebellion against the Lord again, I'll kill you'. Caleb turned to each of his sons, one at a time. 'Don't make the mistake of thinking I'll spare my own household!"'

I'm a big fan of this author and biblical fiction, but I'd recommend passing on this one.

[Lou Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the life of Caleb from the plagues in Egypt (recorded in the book of Exodus) to the first judge Othniel (in the book of Judges). It covers a large number of biblical stories in a short space of time — all told from the viewpoint of Francine’s version of Caleb.

This is a shorter book. With so much to fit in, I felt that it provided a large scale view of Caleb’s life. However, it did not look at any of the events in detail.

I found the main character Caleb to be quite unlikeable. In the biblical narrative, Caleb has been one of my most inspirational heroes of the faith. I always pictured him as extremely positive, full of faith, faithful to the calling of God and inspiring others to do great works for God, even in his old age.

This book’s view of Caleb is different. Whilst still having great faith in God, Caleb is frequently frustrated and irritated with the people around him. He is sexist and abrupt. I don’t think I would have liked to meet him in person! It is interesting that two people can read the same biblical text and get a totally different idea of what a person would be like.

It didn’t quite work for me as a novel, but I think this would be a helpful book if you were studying this part of the Bible. It could give you a different perspective on some well-known stories.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my 12 year old boys as part of our homeschool lessons.

They both really enjoyed it. Because it’s about Caleb leading the Israelites into Canaan, the story gives much action and thrill. In fact, Rivers gives much detail in be regarding the battles and violence.

This story, especially, is one I wanted my boys to hear. Caleb is a true warrior for God. His trust in God never wavered and he found his courage to fight through God’s protection and instruction. His story is a reminder for all Christian men to be resilient leaders of God’s army.

As for the Biblical element of the story, it gives the reader a unique perspective into the lives of the Israelites as they left Egypt, wandered the desert and how they entered the Promised Land. It wasn’t easy following God’s instructions to kill the enemies but the reader understands through Caleb’s faith why it must be done.

[Sam Elttør · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henda bók hevur fingið meg at skilja betur hvør var Kaleb, nær livdi hann og hvat hann gjørdi.

Sera góð!

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is Biblical historical fiction. It takes what is known of a person’s life and events from the Bible and imagines how things may have played out from their perspective. GotQuestions gives a good summary of Caleb’s Biblical timeline, with relevant passages for you to explore at:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Caleb-in...

The above link can be helpful to determine if you are interested to read Rivers’ story of Caleb. However, one of the things I like about both Sons of Encouragement and Lineage of Grace is that each story includes a brief Bible Study at the end. The Bible study directs you to specific passages of Scripture and offers thoughtful questions to consider yourself or discuss with a group. This particular study uses the last day to focus on parallels between Caleb and Jesus, which I thought was well done.

The plotting for The Warrior: Caleb covers events prior to the Exodus, the Exodus itself, journey to Canaan, exploration of Canaan by the 12 spies, rejection of God’s leadership, 40 year wonderings, survival of Caleb & Joshua while others die off, and the eventual long, hard, conquest of Canaan. Throughout, Rivers portrays Caleb as someone whose zeal for God arises from a conscious counter-cultural decision made by a Kezzite to follow the God of Israel. Wanting to give God the glory, Caleb is often frustrated with wickedness, apathetic disobedience, and compromise of others. Caleb is discouraged by others’ willingness to rest or even completely stop before the job is finished, as he consistently fights to see God’s promises fulfilled through the obedience of His people in following His commands.

In The Warrior: Caleb, I appreciated how Rivers developed his backstory. The Numbers 32:12 reference to Caleb as “son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite” had escaped me. Even in the GotQuestions article above, Caleb’s family origins in Kenizzite tribe are not explored. But Rivers has picked up on this and imagined how prior generations of Caleb’s family may have shaped his experience of the God of Israel and the Israelite process of accepting an outsider into the fold of Judah, and eventually leadership in the clan. This caused me to do some research to find the references that form the foundation of Rivers’ storyline. You can read more about these facts at:
https://www.gotquestions.org/Kenizzit...

One aspect of the story (as articulated by Rivers) for which I could not find Biblical support was Rivers reference to the wives of Caleb. She sets Caleb up with two wives, who eventually die, and two captured concubines given to Caleb by his men.

Likewise, I had lost the connection between Caleb and Israel’s first judge Othniel, who was Caleb’s nephew and the husband of Caleb’s daughter, Aksah. Rivers does a wonderful job illuminating how this may have come about and firmly establishing these facts in the mind of the reader. You can read about these endnotes to Caleb’s life in the “Caleb in the Bible” article above.

Finally, Rivers reminded me that Hebron (formerly Kiriath-Arba) per Joshua 14 was Caleb’s inheritance some 3500 years ago! Though I forgot about it’s designation as a city of refuge (that would have been under Levite control) in Joshua 20, nor did I ponder how that would have settled with Caleb’s clan. While I found Rivers’ presentation of Hebron’s designation as a city of refuge to be rather a brush over of this significant event, I nonetheless appreciate her drawing it to my attention as it relates to Caleb and his descendants. You can read more about cities of refuge, here:
https://www.gotquestions.org/cities-o...

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this title.

There’s more!
I'm reading through Francine Rivers' two Biblical Historical Fiction series: Lineage of Grace (5 titles) and Sons of Encouragement (5 titles).

The next book in the series is:
The Prince: Jonathan (Sons of Encouragement #3), Rivers, 2005
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Want to start at the beginning?
The Priest: Aaron (Sons of Encouragement #1), Rivers, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have completed A Lineage of Grace, which is Francine Rivers’ series of Biblical fiction biographies of women in the line of Christ. If you are interested in my journey through those books, see:
A Lineage of Grace (5 Titles), Francine Rivers, complete in 2001
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Dorothy Mihailiuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took Caleb’s story at a whole different level. By reading it I feel like I’ve gained a better understanding of the times and what it might have felt like being there, fighting for lang and faith. So many emotions filled my heart while reading this. It is so inspiring and Francine Rivers really managed to take you to those times -like you were part of the story. I will read the whole series, no doubt.

[Tasha Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good - at first it felt a little slow (even for a short book), but the message about following God’s word never wavered. The payoff is excellent, I loved the ending. Another solid, faith affirming book from one of my favorite authors.

[Bry Shirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francine drew me into a Bible story I had never read on my own. I'm so grateful for her writing because it always pushes me to learn and read more of the Bible.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I not only enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the research behind the story. Kelubai, an Egyptian farmer, can trace his ancestry to Jephunneh, the friend of Judah, as well as the descendant of Esau. He's not a Hebrew, able to claim the ancestry of one of the sons of Jacob. But there's a tiny bit of blood relationship and, as Moses confronts the Pharaoh and Kelubai sees the clear signs of God's miraculous interventions as the plagues intensify, he determines to go to the camp of the Hebrews and gain acceptance.

He's called Caleb, dog, as an insult in an attempt to turn him away but nothing is going to deter him. He's going to go with the Israelites and their God. He tries to persuade his wider family but they are resistant, until the last.

The narrative follows the biblical story of Caleb closely, and adds in thoughtful details. The Israelites, for example, fight off the Amalekites with farm implements. That's an interesting idea because, unless they got weapons washed up after the Egyptians were routed, it makes perfect sense that slaves would not have much in the way of arms. During this battle, Kelubai first comes to the attention of Joshua - who has an interesting characterisation throughout the book. Rather than the warrior that the Book of Joshua seems to portray, he is here given a cautious, contemplative cast.

Hebron, the city renamed after his grandson once Caleb had taken Kiriath-Arba, is said to mean beloved of God.

[Jacolien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Met de boeken van Francine Rivers over verschillende (bekende) personages uit de Bijbel komen ze ongelooflijk dichtbij en kunnen we een, alhoewel deels fictief, kijkje nemen in hun hart en leven. Ook dit boek is er weer zo een, dat je meeneemt naar de tijd dat het volk Israël door de woestijn reisde naar het beloofde land en hoe Kaleb met een rotsvast geloof in de almachtige God van Abram, Izak en Jakob, samen met Jozua de enige is die het beloofde land daadwerkelijk in zal trekken van de oudere generatie. Dit verhaal toont hoe snel ongeloof en afgoderij, van andere afgoden of de 'eigen prestaties' en bezittingen het geloof kan verstrikken, wat gebeurt bij een groot deel van het volk. Maar ook dat het ware geloof, ondanks zonden en ongeloof, rotsvast blijft in de Heere, en op Hem alleen vertrouwt. Kaleb mag ons tot voorbeeld zijn, een man die de Heere liefhad en wenste in alles Zijn dienaar te zijn. 

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fiction based on real life that invites me to return to the source material. In this case, and one of those 'God-things', I happened to be reading the source material for parts of Caleb's story during my Bible reading the past few days. Talk about timing! 😉
While there were parts of this story that were incredibly violent and therefore difficult to read, I understand that the Biblical history of those events was also violent and difficult. All in all, I appreciated this deeper look into what Caleb's life might have been like outside what we know from Scripture.

[Ema · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5
Interesant modul in care sunt descrise radacinile lui Caleb. Abia astept sa consult Biblia cu privire la asta.

[Luke Zwiener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francine does a great job of breathing life into these biblical characters without sacrificing truth. Cool perspective on Caleb’s story.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟5/5

I’m speechless.

Book 2 in the Sons of Encouragement series, 'Caleb' by Francine Rivers is an incredible tale of a hero who played a pivotal role in shaping history. With her brilliant prose and captivating characters, Rivers brings to life the story of Caleb, a man who faithfully sought after God and inspired others to put their faith into action. It's a powerful and inspiring read that will leave you in awe of Caleb's unwavering zeal and dedication.

Highly recommended!

[Josh Olds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Francine Rivers returned to her Sons of Encouragement series with a second installment that overlaps with elements of the first. Focusing on Caleb, one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan, Rivers gives readers a whirlwind tour of Caleb’s life—from his inclusion into the Israelite community to his discussion with his daughter about her land rights. Like the other books in this series, the dialogue is stilted, the narrative is formal and choppy, and the characters are plain and not very engaging.

Nonetheless, Caleb: The Warrior stands out from the rest of the books for its attention to historical and cultural context. Rivers rightly paints Caleb as someone who is not ethnically of Israel and whose inclusion into the Israelite community comes with abandoning his former life in Egypt. It’s that beginning that I found engaging as Rivers paints a picture of those on the fringes who left Egypt along with the Israelites, who served Yahweh, and yet were not descended from Jacob.

Caleb is said in Scripture to be the son of Jephunneh, a Kennizzite (Num 32:12; Josh 14:6, 14), which is generally considered to be an Edomite clan (Gen 36:40-43). Thus, his inclusion into the people of Israel, specifically the tribe of Judah, is quite remarkable. Rivers writes about the uneasy tension there is between the ethnic Israelites and the ingrafted Caleb, even suggesting that Caleb’s name (which means “dog” in Hebrew) was initially used as a pejorative. While she doesn’t go into great detail—her narrative backdrop remains one-dimensional—this acknowledgement brings as aspect to the story that many might not otherwise know.

Since Caleb is not mentioned as often throughout Scripture, Rivers has a bit more freedom to develop a storyline. She uses this to a mixed result, choosing to portray Caleb as a violent, legalistic fanatic—and all of this is considered as positive traits. He is constantly goading Joshua into action, relegating the actual lead warrior of Israel to a place of impotence and passivity. The good of all this is that Rivers creates a fictionalized story within the biblical narrative instead of expanding the biblical narrative into fiction. The bad of it all is that she makes Caleb into a pretty unlikable character and paints a picture of Joshua that doesn’t seem to align with reality.

Most egregiously, Rivers has Caleb take two Canaanite women as concubines in his old age, by offering them a choice between death or following Yahweh. He’s pictured as discipling these two young girls into the faith and—well—that can’t be a healthy portrayal of faith. Caleb is actually ready to kill this young girl—the text says “she would become a beautiful woman”—but his sons convince him not to, instead saying “They are yours, Father. Make good use of them for all our sakes.” It’s a frankly creepy addition to the story that serves absolutely no purpose and fails to provide any cultural or contextual nuance. It’s one thing if Scripture included this in the narrative, but this is simply a thing that Rivers invents out of whole cloth.

In the end, while the story is an improvement over some of the previous biblical novellas, the direction Rivers takes when offered some space to run is a different kind of bad than her writing when the biblical narrative boxes her in. Unless you’re reading all of Francine Rivers’ work just to say you’ve read all her work, Caleb is one to skip.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aaron was a prophet, but Caleb is a warrior. The Warrior is the second in Francine Rivers’ Sons of Encouragement series. It describes the fictional account of the persistence, promises, and peace of Caleb, “tribal leader, half-breed, scout, and beloved of God.” Caleb is different from the others. He has remained loyal to God, and God promises to bring him into the land he explored. “The Lord would keep His promises, but that did not mean all would be as Caleb had hoped.”

Just as the Lord is a warrior, so Caleb is training Judah’s sons to become fierce warriors as well. “Judah was like a pride of lions. And Caleb must be the strongest lion among them.” Just as the people call him a lion, so he must rule this pride. He vows to “let them see this pride of lions show humility…If they call me Caleb, so be it. I will make it a name of honor and courage.”

As a Son of Encouragement, Caleb’s call is to “encourage the others to fulfill the Word of the Lord.” His prayer is for “the heart to hear and the courage to obey.” While his heart is a storm within him, Caleb is no coward. “Not a man among us is without fear…Brave men do what the Lord commands despite their fear…You don’t have to say much to plant fear in the minds of men, do you?..The seed of fear had taken root and was spreading its malevolent tendrils through the camp, stifling anticipation, smothering joy, and bringing a wave of murderous wrath.”

“We saw. We know…we must prepare to do battle.” But “Waiting proved a greater test than taking up arms against the enemy…From the time of the Garden of Eden, the seed of rebellion had been planted deep in the hearts of men. It was there the real battle raged…Together, we are strong in the Lord. Divided, we weaken…We must become one nation under God! And every nation has an army. Let us build an army for the Lord.”

[Jenny Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francine Rivers imagines the life of biblical character, Caleb, from the time the Israelites left Egypt and slavery after ten terrifying plagues, through the wilderness to the Promised Land and the subsequent forty years of wandering. She notes that as an outsider Caleb had his work cut out to be accepted by the Hebrew people, but his conviction about the power and reality of God kept him focused and obedient. His growing relationship with Joshua is depicted with a strong sense of reality as they pair off to spy out the land and then live through the heart breaking years as the rest of their generation died.

Francine brings Caleb to life as more than a warrior; a man who reflects, treasures God's word, lives in awe of His power and presence and who weeps to the point of despair over the next generation who, all too soon, become complacent in the land God gives them and so open themselves up to cultures and practices that have been expressly forbidden for their own good.

I read this novella many years ago and was glad to come back to it. I love the integrity that shines from Caleb's character, his desire to keep pressing in to God despite the things that he doesn't understand.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francine Rivers takes the glimpses of Caleb that we see in the Biblical books of Exodus and Joshua and fleshes them out into a figure who is almost equal to the statures of his better-known contemporaries, Moses, Aaron, and Joshua.

Caleb was a slave in Egypt; one of the twelve men who were spies in Canaan, and, with Joshua, the only two who encouraged Israel to enter the land; a leader of the tribe of Judah after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; and the father-in-law of Israel's first judge, Othniel. Of those who left Egypt, Caleb and Joshua were the only two men over the age of 60 to cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan to settle it, because of Israel's rebellion(s) against God. Caleb was a mighty warrior (even at age 85!), and a man of great faith.

(I found only three technical errors in the Hardcover text of The Warrior: Page 163, The gates were breeched, the walls scaled / The gates were BREACHED, the walls scaled ; 182, Acsah again, quietly, tenderly / Acsah SAID again, quietly, tenderly ; 225, clearing the land of enemiesso God's people / clearing the land of ENEMIES SO God's people .)

[Ana S · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, I love Francine Rivers and absolutely adore her books. She has an incredibly unique talent for evoking emotions and bringing both characters and surroundings to life. However, this is by far my least favorite book of hers, closely followed by "Unafraid - Mary". The simple reason is I just can't stand the ignorance in regard to pedophilia. It's not right today, never was and never will be, despite the normalization in certain cultures worldwide. The Bible defends children like no other holy book, considering all under the age of 20 as children in the Pentateuch. There are numerous references and examples of 12- and 13-year old children being treated as young CHILDREN in the Old and New Testaments. Describing Caleb, a man of God, as a voluntary polygamist who would consent to marrying young slave girls as young as 14 is HORRIFYING. Read your Scriptures.. this is abuse.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is okay. I was hoping for something lively and action packed, and while there were brief moments of action, I felt a little cheated. Caleb was a warrior…why not give the reader some intense scenes? The exodus and wandering in the Sinai is full of amazing stories that I felt the author just barely touched on.

I was also very disappointed for this book to have a sex scene in it as I was hoping to use it for middle schoolers to read. The scene itself is mild (during the golden calf incident) but still…was it necessary? It could easily have been omitted. I know Rivers likes to give very stark looks at these things, but it was entirely unnecessary for this book.

Overall, the book itself wasn’t really that good. While I didn’t HATE it, I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone.

[Maire · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Keep your eyes on the Lord," Caleb taught them. "Be ready to set out the moment the cloud lifts from the Tabernacle." He taught the boys and young men to run at the first blast of the shofar, rewarding those who were first to have their camps ready for the journey to the next site.
"Rise up! Rise up, O Israel! The Lord is on the move!" And so they all learned to do, not reluctantly but swiftly, pulling down tents, rolling, packing, setting out to wherever God led them. (78)

The camps moved with the precision of an army. When the cloud rose, so too did the people, often even before the shofar blasted. The people were learning day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year to keep watch and follow the Lord. (86)

[Anne Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warrior, part of the Sons of Encouragement Series, written by Francine Rivers, is a keeper. I look forward to the others in the series.

Rivers took the story of Caleb from the Bible and filled in parts of the story not written in the Bible to make a thought provoking novella. She didn’t add or take anything from the Bible just provided more details and what everyday life looked like around the Biblical story.

If adding to a story written in the Bible bothers you, this isn’t for you. If you are interested in hearing more about the plagues and battles and behind the scenes conversations and thoughts that may have happened from slavery to receiving their land in the Promised Land, you would like this story. I highly recommend.

[Bruce Dinsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francine Rivers was known mostly as a romance writer until God called her to a closer walk. Since then her writing has shown the quality of a great writer guided by God to tell His stories. Sons of Encouragement is a series of small books fleshing out how life was for Bible Heroes. In this case Caleb. I appreciated that he was not a Jew by birth but by faith; an early indication of God's provision. In this book are the biblical accounts from Caleb's perspective of the flight from Egypt to settling and clearing their promised land. The Bible also clarifies that the failings of the Hebrew nation were mostly in the human tendency to do it for your self.

[Tanisha Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelubai (Caleb) is a man after God’s heart cried out to the Lord on how to worship Him. Caleb’s heart and faith after God is inspiring because his anger often surpassed him . He corrected himself by being slow to anger, slow to speak. and prayed. Caleb's eyes were always on God with a burning desire so great!

Are you use to planning out your days to know what will happen when? When things are not clear to us we oftentimes wonder what will the day consist of?
Following God is not knowing what will happen but trusting in Him knowing that He will sustain you.

This beautiful rendition of Kelubai (Caleb) is a continuation (book 2 of 5) of The Priest by Francine Rivers is 10/10 I fully recommend. The book also has a Bible study at the very end. Enjoy!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because my son's name is Caleb and I didn't know much about the biblical character. This book was very choppy--it could have been developed a little more to seam different events together. I also felt detached from the characters. At times I had to re-read and double check the page number because I thought I had somehow skipped a section. This made it easy to get confused. I did learn a few things about particular Bible stories but this isn't a book that's going to stick with me.

[Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bardzo polecam tę książkę!
Francine Rivers musiała spędzić wiele czasu nad studium Pisma Świętego, by tak relistycznie oddać to, co została tam opisane. Historia Kaleba, oparta w pełni o Biblię, z niewielkimi dodatkami autorki, które nie zmieniły przesłania. Opisy dokładne, przeżycia głębokie.
Historia otworzyła mi oczy na to, kim jest Bóg, jaki jest Bóg i fakt, że ja również jestem w Jego narodzie wybranym.
Dzięki Kalebowi moja wiara odmieniła się, modlitwa stała się gorliwsza, a przykład jego życia pociągnął mnie do lepszego zachowania.
Z chęcią sięgnę po kolejne części.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short historical fiction based on the stories of the children of Israel from the Bible. It begins with the plagues in Egypt and follows their journey in the desert.

Caleb is the main character, but it touches on the stories of many others. Liberties were taken so it isn’t word from word from the Bible, but the additions help bring the stories to life. But remember, this was a very violent time!!

My favorite part was the inner thoughts and prayers of Caleb. They were interesting and challenging.

[Jessica Maendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came at the perfect time in my life when I needed inspiration and a push to put all of myself at God's feet and follow Him in faith. For those looking for a thriller it moves slowly without your typical story arc but otherwise it's an easy read. As a female, I especially appreciated the ending as it had felt like the rest of the book was directed more at men. All in all it was an enjoyable and inspiring read.

[Arianne Chaezel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciate stories like this.
Before I read this book, I barely knew Caleb.
I think he was just mentioned very few times in the Bible.
Love how Francine Rivers expanded the story from the little story that we knew about him.
Love how it connects to the story of Aaron.
Love that I now somehow have a better appreciation of that portion of the Bible because of this story.
Love how second leads like Caleb was put into spotlight at once.