The Rivers of Judah

by Catherine Farnes

Book Overview

How could God have authored this? I thought…. If this was not God's will, why was He allowing it to happen? When was He going to put His foot down? What about His promises? When Judah's family moves... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0890848645
• ISBN13: 9780890848647
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: BJU Press
• Length: 133 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Book!!!!!

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I was wondering if there is a sequel to it? Thank for any info. anyone can give me!

Fascinating book

Teenager Rebekah Cahill knows about church problems. In the five years her father has served as assistant pastor, two senior pastors have been fired by the church board and two have resigned to escape the never-ending battles raging within the church. But Rebekah hopes that their new pastor, Ben Ewen, may usher in a different era. With challenging preaching and boundless enthusiasm, Ben soon earns her loyalty. And Rebekah quickly makes friends with his children, Rachel, Nathan, and, most of all, Judah. However, Rebekah quickly discovers that something is not right with the Ewen children, especially Judah, who blames himself for his best friend Tom Cook's drowning death. She does her best to leave the matter alone and not speculate about why Ben left his pastorate in Alaska, but other church members are not so scrupulous, and gossip begins to spread as Ben starts his struggle with a critical church board. Ben meant to protect Judah by withholding the story of the family's Alaskan ordeal from the board, but he finally decides that he must come clean with them in order to prevent discord in the church. Unfortunately, Michael Kramer, the son of the other assistant pastor, somehow learns the content of the special board meeting, and he uses that knowledge to mercilessly taunt Judah about Tom's death. Hoping to protect his father's pastorate, Judah refuses to tell his father about the teasing even as the guilt begins to eat him alive. Rebekah finds herself helpless to convince Judah that Tom was not his fault, and an irrational action by Nathan in an effort to protect Judah causes Ben's dismissal. By the book's end she learns to trust God's sovereignty over events. To the author's credit, readers are able to detect the theme by the book's plot rather than the flat (and literarily weak) statements which sometimes characterize low-quality Christian fiction. The book's greatest strength is perhaps character development--all the characters are well drawn, with hardly a type among them. From hot-tempered Nathan to quiet Rachel, concerned Rebekah, and outspoken Elly (Rebekah's older sister), they are true to life and genuinely interesting. I was especially drawn to Judah, whose fierce internal battles we see through Rebekah's eyes. The book is only 133 pages long, but it is good enough that I have re-read it many times. Though it was written especially for teens, I suspect that more than one parent may enjoy sneaking it off his child's bookshelf.

This is one of the best books I have ever read

I love this book! Rebekah Cahill is your average christian. In this book her faith in Christ grows and she learns a lot about friendship. Judah wants to do things the right way, even when it gets harder and harder to do because of Michael Krammer. Then he might have to move away and lose his best friend. The way it ends is sad at first, but it comes out great. This is a book I would recomend to anyone!

Can I record a thunderous applause?

Rebekah is an average Christian teenager in the middle of a church crisis. Judah is the new pastor's son--with a secret to hide. Michael is determined to discover the secret, and he's not going to give up until he does. Together, Rebekah and Judah find out what trusting in God's promises really means. I've read this book in my English classes twice so far, and I've had my junior high and high school classes mesmerized. The dialogue is incredible, and the intensity of this book is thrilling. Discussion topics come brimming out of the plot. Here are some believable kids in relevant crises that can help other teens with current issues they're facing: sibling rivalry,genuine godliness, persecution, and forgiveness and restitution.