The Warrior

by Francine Rivers

Book Overview

Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. In The Warrior, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Caleb, a man whose faith and zeal for God helped lead... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0842382666
• ISBN13: 9780842382663
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Very pleased

We've enjoyed this audiobook very much. The narrator and narration are top notch and entertaining. The story has really brought to life this story from the Bible that we've been familiar with all my lives. It has helped my husband and I to understand and put more into perspective the Bible accounts and characters. Very glad we purchased this audiobook.

Caleb's the man!

Before reading this story I had never paid much attention to Caleb. Now I don't know how I ever overlooked him. His faithfulness to God truly is encouraging to the reader. I wish the book had been longer, I didn't want to stop reading about him!

Spectacular Storytelling

The Warrior by Francine Rivers continues her biblical men of faith series--Sons of Encouragement. I have read all Francine Rivers' books and have never been disappointed. I was delighted to learn "The Last Sin Eater" is in feature-length film production. The hero of our current story is Caleb, warrior of God. The first paragraph--"Run!"--hooked me and I reluctantly inserted my bookmark when other duties called. Kelubai's--Caleb's given name--belief in God begins when in the throes of one of the disasters rained down on Egypt because Pharaoh wouldn't let God's people go. "The God of the Hebrews could turn water to blood and call forth frogs... Here was a God he could worship." He runs to the Hebrews, led by Moses, and asks for acceptance for him and his family to exit Egypt with them. But the Hebrews, just beginning on their journey into the desert, look down their nose at him and tell him no, since he is but a half-breed and descended from the lineage of Esau. When asked his name and he replies, "Kelubai," they jeer and call him Caleb -- dog. Not taking "no" for an answer, he and his family tag along on the fringe of the huge exodus. Finally accepting the name Caleb, his love for God and following His commandments eventually earn him a standing in the community. When the Jews reach the Jordan River, Caleb is chosen to represent the tribe of Judah to spy out the land with a member of each of the other eleven tribes. Also among the twelve is his young friend, Joshua. For forty days the spies surreptitously inspect the land of Canaan and its people. When returning, they all say how wonderful and fertile the land is; the magnificent crops--some of which they've carried back as witness to the rich fertileness of the land. But ten say the people are too big, too well defended and there is no way they can take the land from them. Caleb and Joshua, however, say God has given them this land; they must fight for it and drive out the Canaanites. They must obey God. But the people don't listen and God returns them to the desert to wander for almost forty years because of their unbelief, disobedience, and complaining. The only two of the current adult generation who will be allowed into Canaan are Caleb and Joshua--the entire adult population dies during the forty years of wandering in the desert. Francine Rivers has penned a marvelous and poignant story of one man's desire to be all that he can be for God. She's taken the scriptures and brought them alive. And she's done it beautifully. One can't miss the parallels of our own lives and Caleb's, nor God's call to respond to Him as Caleb did. Absolute obedience, no matter the cost.

Loved this book!

I enjoyed the women's novella's by Francine Rivers. When she began to write Sons of Encouragement I was thrilled! The Warrior paints a vivid image of Caleb as a man stuggling to keep his focus on God in the midst of doubt and sin. This is the struggle of many Christians who will truly identify with Caleb's frustration. An amazing read.

Great insight on a man not often well taught about

Another wonderful illustrative book by Francine on the life of a biblical character and the conditions in which he lived. I always appreciate her research into the culture and personal climate of the subject she is writing about. While the book seemed a little slow in the beginning, I was rewarded with a stunning reminder of how easy it was for the Jews of that era (as well as us today) to loose faith. God often uses the experiences of the Jewish people of the bible to illustrate the tendancies of humanity in general...our lack or loss of faith despite amazing miracles, the febleness of our minds in rembering what God has done for us, etc. (FYI, I am very pro-Jew as they are God's chosen people). I loved this book because it was a great reminder that God is bigger than ANYTHING and that great faith and obedience is rewarded by God's unfailing faithfulness. It is also inspiring to read about people who, because of others' lack of obedience to God, face major bummers and still perservere. Lastly, I would like to respectfully beg to differ on a point brought up by another reviewer. God tells the Jewish people to completely wipe out all of the inhabitants of the promised land. This is because they are riddled with ungodliness in their idol worship, sexual practices (which I thought Francine gracefully tiptoed through), and other wicked and vile traditions and God didn't want them infiltrating the Jewish camps and cities and corrupting them. God also reveals that disobeying His command to annihilate these peoples completely would result in their being a thorn in the Jew's side for generations. This is mentioned several times. I would recommend this book to anyone who is old enough to understand it.