Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Reluctant General: story of faith against all odds

The Reluctant General: A story about Ancient Israel by Herb Sennett is the story of Barak and Deborah from Judges 4. It is the story of the Israelites defeat of King Jabin of Canaan and the evil general Sisera. In the Bible, judges were rulers or military leaders who led the people into battle as well as someone who presided over legal matters.


The story opens with a quiet village waking up to a new day when soldiers come on horseback and in chariots, killing men and woman, kidnapping children, and laying the village to waste. Word soon reaches Barak, son of Abinoam, a farmer and Deborah, a judge and prophetess. After much discussion and doubt, Barak and Deborah gather men for an army and forge a plan to fight back against the army who was ravaging their villages and killing their people. Will they succeed against a political power of the ancient world?


I enjoyed this fictionalized story of the Biblical events. I enjoyed seeing the human side of these heroes. I enjoyed seeing Barak’s doubt and renewal of faith as to what God can accomplished against insurmountable odds. Anyone who is familiar with the story of Barak and Deborah knows the outcome and the famous battle at Mt. Tabor. I still enjoyed the foreshadowing of future events. For instance, when Deborah declares “a woman will deliver Israel from the clutches of Sisera,” I was excited because I knew who this woman was and eagerly waited for her introduction into the story and how she become in involved in this fight. I highly recommend this book for its great storytelling and exciting action.
The Reluctant General is available on Amazon

for the Kindle for $4.99 and in paperback for $17.96

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