Author: Francine Rivers
Genre: Biblical Historical Fiction
Series: The Sons of Encouragement
Books in the Series: (1) The Priest: Aaron, (2) The Warrior: Caleb, (3) The Prince: Jonathan, (4) The Prophet: Amos, and (5) The Scribe: Silas

rancine Rivers put together a wonderful series of novellas that cause us to pause and think about people who were not the main characters in the familiar stories in the Bible. These short books allow us to see the stories through a different set of eyes, those of the men behind the heroes, providing a perspective that we might not have considered otherwise. This series is a constant reminder that you do not have to be the person who is the leader or the hero. God works wonders through the faithful ones who support and encourage others along the way while being obedient to His will.

In each book, Rivers tells where the facts for the character may be found in the Bible. At the end of each novella, there is a brief study section.

I appreciate the introduction of each book where Francine Rivers states:

The five novellas in this volume are about biblical men of faith who served in the shadows of others. These were Eastern men who lived in ancient times, and yet their stories apply to our lives and the difficult issues we face in our world today. They were on the edge. They had courage. They took risks. They did the unexpected. They lived daring lives, and sometimes they made mistakes – big mistakes. These men were not perfect, and yet God in His infinite mercy used them in His perfect plan to reveal Himself to the world.

The Priest: Aaron

What was it like to live in the shadow of the “chosen” brother, Moses? What was it like to join forces with that brother to go up against Pharaoh?  What were the challenges of being the first high priest for the newly formed nation of Israel? As we watch Aaron work through emotions that we have all felt, we can’t help but be encouraged and inspired by his ability to overcome his own flaws in order to do the will of God.

The Warrior: Caleb

This book overlaps some of the events that occurred in the previous novella, The Priest: Aaron, although from a different perspective. Details such as communication throughout the large camp of the Israelites are intriguing and bring to light things that I had never considered. Caleb is a character many could identify in the Bible, but there isn’t a lot that is known about his back-story. Francine Rivers does a great job of helping the reader appreciate the man that Caleb becomes. It also sent me back to scripture to see which items were fiction and which were documented in the Bible. Following Caleb from Egypt to the Promised Land, and watching his character change along the way, is a testament to what can be done in our lives when we dedicate ourselves to doing the will of God.

The Prince: Jonathan

The story of the friendship between Jonathan and David is probably one of the most famous friendships in the Bible; however, I had never really considered the relationship between Jonathan and his father, Saul. Watching the life of Saul through the eyes of Jonathan brought a whole new dimension to this section of the Bible. Once Rivers established the relationship between Jonathan and Saul (the good and the bad), it made the story between Jonathan and David a much richer story.

The Prophet: Amos

“Amos” is a fairly short book in the Old Testament. Most people do not read it frequently, nor do we often go to it for guidance in our day-to-day life. Amos was not a “professional” prophet. He was not from Israel, yet God sent him to prophesy to Israel. This novella deeply impacted me. Watching Amos deal with his frustrations with what “the system” had become while he struggled with his own belief was similar to what I see in our younger generation today. Watching the reaction of the Israelites to each of the prophecies against their enemies and God’s reaction to them reminded me that we are to love our enemies. Watching Amos struggle with his desire to be home and his desire to be obedient to the mission given to Him from God to prophesy to the people of Israel made the daily tension between our will and God’s will very clear. There is so much to apply to our current state of affairs from this book about a “minor” prophet to Israel.

The Scribe: Silas

This novella is the only one in the series that deals with events that took place after Jesus came to earth. Seeing life through the eyes of Silas not only takes us through the writing of the letters to the churches, it shows us the importance of protecting the scrolls and the good news of Jesus. Silas witnessed the discord between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. He witnessed the friction between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. And, finally, he witnessed the persecution of the Christians and mourned the death of many of the pillars of faith. Silas lived at a difficult time and his faith was not always rock solid. Silas’s journey is an encouragement to each of us as we walk through difficult times.