Pearl in the Sand > 10th Anniversary Edition

 

     BOOK REVIEW:   This 10th Anniversary Edition of Pearl in the Sand includes new features that will invite you into the intriguing  story of Rahab's journey from lowly outcast to redeemed child of God. 

     Can a Canaanite zonah who made her living by enticing men be a fitting wife for a leader of Israel? 

     Rahab's house is built into a wall, a wall that fortifies and protects the city of Jericho. However, other walls surround her too--walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness. Years of pain and betrayal have wounded Rahab's heart. She wonders whether her dreams of experiencing true love will ever come true. 

     A woman with a wrecked past. A man of success, of faith . . . . of pride. A union only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmon learn the true source of each other's worth and find healing in God. 

     MY REVIEW:   Tessa Afshar is one of my favorite authors. She takes ordinary or uncommon bible stories and brings them to life. This story is no exception. Anyone who is familiar with the Bible will know Rahab, the fallen woman who hid Israel's spies and let them down the city walls by a rope. In this book, Tessa lets us imagine what Rahab's life may have been like, and how she came to protect these men. And possibly what may have happened to her after her family was saved from the destruction of Jericho. Since we cannot know the details of her life, this is a fictional story beyond the basic storyline. 

     This book was released several years ago, and is now coming out in an updated edition. The writing has been streamlined, and a few of the Scripture messages improved. It has a been a while since I read the original edition, but I did not see many differences between the two. They are both excellent. 

     The message of redemption and worth in this story is overwhelming. It is assumed that Rahab was forced into her role as a harlot, and with the emptiness in her life and soul, felt the pull of Israel's merciful God. After her rescue from Jericho's demise, she and her family seek to join Israel's ranks. But Rahab struggles to feel worthy of God's love, and of the love of Salmon, the man tasked with instructing her family in the laws of the Lord. The scene Tessa composes of Rahab finally recognizing her worth is fabulously done. The picture of the love God has for every person is very well made.

     I received a copy of this book from MOODY PRESS and was not required to write a positive review.