The Warrior

Francine Rivers’s book, The Warrior, looks at the life of Caleb and the
journeys he had following God

Caleb. One of five men who quietly changed eternity. The second in the Sons of Encouragement series, The Warrior—a novella—is a vivid tale of Caleb’s journey from unrecognised half-breed to a mighty follower of the Lord.
In her trademark style, Francine Rivers introduces the reader to Caleb—or Kelubai as we first meet him in Egypt—a descendant of Esau who fears the God of the Israelites and follows Him against his family’s advice.
We set up our tent next to Caleb as he joins the tribe of Judah; we strap on dusty sandals and walk beside him as he leads his family across the Red Sea; we fall on our faces next to him as he pleads with the Lord for direction and guidance; we cry with him, sit quietly with him, say goodbye to loved ones, welcome new friends and family; and we come to a deeper understanding of this mighty warrior who spied out the land of Canaan alongside Joshua and had no fear.
Rivers has a unique way of weaving biblical truth and history into stories of people just like you and me, people we grow to love. More so, through her words, Rivers guides the reader to see the Lord through the eyes of someone who walked a different path, in this case under a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and love Him.
The Israelites weren’t easily pleased, and Caleb’s family was no different. However, Caleb follows the Lord fearlessly, often being the outsider because of his unwavering trust in the Lord’s guidance and direction. Because of this, he is one of only two Israelites allowed into the land of Canaan from the original slaves freed from Egypt. “Caleb is different from the others. He has remained loyal to Me, and I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will receive their full share of that land” (page 68).
A must-read, you won’t stop with The Warrior, but will want to carry on with the rest of the series.

The Warrior
Francine Rivers
Tyndale House Publishers Inc, 2005
226 pages