A Lineage of Grace

by Francine Rivers

In the patriarchal societies of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, there are many stories of men and their relationships with God, but there are also stories of women who played an important role in history. In the fictional stories of A Lineage of Grace, Francine Rivers chose out five women who are noted in the Bible for their lives and actions as well as their place in the earthly lineage of Jesus Christ, the Messiah or Savior, who came to Earth as a man to save people from their sins, restoring them to relationship with God.

Rivers has written five novellas which are available singly or as an anthology. Scripture is woven all through the book, but at the end of each novella there is a discussion guide that includes the specific Scripture passages from which the story is drawn. The plot is found in the Bible and is the backbone of the tale which Rivers fleshes out using knowledge of the history of the area and the culture of the times.

Unveiled is the story of Tamar, a young Canaanite married to an abusive husband. Her father-in-law, the Israelite Judah, is consumed with guilt over his actions towards his brother Joseph. Much of the story deals with Tamar’s need to have a son and the various devious means used to accomplish that goal.

Unashamed is the second story and one that is more familiar to many readers. It focuses on Rahab, a harlot, who is instrumental in Joshua’s successful destruction of Jericho. The author expertly fleshes out the character of Rahab. We see how she might have come to be in this position as well as her strength, intellect, and the trust she placed in the living God of the Israelites as opposed to the idols her family worshipped.

Unshaken is another familiar story, that of Ruth the Moabitess.  When Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law all found themselves widowed, she decided to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem and trust in the God of Israel. She kept them from starvation and in the process God led her to a kinsman who continued the lineage. 

Unspoken relates a version of a complicated plot set in motion by King David’s lusting after Bathsheba, another man’s wife. The Biblical story itself has soap opera drama to it and could be a morality tale about the consequences of sin. Rivers makes the characters come to life with assumed fictional motivations and background, all believable and appropriate to David’s status as King and what we know from the Bible about the people who surrounded him. Despite their sins, when David and Bathsheba sought forgiveness, God gave it to them, but they did suffer consequences. The story continues on past the initial drama through the rest of David’s life and the transfer of power to his son Solomon.

Unafraid is the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. As a young teenager she showed courage, strength, and trust in God in her response to an angel telling her that, unmarried, she would become pregnant through the Holy Spirit with the Son of God. Betrothed to Joseph, she could have been disgraced and executed according to Jewish law. She endured an uncomfortable donkey trip to Bethlehem in her last month of pregnancy and gave birth to her first child in a stable without the help of a midwife. 

This novella takes us through many of the events she witnessed as Jesus began his ministry all the way through his devastatingly horrible crucifixion to his glorious resurrection. Rivers writes what she thinks Mary’s inner struggles must have been and the way she always pointed attention to Jesus and not to herself. In fact, although Jesus made sure she was cared for after his death by his disciple John, he never elevated her as worthy of worship and she never sought such a role.

I enjoyed A Lineage of Grace which is thought provoking. The author made the characters of the Bible come alive and although separate in time and distance, I could see the links between the stories as they all lead to Jesus. The genealogies in the Bible can get tedious, especially if you are trying to pronounce some of those names! The core of this book is found in genealogies, but it comes alive as you look in depth at the bigger picture. Indeed, it’s all about the great Three in One: God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Christian

Notes: My book club read this over five weekly meetings, and it worked well over a busy summer when members could drop in and out without losing the meaning of a longer work.

Publication: 2009—Tyndale House

Memorable Lines:

Unveiled—Was Bathshua blind to what she caused in this household? She constantly pitted son against father and son against son. She argued with Judah over everything—and in front of her sons—teaching them to rebel and follow their own desires rather than do what was best for the family. It was no wonder her mother-in-law was miserable! And everyone was miserable right along with her.

Unashamed—Jericho looked as though a hand had come down from heaven and flattened it against the earth. The walls and towers were scattered stones that had collapsed and rolled outward. Screams still rent the air as smoke and fire rose.

Unshaken—After Mahlon’s death, she decided she would never again allow her mind to dwell on things beyond her control. The future was one of these things. She would face whatever came and do the best with whatever life God gave her.

Unspoken—Yet, crouched at the door was a greater enemy than those who camped around Israel. And a greater battle was coming—one that could tear a nation to pieces. The battle would not take place in the mountains, valleys or plains of Israel. It would take place in the wilderness of the human heart.

Unafraid—“Hasn’t God always chosen things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise? Maybe God chose a peasant girl to be his mother and a carpenter to be his earthly father because the Messiah is meant for all our people, not just those who dwell in the fine houses of the provinces or the palaces of Jerusalem.”