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    The Prophetess: Deborah's Story
    The Prophetess: Deborah's Story
    The Prophetess: Deborah's Story
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Prophetess: Deborah's Story

    Written by Jill Eileen Smith

    Narrated by Rachel Botchan

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Outspoken and fearless, Deborah has faith in God but struggles to see the potential her own life holds. As an Israelite woman, she'll marry, have a family, and seek to teach her children about Adonai--and those tasks seem to be more than enough to occupy her time. But God has another plan for her. Israel has been under the near constant terror of Canaan's armies for twenty years, and now God has called Deborah to deliver her people from this oppression. Will her family understand? Will her people even believe God's calling on her life? And can the menace of Canaan be stopped? With her trademark impeccable research and her imaginative storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the story of Israel's most powerful woman in a novel that is both intriguing and inspiring.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 2, 2016
    ISBN9781501919305
    The Prophetess: Deborah's Story
    Author

    Jill Eileen Smith

    Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's Story, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan. Learn more at www.JillEileenSmith.com.

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    Reviews for The Prophetess

    4.5/5

    40 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Having studied and taught the book of Judges, I was very familiar with the story of Deborah before reading Jill Eileen Smith’s novel, The Prophetess. But what an eye and mind opener this novel is! Following closely the Biblical narrative, it brings the story of Israel’s oppression and triumph to life. Jill did a great job of making me think about the characters as real people. She also focused on the God of Israel — both just and merciful as He deals with his disobedient children. A story from ancient days, Jill makes her readers think about its relevance in today’s culture. This suspenseful book gets a highly recommended read from me!The days of Deborah are filled with fear as the people of Israel hide from the terror that is Sisera. As the Canannite king’s man, Sisera kills, kidnaps and tortures God’s people. The people cry out to God, but He remains silent as some still seek other gods. Deborah is the judge and prophetess who calls the people to repentance and leads them in victory against their oppressors.As I stated above, the Biblical characters of Deborah, Barak, Lappidoth and Jael became very real to me. Without adding to the meaning of scripture, Jill fleshes them out by exploring the what-ifs of their lives. She also adds a few fictional characters who compliment the story without jeopardizing God’s truth. I love Biblical fiction for this very thing, because it puts me in the characters’ lives. How would I have reacted to their experiences? Idol worship led to Israel’s troubles, and it is easy to say we would never act that way. But Jill shows how insidious disobedience is and the great chasm it causes between God and His people. In the course of the book, Deborah asks God why it has taken 20 years for him to respond to the people’s prayers. This is what she learns:They had left Adonai and true worship of Him for the gods of these nations they now battled to overcome. This was not a war of peoples but of the rights of gods to rule. Whose god held the power of life and death? Whose god could destroy both soul and body in Hades? Asherah and Baal? Or Adonai Elohim, the Lord God Almighty?One of the most interesting what-ifs explored is the relationship between Deborah and Lappidoth. In a world where women had few if any rights, Deborah spoke for God. What kind of man would her husband have been? I think Jill does an excellent job of creating a character mentioned only briefly in scripture.So if you are looking for a book that will stretch your imagination, fill you with suspense and make you turn to scripture, then check out The Prophetess.Highly recommended.Audience: older teens to adults.Great for book clubs.(Thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
    • 4/5
      For me, this book started slowly and there was a huge cast of characters to sort out in my head. However, soon the story started to flow and so I became immersed in the plot with its vivid descriptions and complex characters. Although Deborah was the many protagonist, I actually preferred Talya, Deborah's daughter, and Jael. The characters were all flawed with their own fears, doubts and anxieties, but this made them more relatable and realistic. They had to deal with their families, feelings of terror and a longing to be freed from oppression. The descriptions of what happened to the women captured by Sisera were horrific. However, in the end they all proved to be strong, capable women.I also liked Lappidoth, Deborah's husband, and Barak. Suffering from the death of his wife, Barak was fierce and determined to seek revenge. However, he was also willing to follow Deborah without question. I enjoyed how the relationship between Deborah and Lappidoth changed and grew. He was always supportive of his wife, encouraging and he taught her how to read. Even though Deborah was unsure about how she felt about her husband, Lappidoth loved her from the start.Overall, "The Prophetess" was an interesting and entertaining read.
    • 5/5
      The Prophetess, by Jill Eileen Smith, takes Judges 4 and 5 and brings the story of Deborah and Barack to life in living color. Well-researched, true to Jewish culture and history, we are fearfully caught up in the lives of Deborah and her family, starting with her marriage and proceeding all the way through Israel's victory over Canaan.This is more than a story of Deborah, though. It also is a novel of backslidden,desperate Israel, looking for a rescuer from cruel oppressors. It is a tale of Barack and his background and growth as an Israelite leader. We even are treated to an inside view of Jael and Heber's family. While we don't know exactly how history occurred, Smith stays true to Scripture while weaving a dazzling novel of fear, faith, love, uncertainty, and forgiveness.I loved that while the "big" sins were addressed and dealt with, several characters realize that pleasing God is keeping ALL the commandments, something we humans cannot do. These people urged their compatriots to forgive the major, obvious sins, pointing out that we all displease God and need His amazing grace!Jill Eileen Smith has created a book sure to be a bestseller! I gratefully received a copy of this book from Revell Reads and Connywithay.
    • 4/5
      An interesting book that shows how the Prophetess Deborah grew to become the woman she was. She had faith in God, but really struggled to gain her full potential. She strove to be a good wife and mother and to fulfill the plan that God had for her. It was fascinating to see Deborah in a different way and to see how she became the woman that she was. It took great courage for her to step up, especially during this time period. I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review.