Blogger Merideth Rivers Review of "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers (No relation)
“If there is any good thing in you, thank God for it, and come to him for more; but if there is no good thing whatever in you, come without any good thing, and let Christ begin at the very beginning with you, in all your emptiness, and need, and spiritual beggary and loathsomeness.”
-Charles Spurgeon
Book Summary:
In Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers (no relation!) retells the story of Hosea and Gomer set in the mid-1800s California gold country. Many of us know this bible story -- God tells the prophet Hosea to marry “a wife of whoredome”. What Rivers does with this story is she tells it with all of the incredibly raw, emotional details. It’s easy to read what God asked of Hosea and then move on, but think about the struggle and hardship brought about by that marriage. It could not have been as easy as turning the page.
The two main characters in the book are Michael Hosea, a farmer, and Angel, a prostitute. Angel possesses the kind of beauty that makes people stop and stare on the side of the road, mouth agape. That coupled with her tragic childhood found her sold into prostitution at the age of eight.
Michael Hosea, a man after God’s heart, hears a clear command from God to marry a woman he sees walking on the street, and it just so happens this woman is the highest-priced prostitute in the city.
What follows is 400 pages of Michael being obedient to God’s command even when it’s extremely difficult and Angel struggling to deal with her past and give in to loving and being loved.
3 Reasons You Will Enjoy It:
The Story of You
This book is a beautiful picture of marriage between man and woman, but even more so, between man and God. It’s a story of God’s faithfulness.
When I look at Angel, I see myself. I see bitterness towards God for things I feel He’s left undone. I see shame and guilt, someone unworthy of being loved by God. I see someone who’s prone to wander, to fall back into old ways and settle back into old habits.
But then I look at Michael and I see God. I see His unrelenting love for His children. I see a kind of love that is overwhelming, that I’ll never wrap my mind around. I see His forgiveness and His willingness to reach His hand back down to me every time.
Every time I read Redeeming Love, I’m reminded that there’s no place I can go that’s too dark or too low for Him to find me again.
Francine Rivers doesn’t censor the uncomfortable parts.
Angel has a very dark and tormenting past, and the things she experienced exist in the real world. Rivers takes us through Angel’s horrifying experiences, all the way down to the depths of Sheol, to show us that God can redeem even the darkest situations and use them for good.
3. It’s real love.
Look, I’ll be the first to tell you I’m a sucker for romance novels and movies. But then I often find myself holding my husband to unfair, unrealistic expectations and I start to get upset at him for not acting like the characters I read about or watch. That’s just not fair because they’re not real!
This story is different. This love story is real! I think that’s the best part of it all, that we can actually experience the love displayed in this book if we choose to. If we ask and seek and knock, God will open the door for us and we can run straight into His loving arms.
Deeper Thoughts:
Angel’s character is a beautiful representation of God redeeming the sinner, AKA all of us, and while I definitely relate to her character, there is another character that I feel maybe I’m more prone to act like.
Michael’s brother-in-law comes into the picture pretty early on and he recognizes Angel from the brothel she worked in. Instantly, and for almost the entire novel, he doesn’t release her of that identity. He is cold and judgemental and cruel as she tries to put that life behind her. He only sees her as a lowly prostitute, unworthy of the life and love Michael has given her.
Too often, we get on our high-horse and forget where God has rescued us from. We don’t deserve grace just as much as the next person, but that’s why it’s called grace. The definition literally says “free and unmerited favor”.
If there’s any character I wish to be more like, it’s Michael. He is a faithful steward of God’s will. He doesn’t give up, even when he really really wants to, but he trusts that God’s plan is good. In the end, Rivers writes, “he had opened himself up to be used in her life by Christ. Through him, Christ had been able to fill her until she was overflowing,” (452).
When I finished reading this book, I felt I had been refreshed. I go through seasons where the truth sometimes feels stale for me, but after reading Redeeming Love, I found myself with more of a zeal to be like Michael, to be like Christ, so that others may know Him through me.
And if all of that isn’t enough, Rivers writes in a way that captivated me from the beginning. Both times I’ve read this book, I’ve read it cover to cover in about two days or less..and I’m normally a slow reader! So if you’re sitting poolside or oceanside this summer with nothing to read, I encourage you to grab this book and be reminded of the truth about God’s redeeming love.
More Resources:
Merideth has her own blog called “little intentions” where she encourages her readers to make mindful choices. Take a look at Merideth’s Blog here!
Check out the Bible Binge podcast for a modern day discussion about Hosea and Gomer