From Amazon.com…
What kind of people does God use to accomplish His work?
Far from the children’s tales depicted in picture books and nursery rhymes, the men and women highlighted in the Bible were unnervingly real. They faltered. They struggled. And at times, they fell short. Yet God worked through them in surprising and incredible ways to accomplish His purposes. Scripture does not hide their weaknesses, caricature their strengths, or spin their stories as a display of human nobility. Instead, it describes these heroes of the faith with unflinching honesty and delivers an unexpected ending: “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Hebrews 11:16).
In Twelve Unlikely Heroes, pastor and best-selling author John MacArthur uses his deep knowledge of the Bible and history to take us back to see these three-dimensional men and women in their own times and cultures. In doing so, it becomes clear how their dramatic stories apply to us today. People who might at first seem foreign quickly become familiar and unforgettable—particularly as they reveal the true Hero behind every witness, the power counterbalancing every weakness, “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1).
In Twelve Unlikely Heroes, John MacArthur takes a deeper look at twelve biblical characters who would seem on the surface to be secondary figures. A closer look, though, shows how Enoch, Joseph, Miriam, Gideon, Samson, Jonathan, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark, and Onesimus were central to the work of God throughout the history of Israel and the early church. Each story shows the movement and working of God’s ultimate plan.
MacArthur is great with giving plenty of Biblical evidence with a heavy emphasis on highlighting ALL parts of Scripture where these particular characters are discussed. He doesn’t shy away from the tougher parts of the stories (Miriam covered in leprosy after challenging Moses, Jonah being disgusted that the people of Nineveh are saved, etc) but tells the entire story from beginning to end. His theology is sound, his application of the text is powerful, and his writing style is easy to understand and entertaining.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine entirely.
Jenn Faulk 