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Book Review–The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea-Malachi

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About the Book:

Book: The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi The Minor Prophets

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Non-fiction, Bible Study

Release Date: February 19, 2026

Are you overwhelmed by the evil and suffering around you?

In the time of the Minor Prophets, evil seduces and overpowers God’s people. The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi tracks what happens and why. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.

As God’s disobedient people race toward destruction, the prophets do all they can to stop them. The sins and problems they address still plague us today. But their visions of a day when God deals with Satan and makes all things new gives us hope. Evil is a reality we cannot escape apart from God’s grace. If we have drifted, the prophets show us the way back. If we are holding to the Lord, they show us how to endure dark times with optimism and purpose.

My Thoughts:

This book is very encouraging, and informative. I appreciate the way information about the prophets is presented in frequent tables. Some of those tables correlate the prophets with the kings, and with the nations around them. I find that information quite helpful. 

One line that stood out to me was in the entry for Habbakuk 2: “If the wicked do not turn to the Lord, they will harden against Him. Difficult times either embitter us or strengthen our faith.” That reminded me of the discussion we had nearly ten years ago, right after our teenage son suddenly died. We discussed that we could let this experience make us better—or bitter, and our family decided to allow God to make us better through it. Another quote that stood out was from Malachi 1: “If we give Him the dregs of our time, efforts and resources, … we insult Him.” Rather convicting!

I have come to really appreciate this series. They help me to think more deeply about the passages I read. I have been reading 1-3 chapters of the Bible a day, and the accompanying commentary from this series.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

More from Karen:

Throwing Jonah Overboard

Jonah is a minor prophet with a big story. The tale of a runaway prophet who is swallowed by a big fish is the perfect analogy for many of life’s upsetting circumstances like the one my minister friend is experiencing.

He had to report his boss for ongoing unethical behavior. The church leaders listened and are now verifying facts, a process that could take weeks. In the meantime, the board asked my friend to stay in his role and submit to his boss with kindness and respect while they decide how to proceed. Because he loves the Lord, the church, and its leaders, he wants to comply. Yet he feels like he’s been thrown overboard. How can he maintain a good attitude while working daily under someone who has hurt him and the ministry so deeply?

I immediately thought of Jonah. God commanded him to go Nineveh and warn people of coming judgment. Jonah did not want to go. For good reason. The Ninevites had raped, pillaged, and burned their way through his home territory multiple times. So, instead of obeying, Jonah boards a ship heading the opposite direction. But the Lord sends a violent storm that threatens to sink the ship. When the crew cast lots to see who brought this calamity on them, the lot falls on Jonah. He tells them to throw him overboard and they will be saved. Not wanting to take a life, the sailors delay but ultimately toss him into the sea.

We may identify with Jonah if our choices have put others at risk. Or perhaps we’ve felt like the sailors, caught in the consequences of someone else’s action. In my friend’s case, his courageous decision to speak up intensified a storm already brewing. Now he bears the brunt of it.

Storms take us to the depths. The discomfort of tense relationships can feel as confining and foul as the belly of a whale. But Jonah’s story gives us a needed perspective. The crisis was never just about the prophet. As the pagan crew wrestled with fear and guilt, God was working in their hearts. After He calmed the sea, they offered sacrifices and made vows to Him. Jonah’s crisis led to their salvation and proved a major theme of Scripture—God is in control.

In the book of Jonah, God doesn’t reveal truth through the words of the prophet but through the man’s pitiful example. His life is a mirror. We see his rebellion, his anger, his submission (of sorts), his obedience (of sorts), and see ourselves. The contrast between us and Jesus couldn’t be sharper. The Father sent His Son into enemy territory too, but Jesus didn’t run. He loved us. Died for us. Saved us. And now He calls us—just as he called Jonah—to rescue others.

We are God’s messengers and He will reveal Himself through us one way or another. So we should not be surprised to find ourselves in situations where our survival depends on Him. Being thrown overboard does not mean abandonment. It’s the opposite. Whether we jump or are tossed in by others, we fall into the hands of the living God. Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.” That fish—as scary as he must’ve been to Jonah—saved him from drowning. It’s often the same for us. The dark place looming before us can be our deliverance.

Jesus used the story of Jonah to describe His death and resurrection: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Unlike Christ, Jonah was guilty. Bad choices got him to the point where sacrificing himself was the only way to save his shipmates. To his credit, he went willingly. And at that moment, Jonah became Christ-like—choosing death so others could live.

God’s plan always includes others. In the vortex, they too will make choices that affect their character and eternal destiny. But whether we or those in the boat with us act out of honor, necessity, or maliciousness, God remains Lord of the storm.

As it rages, God may call us to return to the very ones who hurt us and show them the mercy Christ showed us. We may sit in the belly of the whale for a season engulfed in grief or confusion. Yet even that dark space has its blessings. Jonah used his “time out” to confess his need, express gratitude, and commit to obeying the Lord. We can do the same.

One of the many lessons in Jonah is this: God never gives up on us. He will track us to the end of the earth—not only to restores us to Himself but to make us effective messengers. He wants everyone around us to know that Jesus saves, that He is sovereign, and that there is no cause for fear. “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Ps. 135:6). Even if life throws us overboard, we are never abandoned. Never adrift. God is in control and our lives are in His hands.

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August 2026 Photos

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I think this happens every year–we take so many pictures early in the year that I get way behind with posting them, and then in the winter we nearly hibernate and I get all caught up. One of the younger girls took this picture one sunny day, and I loved it. Notice Princess, to the far left? She is convinced that all cats are terrible–even though those other two are her daughters. Grizzly, the one to the far right, is the fattest cat I’ve ever had. She weighs 7 kilograms.

This was a wedding the girls held one day. It took a lot of ingenuity to make the audience sit up.

Toothpick arrows to go with a miniature bow.

We played Code Names one day, and this boy decided to model the spy look.

The girls decorated a bicycle one day.

Reepicheep loves wet lettuce. First he bathes himself by rubbing all over it, and then eats it. Usually he gets it in his cage, but someone gave him some in the window one day.

This clown makes funny faces! He thought he turned it off before I took a picture…

The little girls fixed a tea party for Esther and I one sunny afternoon. They had great fun!

For her birthday meal, Miss Joy wanted Ambrosia.

This is the time of year for rainbows!

New in the Library! August 2026

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Welcome back for this month’s spotlight on books! To begin, I came across a blog post that had some wonderful thoughts about choosing books for our children to read. It is written by a Christian mother whose children attend public school. She has several simple lists of things to look for in choosing books and discussing them. Have a look for some inspiration!

The same friend from whom we acquired a lot of easy readers last month found more books to give away. This time, I chose a number of beautiful picture books. Aren’t they gorgeous? We’re enjoying exploring them, and I hope other families will borrow them and also enjoy them.

This first book is another from my friend. One day, we went secondhand shopping locally, and found several craft books. My little girls are really into this kind of projects right now. We have quite an extensive collection of such books, if anyone else needs activities for their children.

In the secondhand shops, I also found these two books for the New Zealand Picture Books shelf. The Naughtiest Puppy is a delightful story about a sheepdog, and Sam’s First Swim is set in Kaikoura. That place feels like home to us, since we went there for church for eight years.

I loved the pictures in these books about spiders and desert animals. I’ve always been fascinated by the Berlin Wall, ever since learning about it when I was in third grade. The title is a bit of a misnomer, though; the book is about the building of the wall and its history, rather than its end.

My friend also gave us some more early readers. The two about cooking are a lot of fun for my little girls! I found Plenty of Penguins at one of the op shops.

Some of our read-alouds this month included the old favorite The Hundred Dresses. I’ve probably read this one aloud four or five times, and never get tired of it. It’s a wonderful story about two girls learning how their actions affected another girl. This copy is on the verge of falling apart, and has a tunnel through it where an unknown insect attacked it decades ago before we got it, but the story is still fresh and alive. The Nine Lives of Montezuma is the first Michael Morpurgo book I’ve read aloud, although I have read a few myself. We all enjoyed this story of a farm cat who well and truly used up his nine lives. The Llama Who Had No Pajama is one of my favorite children’s poetry books. It contains a large variety of types of poem, mostly about animals, and the pictures are fun, too.

Little Britches is such a joy to read aloud. I was trying to remember how many times I’ve read this book. I believe I read it aloud four times now, and to myself at least once. I love this book–and the whole series. Return of the White Book is also wonderful. It’s a completely different setting and theme; this one describes how the Karen People of Burma learned about Jesus, and then took God’s Word to other people groups near them. And then, there is The Shakespeare Stealer. What a fun adventure/mystery story set in and around the Globe Theater! We enjoy it every time we read it. (News flash–I think I just bought the other two books in the trilogy! I’m waiting for the purchase to be confirmed.)

I have been reading Egermeier’s Bible Story Book to my youngest daughter for a little over a year, and we finally reached the end. I have read this with almost all of my children when they were 5-6 years old. It’s a great introduction to the entire Bible. I also read her Johnny Appleseed (in one sitting). This is a gorgeous picture book biography. I love the story and the illustrations. In our trip through world history, we have reached the early 1600s, so I read Peter and the Pilgrims to the children. It’s a good peek into the voyage of the Mayflower.

It’s been many years since I read any George MacDonald books, but in reading Sir Gibbie I remembered why I like them. It’s a slow read, but very good. And isn’t this a beautiful edition! What Money Can’t Buy is a very personal glimpse into the Great Depression and how individual farm families were affected. I really liked this one. I read A Boys and Girls Life of Christ to the children for our morning reading time. I liked the way it told the life of Christ as a continuous narrative. There were two places where we noted some doctrinal differences to our beliefs, and I mentioned them in my review.

Yours, Anne provides a good introduction to The Diary of Anne Frank. It describes Anne’s life before, during, and after her years of hiding in a house in Amsterdam. Not I, But Christ was one of last year’s Bookarama finds. It is a collection of short (2-3 pages) radio talks that Corrie gave. I found them encouraging and sometimes convicting. Farm Boy came from the Bookarama last year, too. It is a sequel to War Horse, which I also enjoyed.

We all like Stone Soup, so when I found one, I got it. It’s not our favorite version, but will do till we get a better one. The Cow Who Fell In the Canal is just plain fun. I love the style of pictures in it! Wombat Goes to School was a birthday present from someone for Miss Joy. It joins the other two Wombat books that we have.

Flood and Snowy were also birthday presents for her. Flood describes a flood that happened in Australia, while Snowy is about a little girl who lived on a canal boat in England, and her pet, the horse that pulled the boat. Two Are Better Than One is a lovely story about two friends, age 13, and their last year of school before high school. This is a great story for girls.

These two Popular books were also birthday presents. They are collections of stories for little children, apparently printed in the 1950s. I love the illustrations! The Bears of Blue River is a boy’s adventure story. The main character tangles with one bear after another. It is set in the early 1800s in Indiana.

These two books by Kate DiCamillo are from the same series. They are both rather goofy stories with funny illustrations. Franklin Endicott and the Third Key has a main character who learns how to deal with worries that have taken over his life, and Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon shows a person learning how to conquer fears. I read Made You Look slowly, a couple of pages a day. My children became acutely aware of advertising and how it works on us. This book has sparked many discussions!

I bought three more Life of Fred books this month, to complete the elementary series. These are a fun way to learn math concepts, as well as much more about life.

We’re slowly reading through all the Swallows and Amazons books, and just finished Winter Holiday. One of my little girls asked if we have the whole series, and was delighted when I told her we do. Takashi’s Voyage and Six Little New Zealanders have been on the shelf for a long time, and I finally got around to screening them. Takashi’s Voyage is a delightful story of a sailing voyage from Japan to New Jersey. In Six Little New Zealanders, we get a glimpse at what happens when six children, ages 9-19, suddenly move onto their three bachelor uncles’ farm for a year. What an adventure!

I always enjoy books by Jean Fritz, and the perspective offered in Early Thunder is really interesting. What was life like for people loyal to the king who happened to live in New England in 1774? Most books I read are written from the perspective of those who wanted independence, but there were also a lot of Loyalists. A Fistful of Summer is a series of stories about a child’s life in Christchurch and Wellington during the Great Depression. Horse Stories From the Man Who Played With Sticks is intended for two groups of people–children who love horse stories, and their parents who need to know how to train their children for obedience.

I’m working through a pile of My Story books, deciding which ones merit a place on our shelves and which I don’t want to keep. Sabotage! made the cut; it is the story of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in the Auckland Harbour, and how Greenpeace gained a foothold in this country. I also liked Journey to Tangiwai and Nowhere to Run.

One day, after meeting some friends for lunch in Reefton, I popped into a secondhand book shop that I’ve been looking at when I passed by for several years. One book I found was one that Esther and I read and enjoyed after borrowing it from a friend. Minka and Margaret is quite an inspiring story.

To borrow any of these books or others, please go to our catalog. Find out how we loan books on this page.

Lemons!

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One thing I loved about this house when we bought it was the big lemon tree beside our side door, the one we use the most. This year it had more lemons on it than I’ve ever seen before. They were starting to rot and fall off last week, so I decided to pick most of them and juice them, then freeze the juice in ice cube containers to use later. Aren’t they gorgeous? I would guess we won’t get very many this next year, though, since the tree has put so much energy into this crop. I’ll prune it, instead. Lemon trees thrive on pruning, but when the branches are laden with fruit I can’t bring myself to cut them off. By the way, what I picked was only about 2/3 of the total–the tree still has a lot on it!

More of Elijah’s Pictures

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Elijah spent a week in Franz Josef for work recently, and this picture was on his phone from that time. He sees some amazing scenery on the job!

This was another day, and close to home. Elijah helped get a round bale for the cattle, and took this picture looking east toward the mountains. When it’s not raining here, it is gorgeous!

For this week’s LandSAR training, he had to start a fire without matches, out in the bush. It was raining, which added to the challenge. He used a plastic tarp he carries in his pack to shield the fire, and ended up with the best fire of anyone in his group.

He also went to a larger course with LandSAR this week, to learn better how to use stretchers and ropes. It was held at Fox Glacier (the town), and the pictures he came home with are amazing! Mount Cook is in the second and third pictures, mostly obscured behind clouds in the center. Fox Glacier (the ice) is in the valley in the center of the first picture.

July 2026 Photos

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Princess loves this basket! No matter how lumpy the things stored in it, she’ll curl up and sleep here for hours.

Two of our church families own a dairy farm, and they invited us for a bonfire the evening of Matariki (Maori New Years). It was a cold, frosty night, but it was a great time to sit around a fire and roast sausages and marshmallows, and just be together. On the way there, I was admiring the silhouette of the mountains, and tried to get a picture of them in the sunset light.

I had to take Mr. Imagination to Christchurch one day to see an eye specialist because he injured one eye (it’s fine now), and on the way home we enjoyed seeing the sunset light reflected on the mountains. It was much more beautiful than this picture can show.

One of the many creations we get to enjoy.

This rainbow was visible on the way home from church one afternoon. We see many rainbows here!

The table broke one day, and Elijah fixed it. So wonderful to have handymen around!

We went to Greymouth for another eye appointment, and had an extra half hour or more, so the children and I explored the quay. We’ve never taken time for that, and really enjoyed it!

I went shopping in my favorite supermarket one day, and collected all these ingredients for a couple of meals.

One of the girls made this for her breakfast one morning.

Miss Joy got hold of my phone one evening and took pictures of everyone.

The little girls and I met some of my friends at a cafe in Reefton for lunch one day. When I spotted this collage on the wall, I took a picture for Elijah, who collects stamps.

The girls like dolling each other up and then taking pictures!

This bird loves screens. The children practice their typing by racing cars on the computer, and Reepicheep chases the cars across the screen. Rather distracting!

June 2026 Photos

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There are just a few more photos left from June that I haven’t used yet! I took this first one when we spent a day in town. We ate lunch at the Greymouth breakwall at the mouth of the Grey River. It was a beautiful day, and we could see the snow-capped Southern Alps way off in the distance, including Mount Cook. If you can zoom in enough, you should be able to see them just right of the center of the horizon.

I spent an afternoon cleaning dead bean vines off the trellis, and Miss Joy helped me. She wanted to climb as high as she could!

Her sharp eyes spotted a spider on this post. I had a hard time seeing it with the naked eye, and it’s harder yet in this picture! It’s along the left side, just below center.

Miss Joy wanted a picture of her hair done up like this when the girls were playing one afternoon.

This was the front view of her costume!

Esther came across a series on YouTube about life in Tudor England, and after watching one episode, Mr. Imagination and the girls created this eel trap. They decided, after completing it and watching an eel go in, grab the bait and go back out, that our eels are longer than English eels. Needless to say after that, they haven’t caught anything.

New in the Library! July 2026

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These three were among the read-alouds we finished in July. Coot Club is in the Swallows and Amazons series. I thought it was Book 4, but after we finished it I discovered that it actually comes after the next one we picked up. Oh, well. It doesn’t matter much; each book is pretty much a stand-alone story. This one is all about sailing around on rivers in England. No Children, No Pets has been a favorite story in our family for many years. I think this is the third time I’ve read it aloud, and each of the children to whom I’ve read it has loved this tale of three children, their mother, and their pet cat as they discover the motel that Mother just inherited in Florida. Wild Places is a favorite, too. Each page has 6-8 pictures of various environments and the people and animals who live in them.

We enjoyed learning about rowing a Bronze Age galley, and about ancient Greece and Greek myths, from The Jason Voyage. Prairie Child turned out to be a favorite story. The girls in this story don’t mean to get into trouble, but they frequently do. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. The Family Under the Bridge has been a family favorite for many years. I enjoyed reading it to the children again!

These are some of my recent purchases that I screened for the library this month. A Winter’s Day in 1939 is an amazing World War II story. It is narrated by a young boy whose Polish family were forced off their farm in Ukraine and sent to Siberia. For a war story, it is surprisingly gentle. I would have no problem letting an 8-year-old read it alone. Holes, on the other hand, is a much harder book. It is set in a juvenile detention facility where the young offenders must dig holes in a blistering desert every day. Why? The answer is unexpected, as is the result of this treatment on the main character. This one goes on the Young Adult shelf, as does I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. This is one we owned many years ago, which I sold in a temporary fit of insanity which has resulted in my buying a number of books for a second time when I came to my senses. It has many questionable factors in it, but the overall story is wonderful.

Joric and the Dragon has nothing to do with horses, despite the dust jacket cover. It is set in England, about a boy who pretends to be his godly twin brother instead of his misbehaving self. Gipsy Michael tells the story of the West Coast gold rush and the Maori wars in New Zealand in the 1860s from the perspective of a young boy who was involved. There are some icky scenes, but the author assures us that every event described is actual history. Surviving Sharks would be great to hand to a boy who loves stories of danger. Don’t give it to a child with an overactive imagination!

Betsey’s Wishes is set in Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. It is based on family records, and is a fairly interesting book about a 10-year-old girl trying to grow up. I found The Case for a Creator a very readable and interesting (actually fascinating!) account of a man’s search for truth. I found the chapter about consciousness especially interesting, as well as the statement in the chapter about astronomy that the universe seems to be designed for discovery. All About Napoleon Bonaparte is a very interesting biography. It’s the kind of book that made me fall in love with biographies when I discovered them at the library in the early 1980s.

I also read a number of Bobbsey Twins books back then. When I found a few copies last year I picked them up to see what I think of them now. They are lovely stories of a family; some have the children solving a mystery, and some don’t, but the children always have adventures.

Esther visited a secondhand bookshop in Dunedin while she was down there for a couple of weeks. She found an unabridged copy of Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret to replace the one she bought awhile back. It did not say it was abridged, but compared to the audiobook she listened to, there was a lot missing. Comparing the two print copies confirmed to us that we don’t want abridged books! She also found a copy of Pat of Silver Bush to add to her L. M. Montgomery collection, and read What if They Find Us? which she bought last year. She said it is very good.

A local homeschooling friend invited me to have a look at the books she was sorting out to give away/sell as she packs to move, and suddenly, the month that I thought would not see many new ones for this post got changed! I brought home 60 books, but some of them are waiting for me to read them first. Among the rest were many easy readers. What a windfall! Easy readers have been very popular, and my youngest is right at that stage now.

I bought Yell and Tell from her. This isn’t a topic I really like to read about with my little children, but it is so necessary for them to know what to do if they are ever molested. I decided to house it on the Adult Miscellaneous shelf, rather than the picture books shelf, and added two more books that I had kept in a closet. This way, they will be easily accessible for adults, but children aren’t likely to notice them.

One of my teenage sons loves The Wingfeather Saga and the Green Ember series, so I brought home all she had to offer of those. He was delighted to buy them from me for what I gave her for them, as well as another Ranger’s Apprentice book. I also brought home The Mill on the Floss to add to our classics collection.

Finally, I chose What Makes You Ill for the children’s science shelf, and a few books for the Independent Readers shelf. I had never seen an Amelia Bedelia chapter book, but I’ll be watching for those. She also had several Paddington books that we didn’t have yet. My little girls love them!

Betteken’s Refuge has been on the shelf for many years, but I finally read it. We have read another book about Maeyken Wens; this one tells the same story but from a different perspective. This is a look at a girl whose mother died for her faith. White Water was quite a contrast. It is the story of a group of people, including some from New Zealand, who took jet boats up the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon–the only time that was ever done. I had forgotten that jet boats were invented here, but this is the story of the inventor and his family. It’s quite an adventure! I also finished The Bible Companion Book 8; I’m enjoying this Bible Study series.

At the shop in Dunedin, Esther found Peter Duck. Now we have the entire Swallows and Amazons series! We really enjoyed this [rather unrealistic] adventure story!

Big River? Not Today!

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A couple of weeks ago, the boys took some friends who were visiting on a four wheel drive trip up the Big River track. They decided to do an easy track this time so they wouldn’t break anything. They got a short distance up the track, and found a washout. That took some time, while they jacked up the back corner of each truck and put rocks under. They kept going; about halfway to the end, they came to a tree across the track. They had failed to take chain saws along, but had an axe and a hatchet, so they attacked the tree with that. Once they had gotten through the tree (best guess is that it was a red birch; it was extremely hard wood), they pulled it off the track with a strap. In doing that, one of the trucks nearly went over the cliff–see the last several seconds of the second video. I’m glad I wasn’t there. They pulled the truck back up, and turned around to go home. They got here just before dark!

Book Review–The Bible Companion Book Isaiah-Daniel

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About the Book:

Book: The Bible Companion Book 8 Isaiah-Daniel

Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow

Genre: Non-Fiction, Bible Study

Release Date: December, 2025Are you or someone you love on the wrong path?

The Bible Companion Book 8 Isaiah–Daniel helps us see both warning and hope in the messages of the prophets. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.

The Major Prophets give us perspectives of judgment that challenge our lifestyles and understanding of God. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel help us see the Lord at work in dark times. Whether you are suffering the consequences of your own sin or caught in the fallout of the choices of others, The Bible Companion Book 8 points you toward a sovereign God whose power redeems tragedies and transforms them into new beginnings.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book, as I have the other books in this series. I like reading a chapter or two from the Bible, and then reading this author’s notes about that chapter. A few things stood out to me especially; in the commentary for Isaiah 6, where God calls Isaiah to the ministry, the author has noted that every believer receives such a calling, in some measure. Then, in Isaiah 45, where a prophecy mentions Cyrus the Persian by name, the author notes that, when God uses nonbelievers to do His work, we can’t base our support of them on their attitudes or actions—only on His righteousness. I also really appreciate the informational tables that are sprinkled throughout the book, organizing information in a very accessible way. There are tables comparing the prophets and their work, a table listing all the kings of both Israel and Judah, and one showing world events at the time. These are very helpful.

There were a couple of statements that pulled me up short, however. In one place, the statement is made that Assyria made Babylon her capital. That may be true—but I never caught that anywhere else. Also, in a note after Isaiah 39, the author suggests that two different men may have written the book of Isaiah. Otherwise, I appreciated everything I read.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

About the Author:

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

More from Karen:

In 1997 the car my 18-year-old son Michael and four other teenagers were riding in flipped on a country road. Mike suffered a permanent traumatic brain injury. Before that night, we already knew he was in trouble. He’d been in rehab. Through his program, I’d received an education in drugs and alcohol that opened my naive eyes (and nose) to substances I’d had no experience with. Pot was the least of Mike’s problems but the pungent odor from the water pipe he used to smoke it—a bong—would permeate his clothes and tip me off that he had broken house rules once again. In a sad attempt at humor in those dark days, I became so sensitive to the smell of marijuana that I could probably tell you what country it came from. I hated the stench but more than that, I hated what it told me—that Mike didn’t respect us or the boundaries we’d set to protect him, that he was headed for tragedy, and we were powerless to stop him.

This is probably how the prophets felt as they watched their beloved nations of Israel and Judah rebel against the Lord. The people in these kingdoms blatantly disregarded the laws God gave for their protection. They embraced lifestyles that brought shame to His name and His house. God warned that the path they were on would lead to famine, war, disease, and deportation but they ignored Him even though He described judgment in detail. He named names, times, places. To no avail.

Would Mike have changed his ways if I had been able to see into the future and describe the car accident, the excruciating physical rehab, the permanent mental and physical impairments, and the loneliness he would suffer? Probably not. At least that is what he tells me. (He has given me permission to share his story.) So why wouldn’t he listen? The prophets tell us that sin blinds people to the consequences of their actions.

So, if sinners cannot take the truth to heart, why did God give us the books of prophecy? Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” There’s always a chance someone will listen. Pain gets the attention of saint and sinner alike. The prophetic books do warn those on the wrong path, but they also encourage godly people who are caught up in the judgment of the wicked. Anyone who lost a loved one to addiction or drained family resources to give someone a chance at a new life knows what I mean.

Mike required 24-hour care after he was discharged from the hospital. My husband Joe and I built an apartment in our walk-out basement for him. Mike had a caregiver during the day. My younger son David (a high-school junior), my husband Joe and I shared duties at night. We had no elevator. We could walk down the stairs to Mike but for him to join us on the upper level required pushing him up a steep ramp outside. Having dinner together took monumental effort. In winter, it meant dressing Mike warmly then one of us had to don a heavy coat, hat, and gloves, and roll him up the ramp. After dinner, we’d reverse the process. One night I decided to fix my signature spaghetti dinner and serve it downstairs, thinking it might be a better solution.

It was a disaster from beginning to end.

Joe and David were not home yet, and Mike’s caregiver was gone for the day. I was on my own. As I wore myself out with multiple trips up and down the stairs—setting the table, bringing down salad, bread, and drinks—the spaghetti sauce burned. I felt sick looking at the charred flecks bubbling up through the gravy that I had nursed for over three hours. Still, I refused to give up. I ladled sauce over hot pasta and hoped for the best. At last, the family gathered around the small table downstairs, held hands, and gave thanks.

David took the first bite then sat straight up. “Mom,” he said, “what’s up with the spaghetti? It tastes like bong water!” Michael laughed hysterically. I burst into tears. I don’t know what all I said. I sobbed through a litany of frustrations about the dinner and my failures as a wife, mother, caregiver, and person. To put it politely, I was inconsolable. David put his arms around me and said, “Dad, I’m going to put Mom to bed.” Joe—wide eyed because I’d never lost it like this before—nodded and quietly gathered up the plates.

David led me upstairs and tucked me in bed like I was a two-year old. It was oddly comforting. He closed the door softly behind him and then I cried it out.

Bong water? To have my cooking compared to the symbol of the rebellion that had led us to this point was too much. I wasn’t just upset over a ruined meal—I was overcome by exhaustion from a journey that I had not asked for. A journey I had done everything to divert Mike from. A journey that was far from over.

It is precisely when we realize we’re in a difficult place for the long haul that we most need the message God gives through the prophets. He says, “Don’t give up, pain doesn’t last forever. Cry, I hear you. Rest, I’ll restore you. Trust me, I will take care of you. I am using this tragedy to prove myself to you and everyone watching you.”

It took a while before I could believe it, but God keeps His word. I found that out the hard way.

Ever so-often when I fix spaghetti (still a family favorite) one of us will bring up the bong water incident. Today, we can laugh about it because in the intervening years, Mike has come to the Lord, and God has sustained our family with miracle after miracle. Thinking about burned spaghetti sauce no longer brings tears because what God has done has stripped that moment of its power. The despair I felt then has been redeemed. That dinner is now a memory that binds our family together. It reminds us how far we’ve come and how faithful God is.

That’s what the books of the prophets will do for us. If God can redeem that stubborn, sinful people, He can redeem us. If He can give them a future, He can do the same for us. The Lord transforms tragedy into triumph. Every time. For believers, bong water is never the end of the story.

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