Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

Pearl in the Sand, by Tessa Afshar, is an incredible book!

Following the story of Rahab, Afshar gives the reader a beautiful glimpse into what it might have been for this woman, a Canaanite prostitute in Jericho, to betray her people by helping the spies of Israel and then joining the people of Israel... later to marry a leader in the tribe of Judah and give birth to Boaz, who is in the line of Jesus. What an incredible redemption of her story!

I was fascinated by the cultural elements of this story, and the in-depth exploration of Rahab's journey as a foreigner, a member of an enemy people, and a prostitute, to 'ancestor' of Jesus. In addition to her struggle, Afshar also gives insight to the current conflicts in the people of Israel, highlighting that this is not long after Moses has died, as well as the last of the earlier generation of people who escaped Egypt. This is a group of people—millions—who didn't know what it meant to stay in one place, to work the land, or to settle down. The psychological dynamics of that are so interesting to me! 

There were definitely physical, mental, and spiritual elements of this dynamic as well, as Joshua says to Salmone on page 100: "'I understand the root of your opinions; I know how you formed them. It's part and parcel of the way you young ones grew up. Your generation has had a hard lesson to learn. Your parents' and grandparents' lack of faith and disobedience changed your lives. Instead of being born and raised in homes of your own, you've endured the hardships of a meandering existence. You have never known the routine of a stable home life. The one security you young ones have known has been the Lord. It has made you cling to God in a way your parents weren't able to do. Perhaps your children's generation won't inherit your resolve either. Maybe that's why God allowed you to become wanderers in the first place.

But there is an underside to every strength, and yours is showing right now, Salmone. You have grown judgmental in your attempt at righteousness.'"

This book is obviously Biblical fiction, based on extensive research and also the author's imagination. But this paragraph really grabbed me, because it took me into the world of the younger generation of Israelites and their culture. Having lived with the consequences of their parents' and grandparents' sin in such a national way, it makes sense that it would greatly impact the younger generation in a powerful (and opposite) way. 

Was the problem described by Joshua (at Afshar's hand) a real problem? We might not know until Heaven, but I can't wait to find out! Let me know what you think in the comments below!