This book was much better than the only other book in the series I have read, Twelve Extraordinary Women, which did not capture my attention very well. I'm not sure that I can pinpoint why, but this 3rd book in the 'Twelve' series really started my thought processes more in regards to the characters dealt with, and God's usage of them.

I'll say at the start that I appreciate that MacArthur doesn't try to make you see types in the people and events discussed, but takes the people and events as literal. And so takes the inspired apostle Paul literally when he said that " Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17 ASV) Which I would assume to mean that every inspired scripture is profitable as it is, without having to change it into allegory for it to be profitable. As an example of this, in dealing with Sampson, the author uses Sampson as an example for teaching and instruction in righteousness, stating that "His[Sampson's] fatal attraction to pagan women was not only the pattern of his life, but proved to be the path to his death. If Sampson were Superman, his own sinful desires were his kryptonite. He could kill a lion, but not his lust. He could break new ropes, but not old habits. He could defeat armies of Philistine soldiers, but not his own flesh. He could carry away the gates of a city but allowed himself to be carried away when lost in passion."

MacArthur draws insights from literal Scripture, in his chapter on Jonah he notes that "The pagan sailors recognize the Lord's power over creation and worship Him as a result. The pagan King of Nineveh likewise recognizes God's sovereign hand. Surprisingly, the only person who resists God is Jonah - the prophet of Israel who acknowledged the Lord's sovereignty with his lips (Jonah1:9)yet rebelled against it with his life." And all this without any of the characters or objects in the historical accounts having to symbolize Christ.

For the most part, MacArthur keeps the focus on what the Scriptures actually say. When dealing with James the brother of Christ, and how many people wonder about Jesus' childhood and that there are myths about miracles He performed as a youth, It is pointed out that "The normalcy of Jesus' childhood and early adulthood is confirmed by the fact that when He began His public ministry, His former neighbors in Nazareth did not believe Him to be the Messiah."

Now for the negative. "From the beginning, the Lord elected Israel to be a nation of Missionaries. As His chosen people, they were to be a light to the Gentiles - a people so passionate in their devotion to the Lord and zealous for other nations to love and worship the true God that their corporate testimony would reverberate throughout the world....the people of Israel as whole failed in their missionary task......When Jonah rebelled against the Lord's command and ran in the opposite direction, he epitomized the collective failure of the nation of Israel." Where is Israel ever told that they were to be Missionaries to the Gentiles? I know that they will be Missionaries of a sort in the Millennial Kingdom, but where are they ever commanded to attempt to 'convert' people on this side of things? God Himself commanded them to wipe out the other nations as they were moving into the promised land, not to evangelize them. From the Scriptures, I understand that they were to be sanctified from the nations around them, and to welcome strangers/aliens, not to actively pursue them as possible converts. Besides this, MacArthur sometimes delves into the realm of speculation when he states the possible feelings and thoughts of various characters. There are some other things, but I'm sure they'll be noticed by the studied reader.

That stated, it was an interesting look at the lives of these 'twelve unlikely heroes'(though I have some trouble with the word 'hero' but I can overlook it). MacArthur states "Some heroes are made in a moment. Others are defined by a lifetime." And most importantly as he also points out, "Noah did not preserve the ark in the midst of the flood; Abraham did not make himself the father of a great nation; Joshua did not cause the walls of Jericho to fall down; and David did not defeat Goliath on his own. In each of these well-known examples, and in every other case, the Hero behind the heroes is always the Lord. In literature, the hero is the main protagonist, the principle character, and the central figure of the narrative. That is certainly true of God throughout the pages of Scripture. He is the One who always provides the victory. It is His power, His wisdom, ,and His goodness that are continually put on display - even when He utilizes human instruments to accomplish His purposes. Consequently, all the glory belongs to Him. " I'll let the back cover of the book provide the ending statements as it well sums it up: Speaking of these 'heroes', "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)"

I received this book as a complimentary copy from BookSneeze® in exchange for my review(which does not have to be favorable). ( )

This is truly an amazing book, that make us think that even us, with all our faults, can be chosen by God to do His work for His kingdom.
In 10 Chapters the author describe all the fears and tremors of our characters, exposing their weakness and how God transform them in valuable workers. Starting with Enoch, the author proceeds to Joseph, Miriam, Gideon, Samson, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark and Onesimus. Showing deep knowledge of the Scriptures, John MacArthur write in an easy and simple way and make those characters come to life as real people to whom we can associate our own lives. This is a masterpiece.
I recommend this book to the permanent library of all readers, Christians or not, that appreciate a well written book that can keep you entertained and send a positive message on transformation. Nobody is beyond repair.

This book was written by John MacArthur and it was published by Thomas Nelson in September of 2012. Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this product for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own. ( )

Read 11/2012