A Voice in the Wind
Read A Voice in the Wind Online
Authors: Francine Rivers
Mark of the Lion - Book 1
A Voice in the Wind
Francine Rivers
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS
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A Voice in the Wind
Copyright © 1993, 2002 by Francine Rivers. All rights reserved.
Discussion Guide section written by Peggy Lynch.
Cover illustration copyright © 2008 by Robert Papp. All rights reserved.
Author photo copyright © 1999 by John Teague. All rights reserved.
Map copyright © 1993 by Hugh Claycombe. All rights reserved.
Cover designed by Ron Kaufmann
Interior designed by Zandrah Maguigad
Scripture used in Epilogue is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture used in Discussion Guide is taken from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rivers, Francine, date
A voice in the wind / Francine Rivers, p. cm — (The Mark of the lion)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8423-7750-8
ISBN-10: 0-8423-7750-6
. Church history—Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600—Fiction. 2. Women slaves—Rome—Fiction. I. Title. II. Series: Rivers, Francine, date Mark of the lion. PS3568.I83165V65 1993 813‘.54—dc20 93-
Printed in the United States of America
This book is dedicated with love to my mother,
FRIEDA KING,
who is a true example of a humble servant.
FOREWORD
In 1992, Tyndale House made a conscious decision to begin publishing excellent fiction that would help us fulfill our corporate purpose—to “minister to the spiritual needs of people, primarily through literature consistent with biblical principles.” Before that time, Tyndale House had been known for many years as a publisher of Bibles and of nonfiction books by well-known authors like Tim LaHaye and James Dobson. We had dabbled in fiction before “Christian fiction” became popular, but it was not a major part of our publishing plan.
We began to recognize, however, that we could carry out our purpose very effectively through fiction, since fiction speaks to the heart rather than to the head.
Fiction is entertaining. Well-written fiction is gripping. As readers, we’ll stay up until 2:00 a.m. to finish a good novel. But Tyndale has a greater goal than simply entertaining our readers. We want to help our readers grow!
We recognize that authors have something of a bully pulpit for communicating their worldview and values to their readers. But with that opportunity comes a danger. Just what worldview and values is an author communicating? At best, most contemporary novelists present a squishy worldview. At worst, they sow negative values and unhealthy attitudes in the hearts of their readers. We wanted to set a whole new standard for fiction.
So we began looking for novelists who had a heart message that would help our readers grow. And we met Francine Rivers.
Francine had been extremely successful as a writer of romance novels for the general market early in her career. But when she became a Christian, she wanted to use her talents to communicate faith values to her readers. One of her early projects was the Mark of the Lion trilogy.
When I read the manuscript for the first book in the series,
A Voice in the Wind
, I was blown away by the power of the story. I was transported back to the first century—to Jerusalem, Germania, Rome, and Ephesus. I lived with Hadassah as she struggled to live out her faith in the midst of a pagan Roman household. I felt the terror of the gladiator as he faced his foes in the arena. Above all, through their experiences I learned lessons in courage.
We are proud to present this new edition of the Mark of the Lion. I trust it will speak to your heart, as it has to mine and to hundreds of thousands of other readers.
Mark D. Taylor
President, Tyndale House Publishers
PREFACE
When I became a born-again Christian in 1986,1 wanted to share my faith with others. However, I didn’t want to offend anyone and risk “losing” old friends and family members who didn’t share my belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I found myself hesitating and keeping silent. Ashamed of my cowardice and frustrated by it, I went on a quest, seeking the faith of a martyr.
A Voice in the Wind
was the result.
While writing Hadassah’s story, I learned that courage is not something we can manufacture by our own efforts. But when we surrender wholeheartedly to God, He gives us the courage to face whatever comes. He gives us the words to speak when we are called to stand and voice our faith.
I still consider myself a struggling Christian, fraught with faults and failures, but Jesus has given me the tool of writing to use in seeking answers from Him. Each of my characters plays out a different point of view as I search for God’s perspective, and every day I find something in Scripture that speaks to me. God is patient with me, and through the study of His Word, I am learning what He wants to teach me. When I hear from a reader who is touched by one of my stories, it is God alone who is to be praised. All good things come from the Father above, and He can use anything to reach and teach His children—even a work of fiction.
My main desire when I started writing Christian fiction was to find answers to personal questions, and to share those answers in story form with others. Now, I want so much more. I yearn for the Lord to use my stories in making people thirst for His Word, the Bible. I hope that reading Hadassah’s story will make you hunger for the real Word, Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. I pray that you will finish my book and pick up the Bible with a new excitement and anticipation of a real encounter with the Lord Himself. May you search Scripture for the sheer joy of being in God’s presence.
Beloved, surrender wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ, who loves you. As you drink from the deep well of Scripture, the Lord will refresh and cleanse you, mold you and re-create you through His Living Word. For the Bible is the very breath of God, giving life eternal to those who seek Him.
Francine Rivers,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are many people I want to thank who have helped me in my writing career: My husband, Rick; my children, Trevor, Shannon, and Travis; my mom, Frieda King; and my second set of parents, Bill and Edith Rivers; my brother and sister-in-law, Everett and Evelyn King; Aunt Margaret Freed—all of you have loved me unconditionally and encouraged me in all I do. I am grateful also to have Jane Jordan Browne as my agent. Without her persistence and expertise, this book might never have found a home, and I might have given up writing long ago.
I offer special thanks to Rick Hahn, pastor of Sebastopol Christian Church, who opened my eyes and ears to the beauty of God’s Word; and to members of my church family who have shown me that God truly transforms lives daily. So many of you have encouraged me in ways you will never even guess, and I rejoice that I have so many brothers and sisters.
A note to Jenny and Scott—what would I do without you two? You are very precious to me. May the Lord bless you both always with health and happiness and, of course, children.
Most of all, I want to thank the Lord for all he has done in my life. I pray that he will bless this work and accept it as my humble offering and use it for his good purpose in the lives of others.
Francine
Rivers
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1CHAPTER 2CHAPTER 3CHAPTER 4CHAPTER 5CHAPTER 6CHAPTER 7CHAPTER 8CHAPTER 9CHAPTER 10CHAPTER 11CHAPTER 12CHAPTER 13CHAPTER 14CHAPTER 15CHAPTER 16CHAPTER 17CHAPTER 18CHAPTER 19CHAPTER 20CHAPTER 21CHAPTER 22CHAPTER 23CHAPTER 24CHAPTER 25CHAPTER 26CHAPTER 27CHAPTER 28CHAPTER 29CHAPTER 30CHAPTER 31CHAPTER 32CHAPTER 33CHAPTER 34CHAPTER 35CHAPTER 36CHAPTER 37EPILOGUE
CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
JERUSALEM
1
The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles. An oppressive, hot wind blew from the southeast, carrying with it the putrefying stench of decay. And outside the city walls, Death itself waited in the persons of Titus, son of Vespasian, and sixty thousand legionnaires who were anxious to gut the city of God.
Even before the Romans crossed the Valley of Thorns and camped on the Mount of Olives, warring factions within Jerusalem’s city walls had prepared the way for her destruction.
Jewish robbers, who now fled like rats before the Roman legions, had recently fallen upon Jerusalem and murdered her prominent citizens, taking over the holy temple. Casting lots for the priesthood, they turned a house of prayer into a marketplace of tyranny.