Song of Redemption—Austin

Song of Redemption
Lynn Austin
#2 in the Chronicles of the Kings series
Bethany House Publ., 2005, 348pp.

This second volume in the Chronicles of the Kings series details Hezekiah's reforms in Judah as he re-establishes Temple worship, rids Judah of idols and leads the people in an extra gala celebration of Passover. Meanwhile the northern kingdom, Israel, is ransacked by Assyria. The fictitious account of an Israelite girl carried off to live with the Assyrian army is woven into the plot. Her parents are among the few Israelites who escape and later attend the Passover feast in Jerusalem in hopes that God will in turn grant their daughter's freedom and return. The dread cruelty and power of the Assyrians are major elements in this volume. Hezekiah's resolve to trust in God despite the Assyrian threat is the underlying tension to the ongoing subplots.

The value of this fictionalized account is in the way it makes actual historical figures and events memorable. The merciless might of the Assyrians, the historic digging of the water tunnel that would supply the Pool of Siloam, and the notable role of Shebna, the King's right-hand-man, are among the key items brought to light here.

I appreciate also the way the author underlines timeless principles of faith through the character's lives and conversations. For instance Hezekiah is counseled: "Your reforms eliminated idolatry; that's only half of it. Worship of Yahweh without heartfelt commitment only leads to empty ritual."… "You're not asking for God's will…you're asking Him to choose one of the plans you've already initiated"… "He had tried to trust in God yet control his own life at the same time…"…. "When we only believe in things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands, it is idolatry." (325,6)

Unfortunately, the historical slice of history depicted in this volume is overly drawn out through unrealistic romantic threads. This romance, though avoiding anything sexually explicit, is not handled from a Biblical viewpoint of what constitutes real love. Austin has fallen for the common error of mistaking infatuation for love and overlays this modern myth on the historically real character of Hilkiah, the priest. He is depicted in the story as being wise, kind and devout so it is incongruous to hear him encouraging his son to recognize his true love for a girl by the physical feelings she evokes in him. This is foolishness and a very disappointing element in the story.

Yes, 'romance' has a strong appeal, among women anyway, and can provide the driving force to carry a ho-hum story along, but with all the real-life suspense of Austin's well researched story, I think she need not have resorted to artificial romance to keep her readers interested. Her romance is not as realistic as her researched story line, and cheapens the book perpetuating the myth that true love is found by following feelings.

--LS