Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror. Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.
So what’s a good girl to do? Learn from their lives, says beloved humor writer Liz Curtis Higgs, and by God’s grace, choose a better path. In Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs offers a unique and clear-sighted approach to understanding those “other women” in Scripture, combining a contemporary retelling of their stories with a solid, verse-by-verse study of their mistakes and what lessons women today can learn from them.
Whether they were “Bad to the Bone,” “Bad for a Season, but Not Forever” or only “Bad for a Moment,” these infamous sisters show women how not to handle the challenges of life. With her trademark humor and encouragement, Liz Curtis Higgs teaches us how to avoid their tragic mistakes and joyfully embrace grace.
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Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Humorist and popular storyteller Higgs (Help! I'm Laughing and I Can't Get Up) takes a look at the vamps and tramps of the Bible, searching for the lessons these wicked women have to teach. She acknowledges that as much as she admires Sarah's faithfulness and Mary's innocence, she finds that her own life contains many of the shortcomings of women such as Rahab, Delilah and Lot's wife. When Higgs begins her study of Jezebel, she notes, "I understood her pushy personality, I empathized with her need for control, I tuned into her angry outbursts...but boy did she teach me what not to do in my marriage." She places the ten women in her study into four categories. Eve, she says, was the "First Bad Girl," for badness has to begin somewhere. Potiphar's wife (who tried to seduce Joseph), Delilah and Jezebel, Higgs says, were "Bad to the Bone": these women "sinned with gusto from bad beginning to bitter end." Women who were "Bad for a Moment," and who have forever been characterized by their "life-changing" mistakes, include Saphhira, Michal and Lot's wife (who was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back on her homeland against God's commands). Higgs says that Rahab, the prostitute who helped the Israelites conquer Jericho, the Woman at the Well and the Sinful Woman were "Bad for a Season, but Not Forever": these women "had plenty of sin in their past, but they were also willing to change and be changed." Higgs opens each chapter with a fictional retelling of the biblical story and then proceeds to a verse-by-verse exegesis and commentary on the biblical text. Each chapter closes with four lessons to be learned from the life of the bad girl and eight "thoughts worth considering." Higgs retells these biblical stories with rollicking humor and deep insight as she teaches about the nature of sin and goodness. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
From the Publisher
Praise for Bad Girls of the Bible
“Liz takes—with humility and humor—the evangelical message and puts it in a lens that anybody can look through. A truly remarkable accomplishment.”
—Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
“The entertainment value of the book is obvious, but the take-home extra is the Bible study. Who but Liz Curtis Higgs could so creatively reveal God’s compassion, unconditional love, and mercy through such ‘Bad Girls’ in scripture?”
—Carol Kent, speaker and author of Becoming aWoman of Excellence
“A fresh concept—looking at what women have done wrong to figure out how we can live right. The conversational style and friendly, relational, upbeat tone (so true to Liz) are wonderful—sassy and yet challenging and inspirational. And the questions are top-notch!”
—Ramona Cramer Tucker, former editor, Today’s ChristianWoman“Liz has brought a blended format of fiction, biblical commentary, and thought-provoking questions to each of these characters. I love the way she slips modern-day flesh on biblical truth.”
—Darlene Hepler, former director of women’s ministries, Church of the Open Door, Elyria, Ohio
“Bad Girls of the Bible is not only a hoot to read, it is full of serious warnings about shaky choices and serious encouragement to take God’s way for our own good.”
—Gloria Gaither, author, speaker, and lyricist
“I love Liz’s work! She entertains while teaching and leaves me with points to ponder long after. Her insights are fresh and exciting and will draw readers back into the Word.”
—Francine Rivers, best-selling author of Redeeming Love
“I loved the down-to-earth realism. Instead of an airbrushed, plastic feel, Bad Girls of the Bible jumps off the pages with fresh, relevant, and engaging applications.”
—BeckyMoltumyr, Brookside Church, Omaha, Nebraska
“In her creative, fun-loving way, Liz retells the stories of the Bible. She delivers a knockout punch of conviction as she clearly illustrates the lessons of Scripture.”
—Lorna Dueck, former co-host of 100 Huntley Street
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