Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible
Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God
by Liz Curtis Higgs
Overview
From the Publisher
Higgs revisits the well of biblical women for this continuation of her hugely successful Bad Girls of the Bible series. Whereas Bad Girls of the Bible and Really Bad Girls of the Bible tackled the Jezebels and Salomes, often demonstrating that these women were not as nefarious as later traditions would suggest, this one takes a different tack, looking at five good girls of the Bible and finding them seriously flawed. Focusing on Genesis, Higgs looks at Sarah (a control freak), Hagar (who was filled with bitterness), Rebekah (a conniving schemer who played favorites with her sons), Leah (another schemer) and Rachel (who was consumed by jealousy). One theme that emerges clearly is how fertility, or the lack of it, dominated these women's lives in a patriarchal culture. As always, Higgs's tone is chatty and girlfriendish, addressing the reader in the second person as she emphasizes the lesson—and the humor—in each woman's tale. And as always, this one capably blends fictional vignettes of contemporary bad girls with in-depth exegesis of their biblical counterparts' stories. Higgs also reveals her own foibles as she weaves personal anecdotes into each chapter, underscoring the book's overall theme: even faithful women can sometimes be hurtful and selfish.
My thoughts
As I began reading this book, the season of Lent was winding down. I had failed miserably with my Lenten project, my job had been extremely challenging with long hours and never ending work, I was tired, I was frustrated, and I was sinking into a feeling of despair. I finished a very good book and knew that my next book needed to be some sort of spiritual book - a study, a guide, something to take my mind off the very real challenges going on in my life. I found what I needed in Liz Curtis Higgs' book.
Liz had me laughing from the start of the book with her writing style. She uses much humor to illustrate her points, and she makes studying the Bible fun. Can I see myself in the women whose stories she tells? Absolutely! Perhaps not in the exact manner, but I'm guilty of many of the same types of mistakes. Liz writes in an easy style that allows us to examine our own lives without feeling chastised. She makes it OK to admit our faults and step up to the plate to make better choices. She acknowledges that we do make mistakes, sometimes over and over again, but that God's love is greater than even our dumbest mistakes.
Work didn't change while I read this book, but I was better able to deal with it because of the positive influence of Liz's writing. I read every day at lunch, even if I only had a few minutes during an abbreviated lunch period, and I went back to work recharged each time, focused on the important things.
I love this book series, and I highly recommend it.
Favorite Passage
...but the concept goes back at least to Rebekah, who contrived to butter up her husband with roasted goats, prepared "just the way your father likes them" (NCV). Hey, even the Bible commands, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food."
...if we dropped by Rebekkah's kitchen as this crucial moment, we would find a woman convinced she was a Supremely Good Girl, "instrumental in carrying on the Divine purpose." If we cried, "Becky, stop! You're about to deceive your husband," she would glare at us and claim, "On the contrary, I'm helping him do God's will."
