Book Review: Wicked Women of the Bible

Wicked Women of the Bible 
By Ann Spangler
Zondervan, 2015
English, 224 pgs

Description:
What can Jezebel, the Bible’s wickedest queen, reveal about God’s holiness and power and even about his sense of humor? What about the Woman at the Well—the one with five husbands and a live-in lover? And what of the prostitute whose tears bathe the feet of Jesus in front of people who despise her?

There are also “wicked good” women like Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Abigail, Esther, Mary, and more.

What do their lives tell us about God’s invincible love and his determined plan to save us?
In Wicked Women of the Bible Ann Spangler tells the stories of twenty wicked and “wicked good” women in greater detail. At the end of each story, Ann provides a brief section including additional historical and cultural background as well as a brief Bible study in order to enhance the book’s appeal to both individuals and groups.

The stories of these women of the Bible reveal a God who is not above it all but who stoops down to meet us where we are in order to extend his love and mercy.

About the Author
Ann Spangler is an award-winning writer and the author of many bestselling books, including Praying the Names of God, Praying the Names of Jesus, and The One Year Devotions for Women. She is also coauthor of Women of the Bible and Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus and the general editor of the Names of God Bible. Ann’s fascination with and love of Scripture have resulted in books that have opened the Bible to a wide range of readers. She and her two daughters live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Website: http://www.annspangler.com/

Blog: http://www.annspangler.com/category/blog/

 
Review:
Such an enticing and juicy title for a book! The women she discusses were radicals. They didn't sit down and have babies and tend house like women were expected to do in Bible times. And they were radical, and in some cases faithful, enough that they were discussed in the Word of God. Their names and stories have been told for generations upon generations.

There are your typical "big names" like Eve, Sarah and Esther. But there are also smaller stories like Tamar, Michal and Gomer that don't always get lots of attention. The chapters are fairly short yet thoughtfully written. Each story has background on the times when they women lived and why they were so wicked in what they did. Why they went against social convention and expectation to become women we can learn from and study. Ruth was wicked for laying down at the feet of Boaz yet she showed a faithfulness that put her into the lineage of King David and Jesus. The extreme wickedness of Jezebel shows us that it just doesn't end well when you fight against God.

Each chapter has a "takeaway" section which is questions for reflection or discussion.

I like this book. It's good for personal study or group study. It's fun to dig into women's stories and find the greater Biblical truths contained within.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review on this blog and a commercial bookselling site. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.