Book Report #2

One of my favorite books that I have read thus far dealing with women of the Bible is definitely John MacArthur's Twelve Extraordinary Women.  I have read this book several times, and often refer to it when preparing a lesson on a particular woman for a ladies meeting, or just for personal study.   If you were to pick up my book, you would see that it is well used.  There are underlinings and notes written all throughout (yes, I am a believer in marking in my books!), some pages are crinkled from being turned to many times, the paper cover that is over the hard back is starting to curl up and rip, and, yes, there are even huge coffee stains on much of the book (even though I am not a coffee drinker!  Figure that one out! Ha!) 

The women that he covers in this book are: Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, Mary (mother of Jesus), Anna, the Samaritan Woman, Martha, Mary (Martha and Lazarus' sister), Mary Magdalene, and Lydia.

One of my favorite things about this book is that not only does he give the story of these women - what they did (or didn't) do, but he gives many cultural explanations which help you to understand their actions on a deeper level.  This helps me to be placed in their time, and to truly understand the repercussions of what a certain act meant in that time.  To me, these details are invaluable in understanding all that these women did.

In addition to this, he has filled the book with statements and lessons for us to apply to our lives today.  If you are anything like me, you have much to learn in your Christian walk with the Lord.  I fail miserable every day.  But I take comfort in the fact that I am not alone.  You see, as extraordinary as these women were, they were human, and made mistakes as well, which he is quick to point out.  We tend to put these people in the Bible up on a huge pedestal, forgetting that they had similar struggles and temptations as we have today.  Sin was around back then, just as it is today.  They were not perfect.  I love how he puts it in his epilogue:

      "None of these women were perfect, of course.  Their flaws and failures are evident, too, and those are also recorded for our admonition (1 Cor. 10:8-11) ...While standing as a rebuke to our sin, such stories also comfort us with the reminder that throughout history, God has used imperfect vessels, 'that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us' (2 Cor 4:7 NKJV) After all, Christ came to seek and to save the lost - not the righteous, but sinners... Extraordinary as they seem, what God was doing in their lives is really no different from what He does in the life of every true believer."

I am always recommending this book to people who are looking for a good read and not just "fluff" like much of the books written for women.   If you have not read it, I would HIGHLY recommend it.  I really do not think you will not be sorry.

Until next time...