A Woman's Wisdom: How the Book of Proverbs Speaks to Everything

by Lydia Brownback

Advice books are no short-lived trend, even though much of the advice parading as "wisdom" proves shallow in the long run. What we need is biblical wisdom, and even more than that we need hearts set on the One who governs all our practicalities. The book of Proverbs unlocks the key to both, helping us to face very real challenges such as:


handling our freedom, independence, and material resources wisely keeping ourselves sexually pure practicing biblical femininity in a world that scorns us for it sustaining God-glorifying marriages elevating biblical priorities ahead of day-to-day pressures Exploring the timeless counsel in the book of Proverbs, A Woman's Wisdom teaches us to know the very Author of wisdom and to apply his relevant, how-to riches.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Womens, Christianity, Theology, Christian Non Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Lydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as a senior editor at Crossway in Wheaton, Illinois, and an author and speaker at women’s conferences around the world. Lydia previously served as writer in residence for Alistair Begg and as producer of the Bible Study Hour radio program with James Montgomery Boice.

Reviews

[Amelia Ūkas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Visų pirma knyga neturi autoriaus, o apie jokią Lydia Brownback knygoje nėra nei kalbos. Abejoju, kad čia ta pati knyga.

Knyga susideda iš:
20% šūdo ir marazmų
50% mizoginijos
10% mizondrijos
20% pasikartojimų.

Kol skaičiau perėjau visus pragaro ratus ir patyriau labai daug emocijų (neigiamų žinoma). Ir čia nėra kažkokia davatkyno rašliava parašyta prieš du amžius, ne knyga išleista 2018 metais.

Ar knygoje buvo deivės? Tu, kurias pažįstu ne. Buvo tik tos, kurios tarnauja vyrams arba juos įkvepia. Kitos paskirties deivė turėti negali.

Visa knyga apie tai, kaip tarnauti vyrams, kaip netrukdyti jiems rūkyti ir gerti (nes vargšiukai pavargsta darbe, kaip jūs nesuprantat?), netrukdyti eiti į šoną (nes tokia vyro prigimtis) ir nelysti prie jo su savo emcijom, nuoskaudom ir mintimis. Išvis iš kur pas moterį mintys? Tikra deivė žino tik vieną, - gimdyti vaikus ir tarnauti vyrams. Anot knygos, moteris turi tik vieną tikslą gyvenime, - gimdyti.

Labai nesupratau to religijų kratinio. Primaišyta visokių tikėjimų, o ant galo pridėta graikų deivių. Ką jos jums padarė, kad reikia jas dabar taip žeminti ir žiūrėti kaip jos facepalm'ina Olimpo kalne?

Išvis autorius siūlo gyventi senovės sąlygomis. Tipo, "pažvelkit kaip buvo gerai senovėje, kai vyrai medžiojo, o moteris augino vaikus, kodėl mes dabar negalim taip gyventi?" Tokios mintys tik stabdo progresą. Išvis blet kokio chujo aš, moteris iš lietuvos turiu lygiuotis į kažkokia indes, kurios tėra pamazgotės vyrams? Kaip čia mes susijusios? Ir vėl ta dainelė, kad vakarai tokie blogi ajajai, viską sugadino. Vemiu.

Anyway, liūdna dėl medžių. Turiu didelį norą knygą suplėšyti arba sudeginti, nes matyti kaip kitiems bėgs kraujas iš akių nuo tokių bybienių dar ta kančia. Noriu, kad tokių šūdaknygių būtų kuo mažiau.

Plačiau bus mano instagram paskyroje, - svajoju_knygose.

[Grace Ye · Rating 4 out of 5]

appreciated the author's emphasis on Christ in each chapter. it is super easy to see the Proverbs as just a collection of practical tips and tricks, but these tips and tricks are meaningless without a foundational fear of the Lord, which the author reminds us of constantly. if anything, the Proverbs shows just how deep that fear of God ought to go - it should seep into every practical nook and cranny of out lives, including areas like personal finance, self-improvement, hospitality, femininity, etc.

***read for our Bible study ladies book club. a good capstone to our Proverbs summer study!

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book that very nicely covered the book of Proverbs while focusing on how it specifically can apply to women. Brownback does a wonderful job of applying Scripture and sticking to the text instead of drawing her own conclusions. This would work really well as a group study, Sunday school class, or just to read on your own, as I did.

[Kailey Gott · Rating 5 out of 5]

best Christian “women’s” book I’ve read - so much wisdom. “Growing in wisdom means looking more at Christ than at the Proverbs 31 woman” and “we aren’t going to choose paths of wisdom if we don’t trust the One who has marked out those paths for us. Fear of the Lord is trust in the Lord” !!

[Whitney Bilhorn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sad to say this was one of the worst books I’ve read on biblical wisdom. While the intention seemed to be off to a good start with identifying Christ as the source of all wisdom, and described Proverbs as being non-black and white principles, the subsequent chapters delved into “rights and wrongs” for the modern Christian woman - that often came across as highly judgmental and non gracious. At times, the advice or exposition was not exposition at all from scripture but her own opinions and poor exegesis of Gods opinion of divorce (telling a woman that Jesus may have given an “out” to a betrayed spouse but that it doesn’t mean God is pleased if you take the out…incredibly shaming to women in abusive or toxic marriages who need help.) Divorce is never once listed in scripture as sin.

She later speaks very decidedly on sex in marriage being a safeguard for lust and physical appearance being a way to make sure your husband doesn’t cheat on you. I was really disappointed.

Beyond that, she is flippant when discussing eating disorders (“the Bible calls it gluttony”), gives cliched, misogynistic opinions about women talking too much on our cell phones (“according to proverbs, there’s folly in that.”) and extrapolates somehow the proverbs 31 woman will receive rewards of “material comfort” and a “solid marriage” (it literally says this. Prosperity gospel???) I was terribly troubled by this book and would not recommend it to a Christian woman.

This book does not consider the nuanced situations Christian women face and isn’t kind to our sisters who are suffering.

[Vivien Naomi Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the intentions and thoughts behind the book. It is firmly rooted in the Scripture and very good points were made here and there. However, I thought that it may seem a bit too dry and heavy for most people. I was initially looking for a book that would help me in discipling my younger girls, but the way the book is written isn't ideal for such a study, because it seems like a lot of lecturing. A monologue about what the Bible says, what we must do, how we should think, and I guess it comes off as a bit harsh and discouraging when it says 'Wise women do this. Wise women do that.' It is not very relational. It doesn't have much lead-in to the topic, it just comes to you point after point, chunk after chunk, even before you start to digest or think through the content. I do also feel like that points made were a bit simplistic and extremely little room for discussion or sharing or thought, which isn't very engaging. This could be due to my own expectations of what the book should have been like. This book may be more suitable for a more mature (emotionally and mentally) audience who is not familiar with Proverbs or the concept of love and marriage in the Bible. If you have already read Proverbs and are more or less with the main ideas surrounding love and marriage in the Bible, this book may not be an easy or comfortable read. You will find yourself desiring more and finding none, but having to plough through a lot of words on content you have already heard of.

[Rebeca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Sabedoria é melhor que ouro fino e joias raras. Quando buscamos a face de Cristo através das promessas contidas na Palavra com temor encontramos a gloriosa Sabedoria. Louvado seja Deus que não nega a Sabedoria a nenhum que a pede.
O livro foi muito bem escrito e Lydia Brownback traz verdades preciosas às páginas da obra. Entretanto, há alguns pontos bem perigosos para a cristã. Recomendo a leitura para aquelas que estão dispostas a estarem com os dois olhos bem abertos e uma mente saturada das Palavras do Senhor Jesus, para que aquilo que não é proveitoso possa ser reprovado e descartado.

[Abigail Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be such a great book to read in a group!! Honestly I think the best way to go through it. Very thought provoking and I’m studying Proverbs right now so it was a helpful resource. She works through specific topics in Proverbs, gives biblical context/understanding and her thoughts and perspectives. A very sharpening book!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great companion as I study Proverbs with the kids! At first I thought it was more like a commentary, but it is not. It jumps around Proverbs by topic. However, I still found it helpful and full of solid wisdom.

[Isabella Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

More helpful and sensible than I expected. An excellent approach to understanding the major themes of proverbs

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written, great survey of proverbs for women. id read it again, would love to do it with other women and use the study guide

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've spent quite a few weeks slowly working my way through A Woman's Wisdom: How the Book of Proverbs Speaks to Everything, absorbing all the nuggets of wisdom it contains.

And of course, wisdom is exactly what this study focuses on. Author Lydia Brownback takes readers through the book of Proverbs with the perspective that true wisdom is found only in Christ:

"Improving our lives is not the objective of Proverbs, even though following it's instructions will generally better our lot. The point of the book is to direct us to the Giver of wisdom...Wisdom is a person, and wise is what we become through our union with him. The outworkings of wisdom-it's fruit-discussed in the following chapters are all rooted in this truth." (p. 12)

Beginning with a clear foundation of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, Ms. Brownback applies the book of Proverbs to women and their lives, continually pointing the reader back to Christ and our identity in him. The book is divided into three parts:

Part One: What is Wisdom and Why Does it Matter? Based on chapters 1-3 and 8-9 of Proverbs, this section looks at why pursuing biblical wisdom is the primary calling of every Christian woman.

Part Two: Six Things Wise Women Know. This section applies biblical wisdom to six aspects of a woman's life: her words, friendships, physical appetites, emotions, money, and sexuality.

Part Three: A Portrait of Wisdom. The last section brings the first two parts together in Proverbs 31, which is a biblical illustration of all that was studied before.
There's a thorough study guide included in the back of the book for individual or group use.

I absolutely love this book. The breadth of topics the book covers as it works through Proverbs covers such a wide range, and yet does it without being superficial. I love that it applies to women of every age and in any life situation: young or old, married or single, children or no children, career or homemaker. Every page is worthwhile, but I have to say that part three is phenomenal. I've read many, many studies of Proverbs 31 and I think this is probably the best treatment I've ever seen.

A Woman's Wisdom is a treasure. It's both encouraging and convicting, incredibly practical, and absolutely gospel-saturated and Christ-centered. It's wonderful for personal study, and would make a fantastic group study too. It's definitely going on my list of highly recommended books!

Thanks so much to Crossway for providing a review copy of this book to me! All opinions are my own.

Read the rest of my review here: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2...

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interested in wisdom but feeling daunted about "God's Wisdom"? Feeling chasing after something completely intangible? Well, ladies AND gents (yes, even though this is geared towards women, every word speaks true even to the opposite gender), this is an amazing book, filled with every day insights and encouragements. it's not at all like a devotional where we must read then reflect, per day, per feeling of that day, etc. This is a well thought out and so realistic, it's like...WAIT, WHY DON"T I PRAY THIS WAY? WAIT, WHY DON"T I THINK THIS WAY? The "magic" of it all is that it constantly points to the scripture, not just to proverbs but to both OT & NT. It was such a blessing to read this, very timely in my life right now. HIGHLY recommended! Would make a great & thoughtful gift to know you love.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent book on the subject of developing wisdom. Disagreed with some points, but that wouldn't prevent me from recommending it to other women. As a book targeted specifically for ladies, the knee-jerk reaction would be to write an entire work on the Proverbs 31 woman; it's been done before. But Lydia sidesteps that approach and adeptly conveys the how's and why's of wisdom--all across the book of Proverbs. She explains the biblical description, the method of obtaining it and explores the practical points of how to put it to use.

[Faith Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book; however, I felt like Ms. Brownback failed to truly connect with me and the group of girls with whom I read the book. Her tone came across as judgmental at times, and we felt as though she was speaking down to us. More examples from her personal life would have helped her seem more human to us.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to wisdom, and Brownback talks about the importance of connecting to Christ as the source of all wisdom. However, the following application chapters are all about how-to-become-wise. The application misses the depth of being intimately connected to the gospel, which is the only hope any of us have to become biblically wise.

[Agnė | Skaitytoja 🫧 · Rating 2 out of 5]

knyga įdomi, bet ne ta prasme, jog tikrai įdomi, o tiesiog kažkokia įdomi, 🤔 kažkaip tikėjausi kitokio teksto jos viduje, jog bus labiau rašoma apie moters išmintį, kokia gi ta moteris, kokia jos išmintis, kaip pasižymi ir panašūs dalykai, beeet. . 🙄

pati knygos pradžia man pasirodė visai ne apie moteris, nors turėtų būti, nes visgi „Moters išmintis”. 🤷🏼‍♀️ o skaitant gavosi taip, kad pasakojama apie vyrus, kokie jie yra dievai, kaip moterys turėtų su jais elgtis ir panašiai, 😃 mano norų knyga visai neatitiko, nors pabaigoje ir rašoma apie deives, bet vis vien kažkaip ne taip, ko tikėjausi iš šios knygos, 🤷🏼‍♀️ ir nepaisant to, knyga neturi autoriaus, o čia autorius yra, 🤔 bet viršelis toks pats, tai nežinau, ta pati ar ne, bet manau tapati, 💁🏼‍♀️

[ᴀᴍʙ🔅 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proverbs ≠ spiritualized means for self-improvement, as most think. Proverbs was written to point the reader to the Author Himself while bestowing practical, biblical wisdom. Wisdom is a Person. Wise is what we become through our union with Him, in faith and obedience.

To put it plainly, I needed this book. There were many takeaways that pointed to Jesus and His finished work that I am thankful to have read and pondered.

Read this book if you're seeking wisdom...and He will surely oblige: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." --JAMES 1:5

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I’ve ever highlighted in. As a mother of boys, I am in constant need of wisdom and understanding as I grapple with raising them in this twisted and broken world. Brownback is able to deftly pull apart Proverbs and make it applicable on so many levels. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a godly source of advice on life.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content is good for the most part. I think I expected more because I love Lydia Brownback’s devotionals. This book seemed a little too scattered. I’m sad to say that I also found the writing to be a little boring.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very straightforward, no-frills, no candycoating. One quote I like: "Women of wise words are those whose hearts are being transformed by Christ while recognizing that real and lasting change comes only as they ponder all //his// words."

[Olivia Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much wisdom in such a little book. Would recommend it to all women but it definitely has to be read with a humble and prepared to be convicted heart and be willing to really think through our how we love our life.

[Lydia June Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Nothing incredible but not a bad book either.

[Bambi Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I nearly stopped reading my Kindle version, to buy a hard copy. Practical applications made from book of Proverbs. Speaks to many of the issues that average women face. Highly recommend.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, very helpful and practical book about Proverbs!

[Gabriela Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro incrível!!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for women of all ages and older teens.

[Abigail Whitcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book and learned a lot along with studying it together with friends from church 🥰

[Sueira · Rating 5 out of 5]

É um livro que para mim foi extremamente profundo, a verdadeira sabedoria ela consiste em temer o SENHOR e viver para a sua Glória.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5