Proverbs 31:21-31 English Standard Version 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. We spent last time talking about how this woman who fears the LORD is selfless in all things. She didn't sleep much so that she could make sure that everyone in her household was taken care of and she managed the business and investments for her husband as well.
We continue that theme today as she makes sure that everyone in her household has adequate clothing and shelter to stay warm in the winter. They do not fear the cold or the snow, and they are dressed in fine, expensive scarlet. She not only makes clothes, but also bed coverings (sheets, blankets, etc.) and her clothing is made of fine linen and purple (a color worn by royal people--it was very expensive to buy purple cloth as it was difficult to make). Up to this point, her husband has not been mentioned, but we see that the passage says here that her husband is known and well-thought of at the city gate. We now finally get some idea why she is entrusted with home, family, business, and investments, and that is because her husband is a city elder that is responsible for overseeing the affairs of the entire city, sitting in judgment from sun-up to sun-down over business dealing and legal disputes, and this leaves him little to no time to take care of his own household. In such situations, it would be easy for the wife to speak ill of her husband, but she speaks well of him as does everyone else. We already discussed her making her own clothing, but it appears these are some of the items that she made that were sought after by all the merchants. Her ability to make high-quality clothing has given her a healthy "rainy day fund" so that she is not worried about what the future holds. She is a woman of wisdom who teaches with wisdom and kindness. We assumed to this point that the author was calling her "wise," but this is the first time that we specifically see that trait assigned to her. She manages all the affairs of her household with this wisdom that has been given to her. She is not content to be idle and let others care and provide for her and her family. Her children see all the work she has done to raise them and provide for them, and they will bless her and her name. Her husband also praises her, because he could not do what he does without her support. Of her they say, "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." This woman is not praiseworthy simply because of outward beauty--the author says that is both deceitful and fleeting. No, it is the woman of the LORD with all these characteristics that we have been talking about that is to be praised. Her character will endure long after her physical beauty has faded, she will still be revered and honored by all who know her for her inward beauty. Let such a woman (and all such people) enjoy the fruit of their labors. Too often they work hard to take care of others, and no one makes sure they are taken care of. Let everyone know of the good that they have done in secret so that they too will be well-spoken of in the city gate and among the people. While she would not (and should not) seek praise for herself, her husband and children should sing her praises for everyone to hear so that they might also aspire to have a wife or mother who is a woman who fears the LORD and so that all other women would desire to be like her. Proverbs 31:10-20 English Standard Version The Woman Who Fears the LORD 10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. 14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. 15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. 17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. 20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. Assuming these are also the words of King Lemuel, he is probably looking at his mother and looking at her positive attributes and saying, "I want to find a wife who is just like that." As we read this passage, it sounds like this woman was either a widow or possibly had a husband who was away on business all the time, and entrusted everything to his wife from the rearing of their children and providing them with food, to taking care of the servants, to caring for the property, to acquiring new property and making sound investments with his wealth. He trusted her completely to make all these decisions, and she made gains when she made investments, because she made them with wisdom.
She was also industrious in that she worked with her hands to take care of their fields and vineyards, stayed up late to make items of wood and flax to sell at the market--items of high quality that were sought after by merchants from far off--and made her own fabric and thread to make her own clothes. She was gifted when it came to business, but she was also generous with her money and a good steward of what the LORD had entrusted to her. She managed time, money, and human resources well. Somehow it seems she found time for everything except sleep. She made sure everyone was taken care of before thinking of herself, including the poor and needy that were around her. She did not complain about how hard she had it having to carry the burden of work, family, and being a pillar of the community all by herself. She also had strength, vigor, fortitude and wisdom that kept predators at bay. No one would dare mess with her, her family, her employees, or her property. These are just a few of the traits of this woman who fears the LORD. We'll get to the second half of this passage next time where we will see more about the self-sacrificing love that this woman has for her husband, children, employees, and neighbors. Proverbs 31:1-9 English Standard Version The Words of King Lemuel 31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. We've made it to the final chapter in the book of Proverbs. Today's passage is a short collection of wise saying by King Lenuel. Other than what was recorded about him in the first verse, we know that his name means "for God" or "devoted to God," which tells us quite a bit about this mother that devoted her child to God and passed along godly wisdom to him. If he is the author of the rest of Proverbs 31, we might assume that he is thinking of his mother when writing about "The Woman Who Fears the LORD" in the next and final passage we will study in Proverbs.
This passage however starts off with the mother asking her son, "What are you doing?" We may think of this as a question we only get asked when we are doing something wrong, but the mother seems to want to know everything that's going on in her son's life, even as he grows older and more mature, and she wants to make sure that he has stayed devoted to God--she continues to mention the vows that she made over him. She tells him not to give his strength to women (don't give into sexual temptation and sin). Sexual sin destroys even that strongest of men--even kings. We have seen several examples of that in the Bible with the sexual sin of people like Sampson, David, Solomon and the wicked kings of Israel and Judah. She warns him to keep his wits about him and to not be the king of king that we see governing the other nations that gets drunk and continually drinks strong drink. No, the king needs to be of sound body and mind at all times, ready to make clear, sound, wise, and just decisions. He should not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol that would allow others to convince him to make a law that he would not normally make, and that he would forget making (and regret making) once he was sober. This would be a grave injustice to all those that he was supposed to watch over as their shepherd and protect. He would have become the wolf that they needed protection from. Strong drink should be reserved for medicinal purposes for people that are in much pain and near death. Much wine is consumed by those who are depressed and think they will find happiness in the bottom of a bottle. Such people drink to forget their misery (though many times it only makes them more miserable). For a moment they forget that they are poor and needy and, suffering greatly. His mother told him to speak up for those who could not speak for themselves. While the passage says, "the mute," I think the idea is much broader here and would include all those who had "no voice" in society. It was the job of the king to know the needs of these people as well and to stand up for them and make sure they also got justice. It includes all those who are destitute and of little or no means who may not be able to approach the king for help like the rich and powerful could do. The king should make sure that he is judging rightly when he opens his mouth to proclaim judgment, and he should not withhold judgment when it is due. To keep silent when judgment is needed is also an injustice. The king is to defend the poor and needy--those who cannot offer anything in exchange or return. Proverbs 30:29-33 English Standard Version 29 Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: 30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; 31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. 32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. 33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. The writer continues to make lists of things with a common attribute...this time things that are stately (we might say things that are proud). First is the lion--the king of the jungle and an apex predator at the top of the food chain among all land-dwelling animals. He struts and strides like he is king, and no one dares challenge the lion or the lioness for that position.
The second is the rooster. It also struts and is very proud. It makes much noise, and he challenges anyone that would come for his hens to have to fight him. The goal also is a proud animal that climbs any hill or mountain to take his place at the top. Few, if any, can take his place as king of the mountain. Last, but certainly not least is the king who is defended and protected by his army. He feels safe and secure and on top of the world like he can conquer anyone or anything that challenges him. Notice that all the animals rely on their own strength, but the king's strength is found in the might and number of the other men who serve and protect him. Without his army to fight for him and protect him, he is nothing. That is why the next part talks about how foolish it is to exalt yourself--to be haughty in spirit. It is right there alongside those who knowingly do evil. It is an offense to God as we should be relying on Him for our strength and our defense. The writer tells such proud and wicked people to put their hand over their mouth and to be silent and stop sinning. God will apply unconfutable pressure to humiliate us when we are proud. The sooner the person yields, the better for them as otherwise the proud person will become angry and then will break out in strife as they start to take their anger against God and their pain and suffering out on others around them (they can't reach out and touch God, so they instead raise their hand against His people and those made in His image). Learn from the pain and stop the cycle. Repent before you go through the downward spiral of Romans 1. "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 30:24-28 English Standard Version 24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: 25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; 27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces. The beginning of this one reads differently as the author doesn't say three.....yet four, they just start off with four. We are going to talk in this passage about things that are small, but wise.
First is the ant. We've already spoken a few times about the ant in the book of Proverbs to contrast it with the sloth or sluggard. The ant stores away its food in the summer so that it has an ample supply in the winter. Second is an animal called the rock badger. It knows that it is small and weak, but it can climb to the top of the rocky areas and find its home in the cliffs where it is safe and secure from its enemies. We too are wise if we find our safety and protection in the Rock that is Christ. The third example from nature is the locust. They swarm together as a unit with no king or queen of their colony. No one commands them, yet they all move like an army marching together in ranks. They are of one mind. Last, but not least are the tiny lizards that could be found anywhere that were so small they could even make their way past all the of king's guards so that you could find them in the king's palace. There was nothing that could be done to stop them from coming or going as they pleased. They were everywhere. The author finds this to be a noble trait that the wise could learn from. Proverbs 30:21-23 English Standard Version 21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: 22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; 23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. The list in this passage has a common theme of people who were checked by authority that are scary or dangerous because they go against natural law. First, a slave that becomes king--this usually isn't a good thing because someone in slavery is many times there because he could not provide for himself and his family. How then will he suddenly become responsible enough to take care of an entire nation?
The second is a fool that is fully satisfied. Natural law tells us that a fool should face the consequences of their foolishness and God should leave them in a position to see that their foolishness didn't' lead to satisfaction so that they would repent. A satisfied fool may well be going to hell on a full stomach. Third is an unloved woman when she gets a husband. I think the issue here that makes the woman "unloved" is a personality or character issue that makes people not want to marry her. Often times such women are hostile and bitter (maybe even verbally, emotionally and physically abusive). It is a scary thing for such a person to be in a marriage and possibly be the mother of children. The last one goes back to the first one where the servant supplants their master (the language her is of a female servant and her mistress, but I think it goes either way). The reasoning here is very similar to the first. Servants becoming responsible enough to earn their freedom is a good thing, but if someone is a servant because they needed someone to help take care of them, then it is a dangerous thing for them to have to be out in the world to fend for themselves. You probably can think of some other examples of things that people desire to break free of things that constrain them, but those constraining forces were good for them. Proverbs 30:18-20 English Standard Version 18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. 20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” The writer of this proverbs says that even in their old age, there is still wonder and mystery--I might even go so far as to say things that make them stop and worship the LORD for the way in which he has made things, and these mysteries are really too hard for even the mind of the wise to understand. First, the way in which the eagle soars on the thermals. We can understand the mechanics and physics of all this, but to see it is still marvelous and makes us want to worship the Creator. The second is the snake the slithers across a rock. It moves and glides silently though it has no feet. It too is something marvelous to watch in its own way. The next is the ship on the high seas that is moved by the winds. It wouldn't seem that something big like that could float and be taken where the captain and pilot want it to go. Last, but certainly not least as I think there is an argument to the greater here, is the mystery of a man and woman falling in love with each other and courting each other. It is something beautiful and wonderful and also something mysterious. There is a component to it that is "chemistry," but there is also the stronger love that is self-sacrificing and is second only to the love of God Himself. This kind of unselfish love is also mysterious and mesmerizing.
Like all good things though, the wicked pervert the good things of God with their counterfeits. Therefore, be on guard for the fake love of the adulteress. She is but a hunter looking for her prey. She feels no guilt for the sin she has committed or the destruction she has caused. God has not created the body for instant gratification like that outside the bounds of marriage--that is like putting fire directly in your lap and expecting to not get burnt (Proverbs makes this exact analogy elsewhere). Fire is safe when it is confined and used for the correct purposes but take it out of those confines and let it go wild, and it is a destructive force. The same is true for sexual intimacy--it is meant for one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant of marriage. |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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