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The Excellent Wife, day 6 - Her Speaking and Teaching - Proverbs 31:26

3/26/2013

Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

The excellent wife is a doer, which we have seen throughout this entire portrait. But we learn in verse 26 that she is also a teacher - and one whose words are a blessing to all those who hear them. Let's take a look at the two pictures that are painted for us, describing this aspect of the excellent wife.

First we see that she speaks wisdom. The picture that is painted for us is a woman who when she sees the need of breaking silence with her mouth - speaks and wisdom pours from her. The phrase "opens her mouth," is a Hebraism meaning what is under her tongue or ready to proceed from her mouth. It has the idea that as soon as her mouth opens to speak - wisdom pours forth from it. The Jewish scholars believed that this woman's heart was so filled with this wisdom from God that the moment she opened her mouth it naturally flowed from it. This is the kind of woman you want to be around when she did speak. She was the female embodiment of E.F. Hutton - who when she speaks - you should listen!

The second thing we learn about her is that "the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." There are two ways of reading this - and honestly I think either is correct. The first way would be to say that she teaches of kindness to others. The word for kindness here is the Hebrew word "chesed." This word is the one that is closest to the New Testament concept of agape love that we have in the Old Testament. The word meant both goodness and kindness - and referred to God's covenant love. She taught of God's great covenant love. She taught of a God who loved His people, showing them His kindness and His goodness to them. But the second way of seeing this is that she was loving as she taught. The reason I feel that either is applicable is that they compliment each other so well. One who teaches of God's love would, of course, be one who showed it as well even as she taught.

The excellent wife is not just a worker - but a lover - and one who loves as God Himself does. She speaks wisdom and teaches of love. These are two wonderful aspects of God that every family member and especially the children need to learn. That is why the excellent wife is so ready to speak of such things whenever she opens her mouth. She is a source of blessing therefore not only in all that she does for this family - but also in all she speaks and teaches as well.

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A Love Story . . . Proverbs 4:6

7/4/2010

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"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. Proverbs 4:6

Of all the great love stories that have filled the pages of books, this one is by far, the least familiar. Believe me there are plenty of love stories (which to be honest, many are more like lust-stories or idolatry-stories) that capture the minds of men and women. This love story though - doesn't get much book or screen time.

I'm speaking of the love story between a man or woman and wisdom. That is what is described for us in this verse of chapter four of Proverbs. First, the father tells his son not to forsake her. The word "forsake" here means to abandon, to leave, to desert something or someone. How often has wisdom watched us teary-eyed as we descend into stupidity and foolish - crying out all the way, "Don't leave me!" Yet we leave - we abandon and desert wisdom and go out on our own. We return to her - often with the scars and the marks of sheer stupidity later - wondering how we left such a "hottie" for a "nottie." Sin and stupidity looked so good for a moment - in fact sin promised so much. Problem is that sin never delivered (and never does).

If only we had not forsaken our love - our Wisdom. She would have guarded us. The word for guard here is our old Hebrew friend "shamar" which means to keep watch over, to preserve, to be careful and diligent. This was the word used for a doorkeeper or a guard. She would have protected us from the ravages of evil and the mistakes of foolishness. If only we would have listened.

The love story here involves love itself. Wisdom gave all of herself to us. What we should have given in return was an equal love. The word for love here (aheb) means to have a strong emotional attachment to and desire either to possess - or to be in the presence of another. If only our love would have reached this level. If only we had desired wisdom and gotten fully attached to her. If only we had desired to possess her - to have her - and to keep her near. To be in the presence of wisdom whether it meant sage older men - or just a good book (actually THE good book). How often has Wisdom desired that we return the great love of the Father to us. If we would love like this - responding to Wisdom's call and Wisdom's protection - she would have literally "protected us" and "watched over" us.

God has given us His Word - and has put it in a 31 chapter volume that holds great wisdom for us. How He desires that the love He gives us through Wisdom - through the Holy Spirit teaching and leading, and guiding us - would be returned.

There is a love story that will bless us marvelously, if we will become a character in it. This love story promises to be one that will last throughout all the ages. It is almost as if this love story has existed all throughout time - and is available to anyone who will embrace wisdom - and hold wisdom fast. Know this - each and every day you awake and get ready to start your day - there is One who loves you more than you could ever imagine. There is a wisdom that He wants you to have - that will guard and watch over you for good and for blessing. This love is there if you will respond. The question then resounds, "Are you going to get involved, or are you just going to play the field?" How you answer that question will determine whether you enter into the most awesome love story ever - or just waste your life on bad choices.

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God's Glorious Jealousy . . . Proverbs 27:4

3/27/2010

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Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4

Three things are mentioned here - with the last being the most severe. Wrath is the first thing mentioned. The word used here is "hemah" and it means to be hot with anger. It signifies anger, hot displeasure, indignation, or rage. It was used to speak of a person's burning anger as well as once to speak of God's intense anger toward those who practiced idolatry in 2 Kings 22:17. We are told that this kind of burning anger is fierce. When people have this kind of burning wrath toward something - or probably in this context someone - they can be both fierce and cruel. For the most part, God encourages us to refrain from this kind of wrathful, hot anger and rage.

The second word used in this proverb is anger. This is the oft used Hebrew word "aph" and it refers literally to a flared nostril or the way a face is altered when a person is angry. Except for only a few instances, this kind of anger is viewed negatively in the Word. What is fascinating is the two or three examples where an exception is given. This anger is expressed in a passion and desire for God to be glorified. Because He is not - then the anger rises in one who speaks or acts on behalf of God and His honor and glory. We see that this word is described as coming in a flood. The word for flood means a mighty torrent of water - probably something like a flash flood. God's judgment is mentioned as coming this way in Nahum 1:8 where God says, "But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness." When God's anger is loosed in judgment - it will be like a flash flood - like a tsunami that will crush all that stands against Him. But when humans act this way - it is usually when someone blows his or her top. Like a volcanic eruption - the person just blows - and the result is seldom anything but problematic and damaging to whomever is unfortunate enough to be in its path.

As said at the beginning of this devotion - three things are mentioned here - with wrath and flared anger being those two of those three things. But the third is considered the worst them. That is jealousy. The word here is "qana" and it means to be jealous with great zeal. It describes a person who has an intense fervor, passion, and emotion that supercedes that of a person with wrath or anger. This is seen in the Word as both good and bad in various situations. Phinehas was filled with this jealousy when he acted on the Lord's behalf in Numbers 25:11. Seeing an Israelite man walk right in front of the tent of meeting with a Midianite woman - intending to have sex with her - filled Phinehas with a jealousy for God's glory that moved him to act. This kind of sin was only a precursor to Israel stumbling headlong into Baal worship and its practice of sensuality and sexual immorality as worship of their false god. Incensed and filled with passion and godly jealousy - Phinehas pierced both the man and the woman through with a spear as they engaged in this wicked act. God praised Phinehas for his godly jealousy in this passage. But jealousy can also be evil. Proverbs 14:30 warns agaisnt a passion that is rottenness in the bones. The wrong kind of jealousy - for our own honor and praise - for what we want and think we deserve - can eat us alive.

In the end - God experiences all three of these things in His great love for His honor and glory. His wrath is fierce, and His anger can come like a wave crashing against the wickedness of man. But these two things cannot measure against His great love for His people manifest by His godly jealousy and zeal for them to love Him and honor Him as He deserves. We read in James that God's Spirit desires us to the point of envy. God has redeemed us and bought us for Himself. What He has done in bringing us to life - paying for our sins - and calling us unto Himself - He longs for it. He longs to see us tear down every idol and cast out any other love - and to be completely devoted to Him. Who can stand before such a jealousy!?

Here is the amazing thing about this proverb. Our first response to this should be to cower in fear at the manifestation of God's wrath and anger. These things have been seen in ways that would drop any man alive to his knees. We would prostrate ourselves before God in terror at His wrath and anger - fearing and trembling for our lives as we watch Him bring the just deserts of the wicked upon their heads. But what we experience as believers is the Lord's jealousy for the work He has done in us. He longs for us to fully embrace the grace He has given us - to fully access all that His Spirit is willing to do in us. And He does so with a jealous passion to see us as the very trophies of His grace and kind work in our souls and bodies. Who can stand before such blazing love? Who would dare to oppose Him in His quest to destroy every idol in our hearts and have every part of us as His sole possession? Oh, that we would see the love of God in all of its shining glory and passionate heat. We cannot stand before it - we cannot imagine the depth of His love. All we can do is fall before Him and see ourselves consumed in the loving flames of His glorious, jealous passion that in Christ Jesus He will finally be glorified in His saints.

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Proverb A DAy

The Excellent Wife, day 6 - Her Speaking and Teaching - Proverbs 31:26

A Love Story . . . Proverbs 4:6

God's Glorious Jealousy . . . Proverbs 27:4

Proverb a Day

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​Proverb A DAy

The Excellent Wife, day 6 - Her Speaking and Teaching - Proverbs 31:26

A Love Story . . . Proverbs 4:6

God's Glorious Jealousy . . . Proverbs 27:4

Proverb a Day

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Proverb A DAy