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Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.
As we look at the excellent wife, we now turn to inner qualities in her life. These are discussed in verses 25-28 and once again represent a godly woman who takes her role seriously before God, before her family, and before the outside world around her. In verse 25 three things characterize the inner qualities of this godly wife. First, she is a woman of strength. Keil and Delitzsch say this about the word strength here. "She is clothed with strength, which is the power over the changes of temporal circumstances, which easily shatter and bring to ruin a household resting on less solid foundations." Hers is an inner strength derived from a relationship with God - and from the Scriptures, which guide those who know Him. Just as she would clothe herself daily with outward dress - she also turns each day to God for the inner strength she will need to face the world and love those in her family. When I think of what strength she functions from, Ephesians 6:10 comes to mind. "Be strong in The Lord and in the strength of His might." Any lady who has run a home knows that Keil and Delitzsch's comments are very true. The average home faces changing circumstances - especially when it comes to the people who live in it. The godly wife is a rock to her family - in that she faces the problems they face with the wisdom of God. The throes of a child's life - especially in the Junior and Senior High years are a roller-coaster of emotions, highs and lows, and wrestling with the world seeking to influence them negatively. She faces every battle - every situation - every new trial with strength. Secondly, we see that she faces these things with "dignity." The word here is "glory" which here points to a mindset that thinks above that which is low, little, or common. She does not look to life as just getting by or living for the things of this world. She thinks higher than that. She is clothed with a mind and a heart that reaches higher - that desires a life that glorifies God. Some live aspiring to no glory at all. They live in the mundane and think that is all that they will be able to do. But a godly woman knows that God wants to work in those around her - and she cooperates, knowing that in doing so a touch of glory will be on the lives of those around her as a result. She is both dignified - and lives with a dignity that has others look up to her. Because of these things the godly wife smiles at the future. There is something that is needed today. Too many look at the future and grit their teeth as they await the devastation they figure is coming. The godly woman faces all things with God's strength seeking God's glory - and as a result smiles that although much may be wrong in the world - she sees things in light of growing closer to God and doing things that glorify Him. As a result, regardless of the circumstances, she smiles at the future knowing that getting closer to God - loving Him more - serving Him better - and selflessly giving herself for those around her is not governed by anyone other than herself as she responds to God Himself. That is why while all others seem to frown at the future - she stands smiling and looking to God for His work even in the midst of a crooked and godless generation. The inner strength, character, and outlook of the excellent wife set her apart from other women. She stands as a beacon of hope and joy in a world where too many struggle with depression and thoughts that everything stinks. Rather than let the world depress her - she seeks to live by God's purposes and designs - and then seeks to influence the world rather than let it influence her. What a delight it is to know such a woman - and an ever better one to have one blessing your home.
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 Proverbs 31:16-29 She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.
This is the third day that we have looked at qualities of the excellent wife. In the verses we look at today we see that this particular woman that Bathsheba is describing for her son is an industrious woman. Let’s look at the ways that she walks out her industriousness. First we see that she knows real estate – or at least how to “consider” a field in which she plans to plant a vineyard. The word here for “consider” is “zamam” and it means to speak to oneself in a low voice or a quiet one. The concept here is that of deliberating on something. It meant to formulate a plan of action – from beginning to end – and then counsel with yourself to make sure that the plan is a good one. It represents the inner thought process one has as they seek God and even converse within themselves when making a very important decision. For the excellent wife, this decision concerns whether a field is worth purchasing. This includes the thought of whether the field is acceptable for agriculture (in this case to plant a vineyard). Then it moves on to whether she has the money to make the purchase – as well as whether the field is going to be profitable in the endeavor. This lady is not a wall-flower – and neither is she so delicate that she shuns hard work. The second thing we see is that this woman is strong. She has girded her arms with strength. This strength is not from going to the gym all the time – but rather from good, old-fashioned hard work. She is planting a vineyard – working a field, then coming home to grasp the distaff and spindle to make yarn and eventually fabric from which to clothe and bless her family. Whatever the work – it is a good thing to have a wife who knows how to work hard. All this is delightful to her – for she senses that her work is good. She sees that the things she is doing are going to be a blessing to her family. She is earning money from which they can be blessed. She is planting a vineyard from which they can get grapes, grape juice, and wine. She is working hard to turn the lamb and sheep’s wool and cotton into cloth and eventually garments for her, her family, her servants, and even those to whom she sells them later in the passage. She even works in the evening time – not having her lamp go out at night for the purpose of blessing those whom she loves. The excellent wife knows work – knows strength that comes from work – and senses and knows that a good work ethic is a blessing to her and to her family. First there is the direct gain to herself that comes from it. It is a good thing to desire to bless ourselves with our work. There is a self-interest that God has built into each of us that is beneficial to us if we use it to work hard. That self-interest though must go to bless others around us as well. The excellent wife wanted to bless her husband, her children, her servants, and even the men and women in the city as she worked hard to produce things of benefit. That selfless self-interest is what drives a beneficial economy. Things like socialism and communism have NEVER blessed a country and its economy. That is because they do not encourage work ethic. They do not encourage a selfless self-interest to be productive. They encourage instead a growing dependence on government as the driver of all things – and the one that determines who gets what in the end. Everywhere that has been practiced it has encouraged laziness and greater dependence on someone to give us more and more – even if we did not work to get it. The excellent wife knows that her example of hard work will do more than give the family a few more shekels. She will promote that same hard working ethic in her children and in others around her. She will provide goods for others – and will show people that hard work and frugality does bring blessing on those who practice it. In the end, the excellent wife knows that there is more to this than raising grapes . . . she needs to raise children and their children to many generations with the same hard-working mindset. That will last far longer than a bunch of grapes or any other products she labors to produce. Proverbs 31:10-12 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
For the next week or so, we will look at the "excellent wife" as she is represented in Scripture. This portrayal is given by Solomon's mother, who sought to point him toward the right kind of godly woman to be his wife. Rather than try to give direct parallels to everything that is written in this chapter, I'm going to look at this excellent wife more by categories. That is because, due to culture and the times in which we live, we don't do some of these things any longer. I also do not believe that godliness in a woman is measured by whether she spins her own yarn or makes her own bread. Godliness is determined by issues of the heart - not by works that a woman does or does not do. So with that in mind - and with that as our backdrop - let us dive in and take a look at what God calls an excellent wife in His Word. Solomon's mom begins by asking a question, "An excellent wife, who can find?" Good question. She is not the kind of mother who just wants her son to get married - no matter to whom. She wants her son to focus on excellence in a wife. She does that by presenting to him a number of character traits that are present in a wife who is excellent. He reminds her son that when he does find one - her worth is far above jewels. There is a hint here of just how difficult a task this may be. Jewels are not found lying around on the ground. You have to search for them. There are few precious jewels - but a lot of rocks. So also may be the search for an excellent wife. There also may be just a little more than a tinge of pain here for Bathsheba as she writes this to her son. She was not an excellent wife to either Uriah or David. Unfortunately her wisdom was learned in the school of sinful, hard knocks. She betrayed her first husband by committing adultery - and eventually cost him his life in doing this with a very powerful man. Then she agreed to a sham marriage for the sake of covering up her indiscretions - that cost her the first-born child of that union. She was a woman who was very beautiful outwardly - but that outward beauty was not indicative of the inward state of her heart. Now, her goal was to do all she could to keep her son from making a mistake like that his father made. She did this not out of bitterness or resentment - but as a recipient of grace. (see the post for Proverbs 31:1-2) Even as she wrote the words in verse 11 there had to be pain in the penmanship. The heart of her husband trusts in her. He knows she will be faithful to him - and that truth resides in the core of his heart. The issue of faithfulness and trustworthy character is first on her list. An excellent wife is faithful and true to one man all her days. There are no thoughts lurking within him of her seeking out another man - no thoughts of adultery. Oh the peace that resides in a man's heart when this is true - and oh the torture that hunts a man's spirit when it is not. I've seen men destroyed by jealousy - even the point of doing the unthinkable - killing their wives and then themselves. Let me say that this faithfulness is a two way street and the man is held to no less standard as well. He will have no lack of gain. Does this mean that if you get the right excellent wife you'll be rich? That is not what Bathsheba is saying to her son. She is saying to him that due to her influence and the spirit she brings to the home, he will know no lack of blessing. Go to a home of an excellent wife and what you will see if a woman who cheers on her husband if he is a CEO or a ditch-digger. He will feel as if he is a king in the way that appreciation and love flows to him. If there are good times in their lives - they will enjoy them together. If difficult times ensue - those will be embraced as well. In good times and bad - she will be there to let him know that all things will work together for them as they seek The Lord and follow Christ Jesus. As a result this man - whether he has a large bank account or just two pennies who keep each other company - knows that which this woman he has no lack of gain! She does him good and not evil all the days of his life. Her heart is set on bringing good to him. In this it is first set on walking with God and knowing Him. Then it is set on whatever God's good, acceptable, and perfect will is for her, her husband, and their entire household. She uses her words to encourage and built him up according to the need of that hour - giving grace to him as he hears her. She looks to him to be a man - to reject passivity - accept responsibility - to lead her courageously, and to look to God for his ultimate reward. And in any moment he shows an inkling of doing this - she cheers him on - letting him know it is a good work he does. She looks to good as God ultimately defines it; and she applies herself to seeing that good given to her husband. What kind of lady is an excellent wife? She is the lady who is faithful and true to her husband. She is the lady who puts his heart at ease for her eyes and heart are fully his. She is a lady who accepts God's direction and will walked out as wonderful gain - regardless of the financial bottom line it brings. She is a lady who seeks the face of God, knows the Word of God, and according to the will of God - brings good to her husband, shunning any and every evil impulse of her fallen heart. This is quite a wonderful woman. A diamond, a jewel, a rare gem whose worth is not measured by her wealth or her looks - the real gem here is a heart redeemed and remade by God. Find one of these - and you have become rich indeed. Proverbs 5:19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.
In talking about moral sanity we come to a passage that almost makes you a little uncomfortable while reading it, yet it is the very essence of moral and sexual sanity itself! In commenting on this verse I want to take a moment to speak against the moral and sexual insanity that reigns in our society today. It is a sad thing that we read verse 19 and get a little uncomfortable. The joys of married love and sexual union are one of the wonderful gifts that God gave us when He made our bodies as He did - and introduced us to marriage at the very foundation of this world. There is a purity in what is said here - not impurity. There is a very real joy that we should have in experiencing sexual union with the wife of our youth. Unfortunately sin has so skewed things in our minds that we squirm a little when God paints a somewhat vivid picture of the truth. God desires for a man to enjoy his wife. He tells us here that her breasts should be the ones that satisfy us at all times. The world though has so twisted our minds and hearts that we struggle with reading this - even though all the world around us is doing all they can to capture our attention with the breasts of women other than our wives. There is the perversion - focusing on the beauty of a woman who is NOT your wife. Television, movies, magazines, and the internet are being used to draw our attention to other women. I see pretty much every day when I go to check my email that the most popular searches on the internet tend toward women whose beauty is being exploited to draw men into the trap of desiring a woman other than their wife. This is the deception of the world - and it is used daily to draw us away from the Lord. That is why I get so frustrated when believers don't want us to read or comment on passages of Scripture that promote healthy biblical sexuality. It is not that we want to start a sexual round-table by doing this - but it does put the real and the true before us. We want to be wise in discussing and commenting on such passages - not turning to gutter language and sexually explicit comments. But the Bible is very clear in what it is saying here. The second part of this admonition from father to son is that the son be intoxicated by the love of his wife. Usually the New American Standard does a wonderful job of directly translating such things, but my how weak they are on this verse. Exhilarated is NOT what the dad is saying to his son. He is telling him to be utterly intoxicated with the sexual love of his wife. There are not many things God says we should be drunk on - but when it comes to the love of our wife - God says to drink up all the love we can. That is the essence of sexual sanity dear friends. God wants us to enjoy our sexuality in marriage. He has written an entire book, The Song of Solomon, to exult in the sexual love enjoyed in marriage. He instructs us in that book - as well as in this passage - that it is a good thing to enjoy sexual union and lovemaking with our wife. It is one of the reasons why he gave us a wife and set up marriage the way He did. That is why it is so important that as fathers we have such a talk with our sons. We can guide them away from the raging rapids of sexual immorality - and toward the safe waters of sex within marriage. If we do not tell them - I can promise you the world will warp their minds with tales of sexual exploits that are nothing more than the deception of whoremongers and fools. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. Proverbs 31:11-12
The book of Proverbs speaks to us of the virtuous woman - whom we call the Proverbs 31 woman. Here we learn how her husband feels about her. We see that his heart trusts her. What a wonderful statement. It is one thing to say that we think we can trust someone - but quite another to say that our heart trusts in them. That is saying that to the very core of our being we know that we can trust this person. The heart was considered the very core of the man in Jewish thought. Therefore to say that the heart of her husband trusts her is to say that at the very center and base of this man's inner core he knows that he can have a reliance on his wife to support and to be there for him. Even more importantly he knows that her heart belongs to the Lord - so that he can absolutely trust her to do good and to seek the very best for all in the family. The man who has such a godly woman who seeks the best for her husband and her family will also be blessed with the prosperity of having no lack of gain from her efforts for them. This is a lady who has the very best interests for her family - God's interests if you will allow me to insert what is being inferred by this passage. The gain here is not just riches - although this particular lady is quite the businesswoman for her family. The gain involves some things - but more importantly it involves goods, her service, and the spirit that is in the home because of her ministry and her heart. Do not discount this aspect of bringing gain to a family. There are blessings and benefits that the spirit of a home give to a husband and children that cannot be matched by any amount of money. In a day when so many do not have peace - and too many children go to homes where there is far more turmoil than rest - we do not see like we used to the vaule of a woman who focuses the major part of her life on her husband and family. Feminist groups denigrate such women, yet to those men who have such a godly lady in their midst - they are worth gold, jewels, and riches to them. The godly woman does her husband good and not evil all the days of her life. The word for good used here is "tob" which means to be happy, to be pleased, to be loved, favored - and is also used to speak of doing well and right. Oh, what blessings there are for a godly woman who does her husband and family good. They know the joy of having a godly mom and wife - which means that she works to make a happy home - a loved home - a home which is pleasing to God - a favored home. She lives her live to make sure that what her family sees her doing is what is well and right in the eyes of God. The word used for evil here is the classic biblical word, "ra" which speaks of misery, injury, calamity, evil, and distress. This lady shuns such things for her family's sake. She works to bring God's good to them and to make sure that the work of the enemy s fought at every turn. As a result she is a guard and protector for her loved ones. This bent in her is why her husband's heart knows that only what is best will happen in their home due to her efforts. He trusts her - and also considers her the greatest of blessings to him and to their family. And since her heart is heavily bent toward not just good things (by whoever decides to define the good) but good as defined by God - there is no hidden cost that will come with the ways that she works to bless her family. If you have such a woman in your home and life - consider yourself to be supremely blessed. Pray that your daughters will strive to be such a woman - and that God will bless your sons with one of these women as a wife. To have such a lady at the core of a home-life is a blessing given by God - and one that is only bested by salvation itself. An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. Proverbs 31:10
We begin with this verse our introduction into what many call the Proverbs 31 woman. This first verse in this section lets us know the women we are going to get to know. We are also told the worth of such a woman. The Proverbs 31 woman is called "an excellent wife." The word "excellent" is the Hebrew word "chayil." It speaks of someone who has strength, efficiency, capability, power, and substance. The word, according to Zhodiates, hsa the babsic idea of strength and influence. The word is used of individual, nations, and even armies. What is being said here is that this is a strong woman - but her strength is from her character and her godly practices. That will be apparent as we look further into this section of Scripture in future posts. The excellent wife is the wife who is both strong and influential. When speaking of a woman this word often speaks of a virtuous character. That is the kind of woman who is an excellent wife. She is one who has a strength and power that comes from godly character traits. She draws her strength from her relationship with God - and views her family as the first and foremost place where that strength is spent. Throughout this section of Scripture we read how she works to bless and build up her family. The praise she receives in this passage comes primarily from her husband and her children. This is the praise that she desires. Before we are through with this passage we will see this godly lady doing a wide variety of things with her time and her energy. Chief though in all of them is that she fears the Lord. Her lifestyle choices therefore are not directed by worldly influences. They are directed by a desire to glorify and honor God. If she can accomplish this - she is happy. She views being a wife and mother as the two highest callings that she could ever receive. She also views those callings from a biblical vantage point. That means, to put it bluntly, that she is not influenced by the National Organization of Women - or any other organization that views femininity with suspicion. Such a woman, according to Proverbs, has a worth far above jewels. Her worth to her husband is incalculable - even though some well-meaning folks have tried to figure out how much we would pay to have someone do what a stay at home mother does. The cost of that estimate was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But what we cannot figure into any monetary value is the stability and the grace that a godly wife brings to her family. We also cannot imagine the costs that would be incurred to future generations if that godly influence were not in the home. Godly wives are a blessing as well spiritually (in fact that is where their greatest value is seen) which is something we cannot rate in dollars and cents. Suffice it to say that a godly wife and mother is worthy far more than any army of accountants could figure out in the end. If you have one - as either a wife or a mom - you should be eternally grateful! She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. Proverbs 7:12
In chapter 7 of Proverbs we are examining the adulterous woman. As we do this we are learning to contrast her actions and lifestyle with what the Scriptures call a godly woman to be. This particular verse may wind up being controversial in what it teaches us. But that is only because we don't teach what the Scriptures say to the women in the church any longer due to the effect of the doctrines of the women's liberation movement. Now that I've opened the proverbial can of worms - let's take a look at today's verse in Proverbs. One of the descriptions of the adulteress is that she is not at home, but instead is all over town. She's in the streets, the squares - and then we read that she "lurks" by every corner. First let's deal with the fact that she is all over town. The Scriptures teach us that a godly woman is a "worker at home." In Titus 2 we read that the older women should be teaching the younger women to love their hustands, love their children, to be sensible, pure, kind, and workers at home. The church has moved away from such teaching because the women's lib movement has made enough noise to make such teaching uncomfortable in today's society. We are considered "out of touch" if we teach such things. We are told that we should realize that a woman can do anything a man can do - and that she should be liberated from her enslavement to the dungeon of the home. What I find fascinating is that Paul begins this section of his letter to Titus by saying that he is to "speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine." This is not a matter of cultural preference - but a matter of sound doctrine. When we do not teach these things in the church - in the way specificed by Paul (i.e. the older woman teaching the younger women) the end will be that the Word of God will be dishonored. The other thing I find fascinating is that for all the so-called liberating that has been done for women - they are still finding that they desire husbands and children. They still find the greatest satisfaction (as well as the greatest challenge) in loving a husband and loving their children. Where this is happening we are also finding that there is the greatest stability provided for children and society to flourish. The adulteress is not for this lifestyle of staying at home - or at least seeing her life's work there with her husband and her children. The Hebrew here is so descriptive. With short phrases we read that she is now in the streets - then now in the squares - and as she lives this jet-setting life all over town - she tends to lurk by the corners. What is being said is that she is not content being in the home. She wants her own life and her own way. Hopefully we are learning from Scripture that the worst thing for us is to constantly "get our way." This woman does not want the home-based life - the family-based life. She wants to be out and about - doing and being everywhere. She's in the streets and in the squares - and we should note that it seems that nothing of any real use is being accomplished. She's just hanging out - out of the home. This is NOT good for a woman - or - for a man for that matter. Now before someone begins to protest that I'm suggesting that a woman be a slave to her house - I want to offer a few comments here on the godly woman. Proverbs 31 presents to us the godly woman. When you read that passage you come away with anything BUT a woman enslaved to her home. She is out and about at times - but not without a purpose. She is out and about doing things for her family. She is out and about serving her home. You would probably see her in the streets and squares as well - but not just "lurking" about by every corner. She is accomplishing things - buying and selling - getting things for her husband and her children. She is overseeing servants who work with her to make her house into a home. The problem is not being out of the house - it is being out of the house for no real apparent reason. We've got far too much "hanging out" going on in our society. Too often our men, women, and children are living their lives to "hang out" rather than to accomplish something. Ever notice that those who are "hanging out" tend to get into far more trouble than those who have a purpose and are "getting out" to accomplish that purpose? This is the fundamental problem with the adulteress. She is "lurking out" rather than "living out." Let me explain. When we "lurk out," we are wasting our time with no real purpose in view. Actually those who "hang out" and "lurk out" are saying that they are either looking for something to do - or - they don't have anything to do. Because this is their situation, they are going somewhere to "hang out." Believe me that when this is your normal mode of life - you will eventually get into trouble. An idle life is the devil's/flesh's playground. Spend enough time with no purpose and no place to go - and the flesh or the devil will begin making suggestions. Live like this and the world system (which is under the devil's control) will offer a direction - and it is a bad one. For the adulteress woman (as well as the fool she seduces) her time spent "lurking out" looking for something to do - it ends in the sin of adultery. We need to "live out" our days. What I mean by this is that we learn to live in God's will - fulfilling His purposes for our lives. This is a life spent seeking to know God - and follow what He desires for our lives. When we live like this, we will go out like everyone else. But the time we go out will be spent accomplishing the things God desires for us to do. There will be a purpose to our going out. We will be "living out" the will of God. We will be living to bring glory to God as we take the time He's given us and put it to good use. In the end His purposes will not just keep us out of trouble - they will be lived out to where we have a life filled with purpose and meaning. This is a far better way to live than just "hanging out" or "lurking out" to see what the world, the devil, and our flesh bring us to do. Wisdom is living a life. Wisdom is a life lived on purpose. Just hanging out will turn to just lurking out - and just lurking out will be a life lived for the wrong purposes. Be wise and live life on purpose - God's purpose. She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; Proverbs 7:11
What kind of lady do you want to be drawn to in life? For the women who are reading this - What kind of woman do you want to be - or do you want your daughters to become? Hopefully, this passage in Proverbs 7 will have a little bit of wisdom for you today. The woman described here in this verse is the one mentioned in verse 10. This is the adulteress - the woman who dresses as a harlot - and who has her sights set on a very foolish young man who has decided to stray into her web. She is described in three ways in this passage - and I would dare say that these are traits that woman would do well to avoid. First of all we read that she is boisterous. The word for boisterous means to growl, roar, or howl. It means someone who is loud - who is very tumultuous. This is interesting to read because Peter encourages the women in the New Testament to be women whose beauty if from the "inner man of their hearts" (a reference to the fullness of Christ within them) - and adds - a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth to God. (from 1 Peter 3:4) This woman is not either of these things. She is neither quiet or gentle. Her boisterousness manifests itself by the fact that she is out confronting young men - initiating to them. She is out seeking sex and as she does - she is loud and bold in her actions and words. Here we come to an interesting thought. God desires women to be the gentler sex. He sees great worth in a quiet and gentle spirit in a woman. We are not stating that women should never speak - that is a over statement of this principle. It also does not mean a woman cannot laugh or enjoy herself - but that she must be stoic and quiet as a mouse. The passage here and in 1 Peter is saying that a woman ought to have a tranquil heart - and not have to be the center of attention and the life of the party. There is another thing we need to see here. She is not just boisterous - but boisterous and rebellious. Her loudness comes packaged with a rebellious heart as well. She doesn't want to submit to her husband -or to the proper way to carry herself in public. This is evident by the fact that she is seeking an adulterous partner in the streets at night. Most of all she is not willing to submit her life to God and His Word. She desires to run her own life - do her own thing - and say and act however she wants. Men, such a woman is NOT a good woman to marry. Ladies, such a character is NOT wise for you to adopt - and neither is it wise to allow your daughters to be influenced by such women. The third and final description of the adulteress in this verse is that "her feet do not remain at home." This is literal first of all as we watch her leave home and seek out a sexual partner other than her husband. But it is also evident in other aspects of her life. Titus speaks of having the older women teach the younger women to be "workers at home." I'm sure I'll hear about this - but I do not think it is the wisest choice to have women out in the workplace. That will most likely be received as a statement made from the dark ages - but actually it is made from Scripture. The more women have been liberated from this Scriptural principle - the more they have actually been enslaved to the problems that come from it. Women's liberation movements have tried to tell us that a woman should abandon her maternal instincts and leave home to do what men do. The results of this social experimentation have been nothing short of disastrous. As women have embraced being like men - they have also encountered the sins of men as well. It has helped to disintigrate the family and the institution of marriage. When a woman's feet do not remain at home - the protection the Scripture speaks of will be lost to them. I know that I've said some pretty controversial things today. Most likely I'll get some pretty negative comments from this posting. But the facts of Scripture are the facts. Boisterousness, rebelliousness, and women who leave home to pursue their own agenda are not those who are held up and honored in Scripture. I'm not saying that all women who are this way will end up in adultery. But I am saying that the wise woman reads such a passage and leans heavily to the opposite of such things. May God grant to all those who read this His wisdom to see the role that He has for women in this world. Contrary to what the NOW and other feminist organizations will say, such a role is not demeaning to women. It exalts them to the place of their greatest effectiveness and power. Women who have lived out such lives know this. They know that being a women of godly character, graciousness, and sacrificial love - will bless them - and will bless the many generations that will know the love of a godly mother - a godly wife - a godly woman. May God multiply their number in the church once again in our day! "She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty." Proverbs 4:9
Wisdom is showing us with wonderful gifts as we learn to value her highly. The last two gifts are mentioned in this third verse. Wisdom will put a garland of grace on our heads - as well as a crown of beauty. The garland of grace refers to a woven circular branch or vine that was worn on the head. It was used as a symbol of honor and victory. This garland is refered to as a garland of "grace." Grace is the Hebrew word "hen" and it means favor, acceptance and was the primary word used to refer to the unmerited favor of God. When we fully embrace wisdom and the practical way of carrying it out in understanding - God's favor and blessing will be seen upon our lives. Over the years I've had the priviledge of knowing a number of very wise men - and can testify that you see the grace of God upon their lives and their works. You want to be around them because of it - and because of the last thing wisdom promises. She will present you with a crown of beauty. A crown was a sign of royalty and honor. The crown that wisdom places upon our heads is one of beauty. The idea here is not that we will look hot if we gain wisdom - but rather that a spiritual beauty will be given to our lives. Think about the fruit of the Spirit for just a moment in this context. Wisdom will lead us to be filled with God's Spirit - which in turn will mean that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will be evident in our lives. If you have ever known someone who sweetly manifested the fruit of God's Spirit in their lives consistently, you know that they have an amazing beauty that radiates from their hearts. I've known young women whose outward beauty was far outshined by the beauty of Christ that shone from their hearts. Even though they were not stikingly beautiful outwardly - those around them saw them that way - because of the beauty of Christ that radiated in their lives. When we embrace wisdom and highly honor her in our lives - we receive a spiritual makeover that brings a level of beauty to our lives that no spa could ever match. Embrace wisdom - hold her in the highest esteem and honor. Consider her worth more than gold and silver, rubies and diamonds, stocks and bonds - consider wisdom worth more than any other thing in your life! This is the way to be blessed and beautified by God's grace. So remember this - get wisdom - and as you are expending great energy and effort to do so - get the understanding to practically live that wisdom out in the world around you. Based on the clear teaching of God's Word I can guarantee you that if you do this - you will never regret it! Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelids. Proverbs 6:25
Yesterday we looked at how the prostitute and adulterous woman catches men with her words, today, well look at how she catches them with her eyes and beauty. Let me start by saying that God made women to be beautiful - and so that men would be attracted to them. Women are different from men - and viva la difference! BUT . . . to lust after beauty is sin. That is why the adulterous woman has power to affect the thoughts, desires, and actions of men who are not careful. The wise man warns us not to desire the beauty of the adulteress! The word for desire here means to lust, to covet, to desire passionately. It has the idea of something intense. Seeing a beautiul woman and acknowledging she is beautiful is one thing - but when our look and heart turns lustful - things can become dangerous. From yesterday we saw how an adulteress lures men in with her words. That is repeated for us in verse 24 again here - but now the adulteress does more with her beauty and her eyes. The fool is the man who does not short-circuit lust from his heart. This man is speaking with the adulteress - and with her words fresh in his foolish mind - he now turns to her beauty and begins to have stronger desires for her that pollute his heart. This brings him to the point of seeing her in his heart - and desiring that beauty - which cannot be done in holiness. Next she uses her eyelids to capture him. What a frightening phrase is used here! She uses her eyelids like a rat trap - and when a guy is draw to and begins to stare at her eyes - she snaps the trap shut with another fool. Men - our world is filled with lustful images. We live in a highly charged sexually minded society. It is all around us. That is why we have to be extra careful in how we interact with women. That is why we need to be wise and resist looking at a woman wrongly. If we do - we will face inevitable consequences - which if we entertain them long enough - may even result in adultery and the destruction of our families. Take great caution and be ready to run. As the Proverbs tell us - also be delighted in your wife - and in her alone. It is a dangerous world in which we live when it comes to man/woman relationships. Protect yourself by being focused on your wife. The alternative may promise a few moments of pleasure - but then again - so does the cheese for the mouse - until the trap springs and his neck is broken. |
 Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. 
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