In The Word
Read Proverbs 31
The Words of Lemuel
31 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:
2 What, O my son?
And what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to him whose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above 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 evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes 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,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in 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 bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
While Proverbs dedicated many words concerning the unfaithful wife, it closes with a thorough picture of the virtuous, godly wife. This ideal wife is described as upright, trustworthy, industrious, hardworking, kind, generous, economical, wise, and respectable. Whatever she puts her hands to work at, it is with delight out of love for her husband and children. And though she is mindful of her appearance, her true beauty is within. The wife that embodies all the listed characteristics is so uncommon and invaluable that the author wrote, “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels” (Proverbs 31:10). A husband married to such a wife knows by experience her great worth.
As wonderful as these character traits are, the real key to this woman’s success is not her intellect, work ethic, or outward beauty; rather, it is her respect for God. Sadly, many women don’t look to God but to what society says, which is a deeply flawed view of a wife’s role as self-reliant, independent, forceful, and consumed with outward beauty and adornment. This chapter provides a comprehensive guide of standards for young ladies to strive for. Similarly, for young men it gives a good checklist of virtues to look for in a potential bride.
If you are a wife, how well do you measure up to the standards God put forth in Proverbs 31? Would your husband praise you or your children? If you are lacking, God has given you a great benchmark to diligently work towards.