Proverbs – Day 31
Scripture: Proverbs 31
The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.
Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!
Do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.
It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Devotional:
“The Proverbs 31 woman” has become a popular cliche in Christian culture. We might read this and laugh at the impossibly high standard which it seems to set for women. But this isn’t a daily to-do list in order to be considered noble, righteous, holy, or loved. This is a husband praising his wife for all the wonderful things he’s noticed about her over the years (v. 28). It’s a public love note that stands in stark contrast to the verses we looked at in chapter 21 about the “quarrelsome wife”.
He says about her, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” (v. 10), “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all” (v. 29). He is greatly impressed by how productive she is and that she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty (v. 13-19). He loves that she is generous and kind as “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” (v. 20). His wife is “clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (v. 25) since she is proactive and thoughtful (v. 21). He values her feedback and admires the way she raises their children (v. 26, 28).
As a result of his wife’s positive impact in his life, he “has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value” (v. 11) and he “is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.” (v. 23). And, while he is no doubt captivated by her beauty, he values her character even more. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (v 30-31)
In many ways, this chapter summarizes everything we’ve read about living a life of wisdom throughout Proverbs. He details how he trusts her and is cared for by her (Prov 19), how she is productive, discerning, generous (Prov 11, 22), confident, faithful, and a wonderful mother (Prov 17). In other words, he sees his wife as the real-life version of Wisdom whom we met at the beginning of the book. Don’t be intimidated by this man’s praise of his wife, read it as a beautiful testimony to a healthy marriage in which a husband and wife’s love and respect for one another have deepened over the years.
Key Verses:
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” ~ Proverbs 31:30-31
Questions:
- Does the description of the woman in this chapter inspire or intimidate you? Why?
- What one area of wisdom do you desire to grow in? What steps will you take to continue working towards that goal?
