Happy Mother’s Day! The title of today’s message is: Mother’s, delight in the Lord!
Today we are going to camp out and proverbs 31. I would like for you to read the entire scripture of proverbs.
Today we will be studying this scripture in depth using purple, pink, and orange highlighters.
This will be a different lesson for you, because I want to show you the Way like to study scripture. I’m praying, this will give you a new way to study your scripture. That way, if you’ve been burned out, or don’t even know how to study scripture, then this will give you a start.
First, let’s start by reading Proverbs 31 and then summarizing it. (if you have the handout you will have to remember them as we read.)
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth 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 maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
The scripture describes a good godly woman and the character traits that she should have. For example she is a businesswoman, she is intelligent, she’s obedient to Christ, she is trustworthy, loyal, and delights herself in the Lord. Overall, she is rooted and grounded in the word of God. Finally, her life is characterized by her wisdom. This wisdom she has obtained from God and his word. And I would like to interject that everyone reading my blog and that attends my church is striving to meet this criteria. I am so proud of you! You are the best mothers in the world!
Let’s start this easy lesson off with who wrote it? I never noticed this before, probably because I skipped the first 10 verses or so, but king Lemuel is given credit for writing this poem. Now, I have been racking my brain, questioning God, and doing some research, but no Bible scholar can give me any direction to who king Lemuel was. One thing, we do know is that he was alive during the time of King Solomon and this portion was written around 940 BC. Now, we know that BC means before Christ. Some scholars say it was king Solomon, but clearly the scripture notates someone else. King Lamuel was not a Jewish rabbi or king; so, perhaps he had become Jewish. But we just do not know. In addition, it’s important to note that the scripture of the Bible was written with the knowledge and wisdom of a woman, because verses 1 through 3 tells us that Lemuel received his information from his mother. Finally, Proverbs 31 was written for us. It was motherly advice to a son who was obtaining a wife; so, it’s written for young adults too.
Next question, what is this section of scripture about? What does it pertain to you? It pertains to a godly woman who is Noble. Now, the word noble has a few different meanings.
Since it is a king searching for a queen it very well could’ve meant the following: belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status; such as an aristocratic or royalty. However for us today it means the following: a lady having fine personal qualities; such as high moral principles and ideals. An example of noble is a person who is one who is always honest and charitable.
Again, the Holy Ghost told me that this particular scripture was meant for us today. It was a mother pouring out her wisdom into her son; which, wrote the entire passage. So, for us today it is appropriate to read and study, because it is Mother’s Day.
So, let’s try to imagine what it would be like for a woman living in this particular time period. When we put ourselves in the shoes of the original audience; then, we will get a whole new understanding in meaning to this passage.
So my next question is the following: what was the role of the woman in this time.? What she value? What was her every day life like? Is that different from ours?
Women, during this time were treated as a property. Remember, that the devil is the prince of this world and until Jesus came to fulfill the laws women were treated as though they were animals. They were treated as legal property. They were thought of as the source of all evil. Often times, the women stayed home and we’re at the bidding of their husbands. They had no role in society; therefore, they often did not travel outside of the home. They were not able to get an education or read the Torah for themselves. They Were valued for their ability to their sons and often times the daughters were killed. Now, :remember that this was how people believed that were Jews. Perhaps, it was different for this writer. Women did not have the power to declare their own fate.
Sadly, historically we have believed the prince of this world, because women have been treated so unfairly. When Jesus came he treated everyone as they were supposed to be treated. Even in the book of Genesis God created Adam and knew it was not good for man to be alone; therefore he created woman.
God has always seen men and women as equal counterparts, but it is us humans who have believed the lie of the devil.
Next, I wanna give you three lies that the Jews believed about Women.
These are collar coated; so, that you can color code the answers in the text.
1. Write the first lie one in pink. They believe the following: women are no good and they are the source of all evil, because of Eve.
2. The next lie in orange. They had the belief that women were only good for baring sons. Therefore, they had no role in society. They had no need of an education or two learn the Torah etc.
3. This last should be colored purple. The lie is that men believed women should be their property. Therefore, they could do anything they wanted to know women.
With this in mind, how does it connect to the text? The text brings us encouragement today, because even though women lived their lives under this rule some rose above it. Which, paved the way for Jesus to fulfill the law and become the game changer for women.
So let’s concentrate our text today on Proverbs 10 through 31. Let’s concentrate on how this woman overcame these lies. In verses one through three we see her telling her son to find a noble woman. A woman who is trustworthy and honorable. Living a life that mimics the characteristics of Jesus. Therefore, the proverbs 31 woman is loving, just, honest, loyal, cough and has the fruit of the spirit. This totally contradicts what is written in pink. Women are not the Source of evil. The source of evil is the devil.
First, color-coded verses 10 through 14 and purple. Remember, Purple represents the lie that women were property and not constructed in the community. So, let’s see what king Lemuel searching for in a virtuous woman. Proverbs 31:10-14
King James Version
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
According to verse 10 a woman cannot be bought with flowers, money, gold, or even rubies. Love is given directly from God. We should pray that the Lord send us the perfect mate. The woman needs to be trustworthy and have good intentions. Then, the wise woman can work with her hands. She can take raw materials and turn them into something usable. Finally, according to verse 14, the things that she has made can be bought and sold. This would help her family and have an economic impact for the community.
Women are not property of man! Women, men, and all human souls are property of God. God gives us our purpose. God gives us are worth. God gives us our strengths. God gives us our talents. Man should not and cannot dictate what another man does, but we are all one following Jesus Christ. This is evident and versus 10 through 14 of what a virtuous woman looks like.
Verse 15 tells us the following: She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. So, I colored coated this and purple because it goes against the lie that they were property. She is more than what the world is telling her that she is. Then, it says that she rewards him with good and not evil all the days of his life.- So I made that pink.
Next, I’m going to highlight versus 16 through 19 in Orange. Discount her lie that she has no value in society. Oh my gosh! She is like me. She makes crafts with her hands; so, she can bless others and make money for her household.
The following scriptures are also in orange: verse 22, verse 24, verse 27, and verse 31. She makes her own clothing, she make sure in bed linens, she makes belts to sell to the merchants, and she makes money that she can buy imported food for her family. Therefore, she is participating in her community and in her economy. She is definitely a girl boss, because she has her own business. Actually she has two businesses. She handles her family business and her craft business. She is working on to the Lord. She is not letting Others in the world dictate her path. She undoubtedly knows her place, but she is driven to do more than what society expects of her.
Next, let’s go back to the color pink. I’m looking at the verses 20 and 21.
“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.” Therefore, a virtuous woman cares for the poor and the needy. Today, that looks like a generous person. One who bless others, because God has blessed her. Verse 22, states that a godly woman is prepared. She does not waste everything she owns, but instead she saves part of what she has for the winter. This means that she is a good Stewart of what God has given her. Resources; such as time, energy, and blessings. Furthermore, virtuous woman is not lazy and she makes use of all of her time. Idle time it’s time that you have to waste. We waste time by watching too much TV and being on Facebook too much. A Good wife and mother makes use of her time wisely.
Verse 23 goes against the lie that women were not important in society, because she was important and her work raising children made a difference. Verse 23 says the following: 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. Because of the woman the man looked good in front of society. She made it their reputation. You know as well as I know, the church that has a good reputation is one that everyone wants to belong to. Sometimes, they have more members.
For verses 24 and 25 I got out my Purple high lighter. The scripture say the following: “25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. In describing the ideal woman’s inner beauty, Verse 25 speaks of her spiritual attire by telling us that: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25). Here, the ideal woman understands the importance of living life with courage and virtue, and “wears” these qualities in the way she carries herself and interacts with others. “26 She speaks with wisdom,and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Her well-ordered priorities allow her to value strength and dignity above charm and outer beauty, which the Proverb calls “deceptive” and “fleeting” respectively (Proverbs 31:25). Moreover, her hopeful demeanor keeps her from fretting about the future, allowing her to “laugh at the days to come.” (Proverbs 31:25) What is the Symbolism of Clothing in Scripture?
While reading Proverbs 31, t’s worthy to note that Scripture often uses clothing to symbolize a person’s spiritual state. For example, Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves not only to literally cover up their nakedness but also to symbolically cover up the shame that gripped them after they had disobeyed God (Genesis 3:7-8).
We, as Christians, know we can spiritually put on the full armor of God to “suit up” for battle against the world’s many temptations (Ephesians 6:10-17).
Also, Revelation tells us that those who go to Heaven will be dressed in white to signify their spiritual purity (Revelation 7:9-14).
Once again, I colored versus 28 and 29 purple, because the family of the mother praises her. This means that they recognize that the mother is more valuable than their property. They realize that she meets their needs and she goes way beyond what society Characterizes the woman is it in the Home. The scripture says the following: Proverbs 31:28-29
New International Version “28 Her children arise and call her blessed her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Furthermore, arise and call her blessed;”
Children sometimes call their parents names, and it is not always a nice name like “blessed.” But if children see the fruit of god in their mothers, they will see that their mothers are indeed “blessed” by God. As parents, we are called to live out the example of a godly life before our children as we seek to lead them as Christ would have us lead them, not as the Gentiles, domineering (Mk 10:42), but as Christ, who came to serve.
her husband also, and he praises her.”
Many readers today mistakenly see the list of accomplishments in Proverbs 31 and see a modern businesswoman, beating men at their own games and exercising “girl power.” But for a husband to see his wife as “blessed” and a blessing and to truly praise her, she will have exhibited grace and submission to his headship, even as she serves her family by engaging in money-making activities. This woman does anything but neglect the “keeping of her home” (Titus 2:4-5).
Verse 30 is colored and pink, because it is the verses of all verses. “30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”The Bible urges us to fear God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge …” (Proverbs 1:7). Having an appropriate reverence and holy respect for God is the beginning point for all true knowledge about spiritual realities. “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
A Prayer to Put On Strength and Dignity
Heavenly Father, I am made in Your Holy image. I strive to clothe myself with strength and dignity like my Proverbs 31 role model. If it’s in Your Will, may my perseverance and faith in You bring peace and prosperity to my home and community. Amen.
