The Beautiful Woman

Life has been a bit crazy lately, so I apologize for just now getting back to finishing up our Proverbs 31 study! This study has been such a blessing to my life and I hope and pray it's blessed you too!

Proverbs 31:30-31

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.

The Hebrew word for fleeting here means “breath” or “vapor”. We can truly understand how fleeting beauty is when we know that the meaning of it is just a breath or just a vapor of time.

Lately I’ve been seeing Hollywood actors portrayed in online articles about botched plastic surgery or who went too far in their surgery attempts, etc. I read through these and truthfully.. it breaks my heart. These actors aren’t allowed to age in their profession. They’re not allowed to be real people with real faces and real bodies. I’m not against plastic surgery, honestly. I don’t have a problem with it and I don’t think it’s sinful or wrong. However, I think the heart behind it can be sinful. I think when we become obsessed to be something we aren’t, then there’s a sin issue. I think when we look at ourselves and pick ourselves apart because we aren’t beautiful enough and yet, we are made in the image of God, then I think there’s a sin issue. It’s my opinion that when enough is never enough… Just one more surgery, just a few more pounds lost or gained, just a few more things, etc. When we are never satisfied with who we are, what we have, and what we’ve been given.. then there is a sin issue. A heart issue. An issue that we need to take to the cross of Jesus and lay at His feet to find healing and restoration from Him. To find redemption in who He created us to be! 

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As the Proverbs reveal to us... charm is deceiving. Beauty is fleeting… it's just a vapor. It comes and then it can just as easily go. But a woman who fears the Lord… she will be praised. She will be blessed. Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.” One of the most beautiful things we can understand about the Excellent Wife is that above all things regarding her appearance, she fears the Lord! She is concerned about what God thinks about her more than what others think about her. Her priorities are according to what God has called her to do.. not the expectation of others. She fears the Lord and because of this, 

then she is praised, admired, and honored by her family. Because of her fear of the Lord.. He rises up and His beauty shines upon her!

She is woman who is honored at the city gate. Women weren’t often recognized at the city gate, but an extraordinary woman definitely deserved extraordinary recognition. We can find so many wonderful assets & virtues about this woman and we can all hope that through prayer and growing closer to the Lord that we, too, can be an Excellent Wife (or for the unmarried... an Excellent Woman!)

What was your favorite part of learning about the Excellent Wife?

The Willing Woman

People depend on this Excellent Wife.... she is willing to serve her family! The Hebrew meaning of verse 17 here literally means that she girds her loins with strength and vigor. 

Proverbs 31:17-18(HCSB)

17 

She draws on her strength[a]

and reveals that her arms are strong.

18 

She sees that her profits are good,

and her lamp never goes out at night.

Photo credit: www.talkshoe.com

A discussion of Jewish clothing is helpful to fully understand what this means. The essential garment for the Jew was the tunic. Because the tunic was so basic, it was identical for men and women except that the man’s tunic was often shorter (knee length) and more colorful whereas the women’s was often longer (ankle length) and blue. The tunic was normally a long flowing and full cut robe. The girdle was often made of leather or cloth and was used to hold the tunic to the waist. When men needed freedom to work, run or fight, they would tuck the hem of the tunic into the girdle to gain greater freedom and movement. This action was called “girding up the loins” and the phrase became a metaphor for preparedness. The women would often lift the hem of their tunics to help carry heavier or numerous objects. A common expression in America has been the need “to roll up your sleeves” when hard and unhindered work is necessary to accomplish the task. This modern expression finds it counterpart in the biblical expression of “girding up the loins.”[1]

She has a healthy attitude towards hard work.  She doesn’t just sit & do idle work. She isn’t afraid to work hard. In today’s time, how can we apply this? We aren’t just delegating work out or sitting around lazily. We aren’t just playing through life. We work hard for our families and our households. We work diligently in our work places. We give of ourselves within the church.  Vigor means to work using our physical strength within the boundaries of good health and with energy, effort, and enthusiasm.

This woman is truly intelligent, strong, loves her family, and is willing to give of herself in every way possible in order to bring blessings to her home. We see that not only does this woman do all of these things for her family, but she does it willingly and with a good heart.  

We also know this woman likes to look for good deals and is a bargain hunter. The fact that verse 18 tells us that her lamp doesn’t go out may mean to say that she is a hard worker with eyes looking towards her future. Proverbs 24:20 says, “for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.” There are several locations in the Bible that tell us that misfortune is near for those whose lamp goes out.

I suggest for you to read the parable of the five virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.

I can’t read these passages and not point out the parallels to the lampstand in Revelation1:12-13 and 2:5. The lampstand in these verses refers to the Holy Spirit. For us personally, the lampstand symbolizes that we are the light within the darkness of this world. We must be vigilant to let our lights shine. To keep oil in our lamps. We need to be examples of holiness. Examples of showing others that the Holy Spirit lives within us by loving others. That is our mission as believers! We must be prepared… “Therefore, be ready. Not only that, walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, depend upon the Spirit of God, be filled with the Spirit” (Smith) Feed your Spirit! That is the idea of keeping oil in our lamps.

Please understand that losing the lampstand is not losing salvation and the part of losing the Holy Spirit is only speaking of the church. However, we can learn from that and note that by not metaphorically being prepared with oil for our own lamps then we are squelching the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we squelch the Holy Spirit then we can lose the light of our lamps and therefore we are no longer walking in the light of Jesus. When we aren’t walking in the light of Jesus then we are allowing the enemy to sneak in on us which guarantees destruction will be before us. Misfortune will be near. Heartache will be plenty. We should be prepared with oil for our lamps. As women after God’s own heart, then we must be diligent to not let our lamp go out at night.

Likewise, allowing our lamp to stay lit symbolizes long life and prosperity.

photo credit: www.ucg.org

What about you? Are you a hard working woman who is doing her work with the right heart or are you grumbling as you serve your family & home? It's important to remember that she isn't focused on "doing" but rather, she is focused on "serving".

Likewise, Are you feeding your spirit? Are you keeping oil in your lamp? What are ways that you choose to keep your spirit fed?

Study the Excellent Wife

from the beginning: Proverbs 31:10

The Helpful Woman

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[1] Maranatha Baptist Seminary - http://www.mbu.edu/seminary/sunesis/gird-up-your-loins/