SHE IS LIKE A SHIP! Proverbs 31:14

"She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar."
Proverbs 31:14

PURPOSE AND MOTIVATION
As I was pondering over this verse, I decided to ask my husband, Michael, what comes to mind when I mention the words, " A ship of a merchant". He quickly replied, a large thing that carries nice things. Great, I thought. Was this what King Lemeul's mother was implying? The ideal woman is just a thing which just carries things home from far places. I had to have a laugh at this comment as I had similar thoughts. I find it strange that the Queen refers to a Godly woman as a ship!

I would dare to say that she was not referring to the appearance of the ship or the mere function to just carry things from one place to another but to the purpose of the ship.

The purpose of the ship was to travel far to get the best of the best in a vast array of different merchandise. The second part of verse 14 focuses on food. So King Lemeul's mother was simply meaning that she would travel far and wide to purchase the best food for her family, and to bring it home! Her motivation for going to great lengths is out of love for the Lord and for her family.

HER DESIRE
Lets look at the desire of this Godly woman. It is to ensure that her family is properly cared for with the best that she can manage with the abilities that the Lord has given to her.

In regard to food. I find it a very important point that as a wife, we are to not become "boring" with our food menus, and allow our food making to be a slap dash thing. A diligent woman will go to great lengths to please her husband and children with the best food that she can buy or make.

In order to do this, a diligent woman will search for the best recipes and will learn how to cook according to her ability. Not all of us are Nigella Lawson! She would make food that would please the tastes of her husband and she would also provide food which will be healthy and beneficial to the families health. We have lots to learn in the area of food so use as many resources as possible. We also have to be careful that food does not become and idol, it can easily happen. The goal for us should still remain to feed our families in a healthy way so they do not starve to death but have physical strength to serve the Lord.

THE BEST FOR FAMILY FIRST
We must also keep in mind that we must make serving our families with the best food our priority. Most of us can easily fall into the trap of saving the best food for when visitors come. When we do this we are choosing to please others over our dear husbands and children. This will certainly not leave our family feeling specially cared for. Make your family special dishes of food and then let the visitors share it with your family. When showing hospitality, a member in your family shouldn't be able to guess that you are having guests over for dinner because you are doing something special that you never do for your family!

STICK TO YOUR BUDGET AND BE REALISTIC AND WISE
It is also good to remember that there are more families in the world that live off potatoes, corn and water. I do not think this verse means for us to go out and to splash out all our grocery money on a few pieces of saffron from the next town and fillet steak from another, unless we can afford it! I would think that it is the quality of the food that she searches for at the best price. So if you can only afford to buy potatoes, then let them be the best potatoes that is in your price range!

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD
There are many accounts in the bible which are centered on food. For example the Lords supper, can you think of other examples? Food is an important part of our lives and must not be looked over. In Europe, meal times are big events. It is a time when the family and others gather together and talk. As wives and mothers it is important of us to provide meals where our family and guest can gather around and have fellowship. Its a wonderful opportunity to discuss the days events and teach our children Gods ways in those events.

Let us be woman who use the gift of food to bring glory to God!


Ver. 14: She is like the merchants’ ships. She is like them in that she extends her operations beyond her own immediate neighbourhood, and bringeth her food from afar, buying in the best markets and on advantageous terms, without regard to distance, and being always on the look out to make honest profit. Septuagint, “She is like a ship trading from a distance, and she herself gathereth her livelihood.” The expressions in the text point to active commercial operations by sea as well as land, such as we know to have been undertaken by Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and others (1 Kings 9:26; 22:48), and such as the Hebrews must have noticed in the Phœnician cities, Sidon and Tyre. (Source: The Pulpit Commentary: Proverbs)

HEART PROBING (1)

1. In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as an enterprising woman. What efforts do these verses picture?
*Proverbs 9:1-2
*Proverbs 14:1
*Proverbs 24:3-4
*Proverbs 31:27
2.Her provision - Both the merchant hips and this enterprising woman transported items "from afar". However, whereas a ship brings its cargo toward a port, God's enterprising woman brings hers toward home. What kinds of cargo?
In verse 13, this lady actively sought ___________________________
In verse 14, she seeks__________________________________________
Using your dictionary, jot down a working definition of the word enterprising:
3.Her enterprising spirit - Other women in the Bible show us the treasure of an enterprising spirit. What energetic and enterprising qualities do you witness in:
Rebekah in Genesis 24:15-20?
Rachel in Genesis 29:9?
Ruth in Ruth 2:2-3 and 17-18
4. Think about the image of a sailing ship and of a "sailing" woman as she runs her daily errands. What do you think "puts the wind in her sails" as she runs to and fro to gather up goods?
5. Are there any course adjustments you need to make in the set of your "sails" that would help you to better follow in the wake of this godly woman in the areas of energy, eagerness, and enterprise? Please explain your answer.
6. God's proverbs 31 homemaker brought food from afar for her family and household. In her mind and heart the effort was obviously worth it... and it should be for us too! I remember reading a book that recommended tat you and I prepare as much of the evening meal as possible first thing in the morning. The wise author suggested that women make this #1 way of serving their family #1 on the daily to-do list. How do you think such a practice would help you to better provide food for your family? And how do you think it might better the quality of the food and dinners you serve?
7. In your opinion and from your own experience as a homemaker, what might some of the character qualities be that produce the enterprising efforts like those revealed in the Proverbs 31 woman?
8. Married or single, make a list of your daily duties and responsibilities. What is your current attitude toward those duties and responsibilities? Please be honest.
9.Now, how can you take a page out of God's enterprising woman's book and improve your attitude? Also list any favorite scriptures that can assist you.
________________________________________________________________________
Source: (1) Discovering the Treasures of a Godly woman by Elizabeth George

Written By: Natalie Rogers

Pharoah's dreams

Pharaoh’s dreams

Get to know each other:

What did you dream about last night?

Prayer

Help us to listen and learn from your word. Thank you for reminding us that you are a faithful God. Amen

Songs

Jesus loves me
My God is so big
The love of God

Story: Pharaoh’s dreams

Reference: Genesis 41

Props: Sock puppet

Joseph was sold in Egypt as a slave. God was with Joseph in Egypt and he did well. However he was thrown into prison for something he did not do. But God was with him even there. Joseph trusted in God’s plan for him even though he was in prison. As God was with him, he was soon placed in charge of the prison and the Lord gave him success in all he did.

God then gave him wisdom to interpret the dreams of some fellow prisoners. These dreams came true.

One night the Pharaoh had a dream and he was troubled by his dream so he called all his priests to interpret the dream but no one could tell him what his dream meant. The king’s cupbearer then remembered that Joseph had told him the meaning of his dreams while he was in prison. Joseph’s interpretation of his dreams came true, so Pharaoh sent for Joseph.

Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret his dreams but Joseph said, “ I am not able to tell you the meaning of your dream, but I will ask God to make the meaning clear.”

Then Pharaoh told Joseph, “I was standing next to the river Nile when there appeared seven fat cows (moo, moo), very fat and they grazed amongst the reeds. Then seven thin cows (moo, moo) appeared and they ate the fat cows all up! Then I woke up.”

Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I had another dream. I also saw seven heads of grain full and good. Then seven thin heads sprouted. The thin heads swallowed up the seven fat heads and it was as if the fat heads never had been.”

Then Joseph said, “The dreams have the same meaning. The seven fat cows are seven good years and the seven heads of grain are seven good years when there will be lots and of food in the land. The thin cows and the thin heads of grain are seven years of severe famine. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will be seven years of lots of food in the land and then a time of severe famine will come.”

Then Joseph said to the king, “Find a wise man to store food away while there is a time of lots of food and then this food can be used when the time of famine comes and then the country would not be destroyed by the famine.”

This plan seemed good to the Pharaoh so he appointed Joseph to the second highest position in the land because of the wisdom God had given him. He gave Joseph special clothes to wear, a ring to wear on his finger and a gold chain around his neck. He told Joseph, “ I may be king, but without your word no one in Egypt may lift a hand or foot.”

Questions:

1. What was Joseph sold as in Egypt?
2. Why did he go to prison?
3. Who helped Joseph in prison?
4. What Pharaoh dream about?
5. Who helped Joseph interpret the dreams?
6. Why did Pharaoh make Joseph an important person in Egypt?
7. What did Pharaoh give Joseph?

Memory verse

Our God is an awesome God.

Activity:

A table is prepared for the activity. The table is covered with newspaper. A piece of A4 paper is placed where each of the children are going to work. The paper must be fastened down with prestic or masking tape. Paint is placed in small pots. The children are to wear aprons. Each child is given ¼ “ paint brush. The children are to paint on the paper. Encourage the children to wipe their brushes off in the pots of paint. This activity encourages fine motor control and creativity.

Other activities:

The children can colour a picture of a cow and or grain while listening to the story.

The coat of many colours

The coat of many colours

Get to know each other:

What is your favourite colour? Why do you like that colour?

Prayer

Help us to learn from your word. Thank you for reminding us that you are a faithful God. Amen

Songs

The love of God
Jesus loves me
Oh, be careful

Story: The coat of many colours

Reference: Genesis 37

Props: Sock puppet

Jacob had twelve sons. One of his sons was named Joseph. Jacob’s sons were wicked and Joseph told his father how very wicked they were.

Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he had been born when Jacob was old. He made a coat of many colours specially for him. When his brothers saw the coat they were jealous because their father loved Joseph more than them. They hated him.

Joseph had a dream and he told his brothers about it. He dreamt that he was cutting sheaves (chop, chop) when all his brother’s sheaves bowed down to his sheave. His brothers asked, “Do you mean to rule over us?” His brothers hated him even more.

Joseph had another dream. He dreamt that the sun and moon and stars were bowing down to him. He told this dream to his brothers as well. These dreams made Joseph sound like he was going to be someone important. Joseph’s dreams made his brothers mad (grr, grr) and their hearts were full of hate for Joseph.

Joseph’s brothers were out in the fields looking after the sheep (baa, baa). Jacob sent Joseph to go find his brothers and see how they were doing.

When his brothers saw him in the distance, they made a plan to kill him. They intended to make sure his dream never came true. They planned to kill him and say that a wild animal (growl, growl) had eaten him.

But Rueben said they should just throw Joseph into a nearby empty well. He planned to rescue Joseph from the well later.

So when Joseph came near to his brothers, they took off his colourful coat and they threw him into the empty well.

Later the brothers decided to sell Joseph to some slave dealers for twenty pieces of silver (clink, clink). The slave dealers took Joseph to Egypt to be sold as a slave.

They took his colourful robe and dipped it into some goat’s blood. They took the coat to their father and showed it to him. He believed that a wild animal had killed Joseph. He was very sad and wept for many days.

Questions:

1. How many sons’s hid Jacob have?
2. Who was his favourite son?
3. What did Joseph’s father make for him?
4. Why were his brother’s jealous?
5. What did Joseph dream?
6. What did they do to Joseph?
7. Why was Joseph’ father sad?

Memory verse

Our God is an awesome God.

Activity:

The children are to sit at a table. Each child is given some play dough. The children are encouraged to roll the dough, pat the dough, squeeze the dough, make circles and strips out of dough and to cut shapes out of the dough. This activity develops creativity and fine motor skills.