“Her price is much higher than jewels.” Proverbs 31:10(b)
This week we are going to focus on the value of an excellent woman. Why is she so rare? What is priceless about her? How should we try to attain the same kind of stature in our lives?
Galatians 2:20-21
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law; then Christ died in vain.”
In the above Scripture quotation Paul is addressing those in the Galatians’ church who were trying to make the blood of Christ of no effect by returning to legalism and doing away with salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Notice how the Apostle confirms that he lives his life by faith in the Son of God and that it is Christ who loved him and gave Himself for him. Here is where we can rejoice in the amazing plan of salvation that God has foreordained. We who deserve nothing and who were not worthy of anything from God have now been given new life in Christ. This is where we find our ULTIMATE VALUE and our lives can now be lived ‘by faith in the Son of God....’
1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”.
Many of us said at the beginning of this study that we are at times overwhelmed and even tempted to despondency when considering the excellent woman of Proverbs 31 but we can rejoice because, if we are born again, then we have a Father who has given a priceless gift in the person of Christ and who now desires our sanctification as we partake of life’s joys, sorrows, trials, temptations and the like. May we continue to cry out to our Father that His Word would transform us as we ask the Holy Spirit to help us to apply what we learn in glorifying our Father.
Proverbs 31:10 focuses on the rarity of the excellent woman and that she is precious. We have seen from the above that we are not our own but belong now to God. How can we bless those around us and how do we obtain this kind of rarity?
Let us first consider where we cannot find it:
My husband, Joel and I were recently away on holiday and we had a copy of the “O” Magazine in our room. After reading a little of it my husband smiled and said I should look at the letters page. I proceeded to read some of the letters in the opening pages from women who had written to praise the publication. One woman had previously written in to say she was battling financially but that she so enjoyed her magazine she would not go without it. A reply from another reader came saying that this magazine was invaluable and whatever women do they must never forego buying even if its they are down to their last rand! The rest was of what I read was full of false assumptions about how wonderful we are at heart and how we all need to realise our true potential and that if we knew how strong we really were we could accomplish anything and of course always put yourself first above others. Is this how we become rare and precious in the sight of those around us? Certainly not! The above ideas may at times seem appealing but we need a biblical foundation for how to become better women. The Scriptures are clear as to who we are without Christ but once we belong to Christ, the Word is brimming with truths that will clear the path for us to start to become more like this woman.
'Man may talk of self-control, as if the reins were in his own hands. But he who has been “born of the Spirit”, and taught “to know the plague of his own heart”, is made to feel that effective self-control is divine grace, not his own native power ... Have not repeated defeats taught us the need of calling in better strength than our own?'[1]
This woman can also be called ‘The truly capable woman’ and it is this woman who wins the respect and honour of her husband and children and those of the wider community, not least because her own commitment to God underlies this productive life of hers (30).[2]
A wonderful example Scripture gives of a woman of rare and wonderful qualities is Ruth. Her story is found in the book of Ruth. Here are some similarities between her and the Proverbs 31 woman[3]:
RUTH: THE PROVERBS 31 WIFE
The “virtuous” wife of Proverbs 31:10 is personified by “virtuous” Ruth of whom the same Heb. Word is used (3:11). With amazing parallel, they share at least 8 character traits. One wonders (in concert with Jewish tradition) if King Lemuel’s mother might not have been Bathsheba, who orally passed the family heritage of Ruth’s spotless reputation along to David’s son Solomon. Lemuel, which means “devoted to God,” could have been a family name for Solomon (cf. Jedediah, 2 Sam, 12:25), who then could have penned Prov. 31:10-31 with Ruth in mind. Each woman was:
1. Devoted to her family (Ruth 1:15-18 // Prov. 31:10-12,23)
2. Delighting in her work (Ruth 2:2 // Prov. 31:13)
3. Dilligent in her labour (Ruth 2:7,17,23 // Prov. 31:14-18, 19-21,24,27)
4. Dedicated to godly speech (Ruth 2:10,13 // Prov. 31:26)
5. Dependent on God (Ruth 2:12 // Prov. 31:25b,30)
6. Dressed with care (Ruth 3:3 // Prov. 31:22,25a)
7. Discreet with men (Ruth 3:6-13 // Prov. 31:11,12,23)
8. Delivering blessings (Ruth 4:14,15 // Prov. 31:28, 29,31)
Ruth had a tenacity that was unswerving and which came in the face of great adversity and yet ultimately, she as a Moabite woman, features in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:5). Look how much we can learn from just the above brief comparison as gleaned from Scripture. Elizabeth George soon discovered, as she studied the woman in Proverbs 31, the value that she has is found in how she acts in her everyday life. Choices that we make will have consequences and Ephesians 5:16 informs us that we must be “redeeming the time”. We are to make the most of our time on this evil earth fulfilling God’s purposes, lining up every opportunity for useful worship and service.[4]
DEFINITIONS:
An army - In our previous study we considered how that the word “virtuous” or “excellent” is used some 200-plus times in the Bible to describe an army of men, men of war and men prepared for war.[5]
A woman – the root word for “virtuous” or “excellent” is used only four times in the Bible to describe a woman or women:
Read and write out - Ruth 3:11; Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 31:10; Proverbs 31:29
Heart probing time[6]
1. A woman of excellence – How do you measure up in mental toughness and physical energy, and what improvements must be made? Which one of the references to the four “excellent” and “virtuous” women spoke most to your heart and why?
2. A priceless gem – After learning what “virtuous” and “excellent” mean, why do you think such a woman is so rare?
3. Have those who know you found a virtuous, noble, excellent woman? Please explain your answer.
In terms of Titus 2 we are to fulfil God’s commands for our lives that the word of God may not be reviled (v 5), so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing to say about us (v 8) and so that everything may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour (v 10). Therefore our conduct will have a direct influence on how people think about the gospel. As mothers, wives, sisters and friends may our time be spent as the most precious commodity we have so that we may in turn be “valuable” to others for the Gospel’s sake. And may we do whatever God calls us to without grumbling but remembering the wonderful roles that God has bestowed upon us. Chapter 2 gives many practical examples of how to pursue improvement in areas of our lives that may be lacking.
Psalm 144:12 “May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for a structure of a palace.”
This verse pictures young women “both occupying a secure position in the building and at the same time giving stability to the building in which they are themselves secure – the position of the wife and mother in a well-ordered society.” [7] Or, more simply, as the supports and the ornaments of domestic life” (John Pye Smith).
A Heart in Pursuit of Excellence by Elizabeth George
I still remember the day I discovered the meaning of the word “virtuous” or “excellent”. It was a red-letter day that became a turning point in my growth as a Christian woman. As a result of the conviction of the Holy Spirit through what I was reading in the Bible and of a simmering desire for the priceless character and strength of this godly woman, I decided to pursue her excellence. And my first step was making some wilful changes in the Work Department. I began to apply my strength and energy to better things than lazing on the couch, than non-stop reading, than excessive television viewing. I wanted to be strong in character and in body. To be powerful in mind and body. To be efficient, capable ... Well, I wanted to be an asset to my family and to others. To be a woman of worth and excellence, a woman who is priceless. I’ve shared my heart’s desires. Now how about yours?[8]
[1] Bridges, C. Proverbs p. 323
[2] New Bible Commentary.
[3] The MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV), p.
[4] The MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV), p. 1812
[5] George E. Beautiful in God’s Eyes, p.15
[6] George E. Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman, p. 22-24
[7] New Bible Commentary
[8] George E. Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman, p. 26
Written by: Ruth Phillips
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