The Virtuous Woman - part 1
Her Character as a Wife
I would like to start a series on the model woman in the Bible - the Virtuous Woman of Proverbs 31. I know you are thinking "she is the PERFECT woman - I can never live up to ALL those qualities" and I know I have heard sermons or read through the passage and thought the same thing. But can you work on or change one thing or maybe a few things? I know I can!
I know that all of my readers are not women, so you men out there think of this series as a guide to find the perfect wife! Or if you are married, maybe you will realize that your wife has some of these qualities and you can appreciate them even more. For us women, let's try to find at least one area in which you want to work on in becoming a Virtuous Woman.
And another thing, if the "Virtuous Woman" lived today I think I will show in the next few weeks that she would be a couponer just like us!
I liked how this site outlined the chapter and will discuss each one of the 7 areas of what makes her the virtuous woman over the next few weeks
Proverbs 31:10 - 31
Proverbs 31:10 - 31
- Her character as a wife (verse 10-12)
- Her devotion as homemaker (verse 13-19)
- Her generosity as a neighbor (verse 20)
- Her devotion as a wife (verse 21-24)
- Her influence as a teacher (verse 25-26)
- Her effectiveness as a mother (verse 27-29)
- Her excellence as a person (verse 30-31)
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (vs. 10)
The word virtuous in Hebrew is "chayil" and it means a wife of valor — a strong, capable woman with strong convictions. It also says that her price or worth is far above rubies - a valuable/precious stone - her worth is priceless!
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,
so that he shall have no need of spoil. (vs. 11)
What a compliment to this woman and a great foundation to a good marriage! Her husband completely trusts in her. He does not worry about her spending money that they don't have, or embarrasing him in public by her actions or attitude. He knows that his every need is her concern. I would even say that she helps supplements his earnings when she can rather than needlessly spending it. Her husband can be at work or be away and he has absolute confidence of her integrity, her wisdom, and her discretion in the the care of their home, finances, children and anything else. To me this trust also speaks of his knowledge of her care for him, he is certain that she cares for him and only him. The virtuous woman is a steward of everything that the husband has provided. He knows that he will not lose any of what he has earned because of her stewardship, wisdom, and management.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. (vs. 12)
The virtuous woman is a good manager of her household and makes their home a place of peace. Maybe you can use this verse as a question throughout the day "If I do this or say this, will I be doing my husband good?" She brings no evil to their life or home. "All the days of her life" she is devoted to doing her husband good and caring for his well being.
Come back next week for the next part in the series. At any time, I would love to have you leave a comment on your interpretation of this passage. So how can you work on becoming more of a wife/mother/woman whose worth is greater than the price of the most precious stone?
What I find so interesting is that women us Proverbs 31 as a sort of instruction manual for becoming a biblical wife, however the book os comprised of advise that was given from a mother to her son King Lemuel.
ReplyDeleteI often found myself directing this scripture to myself and my daughter but have actually begun using it as a guide to educate my sons on what to look for in a women.
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