I am so excited to start this new series! Before we dive into this awesome piece of scripture, I want to share with you my story and love affair with Proverbs 31.
Rachel’s Proverbs 31 Story…
I read a Proverb almost every day through out the high school days. I had read Proverbs 31 many times! It didn’t truly become meaningful to me until I had gone away to college. I had just come out of a bad relationship I should have never had in the first place; I knew I wanted my next relationship to be a God honoring and glorifying relationship. I stole borrowed a book on Proverbs 31 from my mom by Elizabeth George and thus became enamored with this piece of scripture as a young woman who desperately wanted to become a Woman of God.
I studied that scripture more than I studied anything else that first year of college and eventually ended up leading a small group through Campus Crusade For Christ on Proverbs 31. I just loved it. I was amazed by all the things God showed me each time I dove into those 21 verses.
When I got married before my senior year in college, I sort of fell out of love with my beloved Proverbs 31. I was a wife now and in my ignorance, didn’t think I “needed” any continued study on this passage to be a Proverbs 31 wife. What had I been doing the past three years anyway?
Well, I was wrong. I desperately need God’s word and encouragement in my journey as a wife and now as a new mom, and especially, oh so especially, in my relationship with Jesus.
So, all that to say, I am deeply passionate about this piece of scripture. God changed me and challenged me as a single college student, grew me as a new wife, is now encouraging me as a mother, and matured me as a Woman of God through Proverbs 31. Join me as I share some of my learning and joy for this passage verse by verse!
(FYI: I am using the ESV Bible for my scripture quotes.)
An Introducti0n to Proverbs 31:
Did you know that Proverbs 31:10-31 is an acrostic poem? Each piece of this passage begins with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. You will see at the beginning of Proverbs 31 “The Words of King Lemuel.” Some believe that King Lemuel was taught this poem by his mother as a way of learning about the ideal wife– as were many other young Hebrew boys. The alphabetic approach most likely made it easier to memorize.
Its important to keep in mind that women of that day were expected to be married. Does that mean you have to be married to gain from the wisdom in this passage? No way!! There is SO much to take away from this at any point in your life.
I love the fact that Proverbs 31 was taught to young men. (by the way, when I say Proverbs 31, I’m referring to verses 10-31.) It was important to families in that time to teach men about the importance of finding a woman of character; a woman who would be a blessing to him. So before we even get into the scripture, we know that we as women are so important to these mothers as potential blessings to their sons! So much so that they work to teach them a poem about what we potentially could be! That anticipation of a wonderful wife is already building in those young men at a very early age.. what a blessing!
As a single woman, I remember desiring to prepare myself for my future husband. But there is so much more than that to this scripture. We as Christians are the Bride of Christ. Marriage on earth is a reflection of the unity we have with Christ.
Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” Christ is to the church– us– what a husband is to his wife.
When you put this into Proverbs 31 perspective, Christ’s anticipation of us as His bride is growing in Him just as the anticipation of a wonderful wife would be building in the young men who learned this poem and so looked forward to that future with her! Christ is looking forward to the future time with us when we will be united with Him eternally in heaven! How stinkin’ exciting is that!
In the commentary of the ESV Study Bible, we learn that the acrostic poem begins and ends with talking about the woman’s excellence. “The probable intention of putting this together with the acrostic pattern is to show that this woman’s character runs the whole range of excellence.” Wow. The whole range of excellence? I have so much to learn!
Its easy to get overwhelmed when reading Proverbs 31. You may find yourself feeling discouraged. “I can’t do all that… I can barely get in a shower and get dinner on the table, let alone run a business and make my family’s clothing!” Don’t worry. I used to get caught up in that too. Proverbs 31 is not a to-do list! Say this with me now “I will not beat myself up for not being/doing all this stuff!”
Its not about what you do that makes you a Proverbs 31 woman, its about the heart that is behind it. This is key when studying this passage– and it took me a LONG time to figure that out! So please, put away the to-do list, let’s take off our Martha hats, and just sit at the feet of Jesus. Remember what he said to Martha as she fretted about things getting done? “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42
I love that, the portion she chose– to sit at Jesus’ feet– will not be taken from her. Our to-do lists can always be taken away from us with the busyness of the day! We’ve all had days where we can’t get anything done! But sitting at the feet of Jesus cannot and will not be taken away from us!
The actions and things we find listed in Proverbs 31 are not the answer of what “to do” in order to be a Woman of God. They are the fruit of a heart fully devoted to Christ! An outward showing of an inward growing!
Lord, please teach us how to be more like you as Women of God. No matter where we are in life, teach us and grow us in you. May our lives be filled to overflowing with the fruit from our love for You and Your Word. Use this scripture and this study we are doing to build us up as women and prevent the enemy from making this out to be a burden of a to-do list. Teach us the value we have in you Father as daughters of the King. Thy will be done,
In your name Jesus,
Amen
