There are many nameless women in the Bible. Most of these women point to an actual woman whose name was not recorded by the authors of the Bible. An example is the Shunammite woman. The Shunammite woman made a massive impact in the life of the prophet, Elisha. She also received a child through prophecy, her dead child was raised to life and her properties were restored to her. But, all that we know is that she was a woman from Shunem. There are other feminine characters who personify specific traits or characters, e.g. wisdom. Further, there are other women who seem to be the perfect depiction of womanhood but do not directly point to a specific person in the Bible. One of such is the Proverbs 31 woman. The Proverbs 31 woman is the ideal woman of most God-fearing men. She seems to be everything a man wants but she does not point to a specific named woman in the Bible. In other words, the author presents this woman as a model woman for God-fearing women.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)
Proverbs 31 is in two folds: the first (verse 1-9) considers the advice King Lemuel received from his mother and the second (verse 10-31) presents a detailed description and character profile of this wife of noble character. This is how the Proverbs 31 woman is introduced: "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." (Proverbs 31:10). Other versions such as the Message Bible (MSG) presents her as this: "A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds." The first thing we want to consider about this Proverbs 31 woman is the fact that she has a noble character. Her inner virtues are commendable. She is a good woman and her goodness is visible. Her value is not based on her outer beauty but her inner virtues makes her worth far more than rubies. Thus, any man who finds her has laid his hands on real wealth. She is priceless. Her value stems from her package. She is good, she is strong, she is tenacious, she is bold and daring. The other verses attest to these. Because of her nature, "her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value" (Proverbs 31:11). The husband of this virtuous woman is a blessed man because he is married to a woman who has brought value to his life. This value is based on the different facets of this woman which we would consider in the coming days.
The Proverbs 31 woman also brings to her husband good, not harm, all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:12). Thus, she radiates goodness, her demeanor and nature reflect the goodness of God. Her godly virtues and her desire to excel make her associate with like-minded people. She has no time for baseless and unprofitable conversations. The ultimate goal of this Proverbs 31 woman is to align with God's will and call on her life. She is busy with things that have eternal and early value. Anytime I read about the Proverbs 31 woman, one thing stands out: she is timeless. Her character and virtues can be incorporated in every generation. In every generation, women with godly virtues are preferred over those who lack good morals. No wonder even the wicked womanizer desires to have a good woman for a wife.
Can the Proverbs 31 woman survive in the 21st century? Certainly Yes! God-fearing women who desire to have the character of this Proverbs 31 woman should work towards it. It is not automatic! When we become believers, we don't change overnight to become the Proverbs 31 woman. We need to understand the foundations of our faith, desire growth and mature to become women who are not tossed about by every storm of life. We need to work on ourselves. Remember, the pressures we face are not different from the pressures of womanhood in the 4th Century BC. Women throughout generations are vulnerable and susceptible to pain and hurt. To remain a Proverbs 31 woman is a journey of spiritual growth. It is possible to gain all the academic laurels and never attain the standard of the Proverbs 31 women. A noble and virtuous character is not learned at an academic institution. It is learned under the feet of Jesus.
Dear woman, be willing and ready to be taught, mentored, equipped and trained for your bigger assignment. Dear man, as you desire to marry a virtuous woman, make it your lifetime priority to become a virtuous husband. Unequal yokes do not balance. The main reason for the challenges in most Christian marriages is the fact that the couple are unequally yoked! Imagine a noble woman married to an ignoble man and vice versa. The result is disaster!
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