Thou Excellest Them All - Proverbs 31 Conclusion

I was cleaning and tidying and organizing in the house before the holidays and began thinking about the virtuous woman we have been studying.  Would she have had to hurry around like I do or would she be ready all the time?  My personal theme for the year will be organized and successful throughout all aspects of my life.

I believe Proverbs 31:25-29 tells us that she was organized and successful.  She had time to do what she needed and also time to do what she wanted.  She was always busy. She helped others. She helped family and she took care of herself. She had strength and honour. She had wisdom and was kind.  Her children called her blessed and her husband praised her. 

She had the ultimate gift, her children called her blessed and her husband

praised her.  One cannot ask for anything better.  The family is a woman’s number two responsibility. The responsibility behind her salvation.  As long as a woman is taking care of her family then she is doing God’s will.  We do not need to shirk our responsibilities. 

              A woman’s number one responsibility is to “fear the Lord” (Prov. 31:30).  We each have to work out our own salvation. We cannot go in to Heaven on the coat tails of our loved ones and they cannot go in to Heaven on ours.  It is our responsibility to study and come to know God through His word and obey him. Obey him by keeping the commandments found throughout His inspired word.  The virtuous woman kept the commandments.

Proverbs 31:31 states, “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”  Our actions speak louder than words.  We will be known by our actions.  

 

Proverbs 31 Part 2 verses 17-22

We are continuing with our study of the virtuous woman. She has been a true role model for us and she will continue.

         Proverbs 31: 17-22, “She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant”.

 

       First we notice the eth endings like last month. She is continually doing these things. She is continually doing: girdeth, strengtheneth, perceiveth, goeth, layeth, stretcheth, reacheth, maketh, selleth, delivereth. These are all continual acts.

               She dresses herself in modest apparel for the type of activities and weather she is facing. She is dressing her household and no one is in want due to her seeing and meeting the needs of her family.

She is capable and ready for anything that is put in front of her.  Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag, you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water”. The virtuous woman is strong and ready for that hot water.  She takes care of herself so that she can take care of her family. We need to remember that in order to take care of our families, relatives, friends, members of our congregation, and to work and help out that we must first take care of ourselves. Remember that in a plane if the plane goes down we are to put our mask on before we put on someone else’s because if we do not then we won’t have the chance to help others. The same for our every day lives. We must first take care of ourselves before we can help others. That may mean taking medicine, exercising, doctor appointments to make sure we are in good health. If our health isn’t where it should be then we are risking our opportunity to help others.

She works diligently and does not waste time working into the night hours.  She makes her own cloth that she uses to make the clothes for herself, her family, the needy and the merchants. She doesn’t just make any old thing as she makes herself coverings of tapestry using silk and purple. Silk and purple in Bible times were the expensive color and materials. The Tabernacle was made of purple color. The Tabernacle only used fine things as it was for God. We need to remember that we are for God.

Her husband is able to be known in the gates because she is able to look to the household and be a savvy business woman. When we take care of our responsibilities then our husbands can take care of their responsibilities and vice versa.

Neely

 

Expressed Love

                 February is considered the month of love. Children exchange cute notes and have parties at school. Many propose marriage or are married. Many couples plan dates from the very simple to the extravagant. Why? Because they want to express their love and friendship.

                  So, how do we express our love and friendship? Let’s start by looking at love. There are four different types of love and each are expressed differently.

                  The first we will discuss is Storge. This is the love of family: dad, mom, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  This expression of love is met with how we treat each other, helping around the house, teaching, and discipline.  The Bible speaks about this type of love in Eph. 6:1-4, and 1 Tim. 5:8.

                  The second we will discuss is Philia. This the love of friendship. Friendship is very important as children and as adults. We need to choose the right friends as we grow up. Our true friends will not ask us to choose between being obedient to our God or parents or doing something we shouldn’t. If we have friends asking us to choose to do wrong then maybe they are not our friends. Just remember, if we choose to do wrong it is our choice, they didn’t force us. The Bible speaks of friendship in Prov. 17:17. Also, look at the book of Job and his friends. They were good for a while, but then they opened their mouths.

                   The third type of love we will discuss is Eros. This is romantic love we have for husband and wife.  This is a special love between two people. This is the love that brings two people together and keeps them as one. The book of Song of Solomon speaks of this type of love.

                   The last type of love is Agape. This is our love for God. God, the Father sent His only Son to die on the cross for me and you, for sins we have committed.  Jesus did not sin but He took our sins and suffered that cruel, agonizing death on the cross so we could live with Him in Heaven for eternity.  The love we have for God is the ultimate love. This love for Him will cause us to study His Word—the Bible and to want to obey His Word. His Word tells us simply, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” John 14:15 and John 15:10, :If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” His commandments are found in His Word and we will express our love  for Him by following those commands.

                     The first thing we need to do is to believe that the Bible is God’s Word and has all authority 2 Tim. 3:16.  Then we need to hear the word of God Rom. 10:17. That Jesus left Heaven and came to this earth and lived and died on the cross  for our sins and was buried and rose on the third day and went back to Heaven to live. Then we need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God John 6:69. Then we must repent, which means to have  a change of heart and turn toward God 2 Pet. 3:9. Then we are to confess that Jesus is the Son of God matt. 10:32.  Then we are to be baptized. Baptism is full immersion into water for the remission of sins.  Baptism is burying our sins in the water (full immersion) and coming up a new, clean body  I Pet. 3:21. We do not become a Christian, a true follower of God until we are baptized (fully immersed in water) for the remission of sins. Then we live according to God’s word in faithful, active, loving service to God.

 

Neely

 

P.S. if you are interested in a personal Bible study please let me know.