A WIFE OF NOBLE CHARACTER WHO CAN FIND?
SHE IS WORTH FAR MORE THAN RUBIES.
Proverbs 31: 10-31
There was actually an ad in the "PERSONALS" section
of a newspaper for the kind of woman praised in this proverb. It was headlined "Are
You My Proverbs 31 Woman?" The description the man who ran the ad gave of
himself made one doubt that a woman of the wisdom and discretion described in Proverbs
31 would be interested. But the ad was a kind of prayer, and it is a worthy
prayer for anyone to pray for a loyal, honest loving spouse.
The question that begs to be answered is: Why isn’t there a "Proverbs
31 Man" described somewhere in the book of Proverbs? Any answer to that
question would be purely speculative. One thing is certain,
however, the Bible is full of commands for qualities of
character that apply equally to both sexes. All of the qualities praised in the
"Proverbs 31 Woman" can be found elsewhere in Scripture in contexts
that apply to both men and women. Further, Paul’s instructions for husbands
call men to a level of love and sacrifice unmatched in religious literature of
any kind (see Ephesians 5:25-33).
The best thing to do with the beautiful, poetic, portrait of
a wife described in Proverbs 31 is to thank God for women who strive to follow
God’s call. And to thank God that his Word treasures women. We can pray for the
women in our lives – our wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends – to grow
in the grace and knowledge of God.
PRAY:
Father in Heaven! We turn our eyes
away from the false images of womanhood promoted by the commercial interests of
our culture. May we prize the kind of woman you prize.
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
