Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

• Proverbs 31:16-23

Proverbs 31:20  ”The Scriptures present a charming picture of the ideal woman, and one feature present is the practice of good works. Lemuel’s description of a virtuous woman in the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs shows us one who is not only morally pure, but hardworking and industrious too, and along with her housewifely activities she manages also to do many good works for others: ‘She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.’ Paul required that the women believers in the early Church ‘adorn themselves’ with modest apparel and good works (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Before an elderly woman could be ‘put on the list of widows’ (obviously received into the first Christian home for the aged), it had to be shown not only that she had professed to be a Christian but that she was ‘well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have·relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work’ (1’Timothy 5:10).”

• A.W. Tozer, The Warfare of the Spirit

The Message

This continued look at the wife of noble character has Lemuel painting a picture of an industrious woman who also cares for the poor and needy.

She buys some land and plants a vineyard.  Her arms are strong enough for the tasks at hand.  She is not a bodybuilder with too much muscle to hide her female form.  But in planting the vineyard, or working the spinning wheel, she has plenty of strength.

After last week’s post, I started thinking about the women in India who placed multiple pots of water on their heads.  The morning gathering at the well was the biggest social event of the day for these ladies, I suspect.  They helped each other place all the water on each other’s heads.  Some of these pots had to weigh 30-40 pounds fully loaded with water, and then some ladies had three pots, each a little smaller.   By this time, the husband would be awake, and he could take the pots down from her head, but I know of few girls in the western world who could balance possibly two 40-pound feed sacks on their head and then walk more than a mile.

Having arms strong enough for the task might be dismissed and simple logic, but without indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences, these women were strong.

But in business, she ensured that her dealings were profitable.  Her lamps at night never ran out of oil.

The distaff and spindle are part of a spinning wheel, or tools used when working a spinning wheel.

Her arms are stretched out to the poor and needy.  It is not that she simply gives to the poor, but she is not guarded around them.  Showing that vulnerability shows that she loves them as fellow humans rather than simply doing her philanthropic duty.

And then her children are dressed in scarlet in winter when it snows.  What better way to see them and keep an eye out for them.

And her husband is known for having a wife of noble character.  This is not because she brags or that she makes a fuss when she helps the poor or puts money in the church offering.  It is because of the rest of these character traits doing the speaking for her.

And now let us sing.

The following song is Whatever May Come.  This is sung by Adrienne and Jeremy Camp.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Help us to value wisdom.  Lord, these proverbs are wise sayings, and we would live much more blessed of a life, if we followed them.  But please, Lord, forgive us when we stumble.  The wife of noble character, in this part of the description is a woman who does well in business as well as doing well at home.  And she does not take her role of noble woman too seriously.  She gets dirty when needed and she embraces the poor, not just throwing a few coins in their direction.  We look at such a description and we know we would fall short.  But these are not true things of the Christian life, except in part.  These are things to aspire to.  Lord, help us not get discouraged, but also never giving up on striving for that goal.  In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.