Proverbs 31:10-31

Well, good morning or good afternoon. Welcome to coffee and devotions. This is where every day we get together We get into God's Word and we grow in our love for the Lord together and this year 2021 We'll make it through all the wisdom literature is so good to have you with me this morning today. We're at Proverbs chapter 31 verses 10 through the end of the chapter the Proverbs about or the poem actually about the Virtuous woman. Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee or tea? We'll pray won't get into God's Word. I Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day. And we thank you for your word. Father, we pray now that as we read your word, that you would care for us and watch over us, bless us and teach us in Jesus' name. Amen.
Proverbs chapter 31, verses 10 through 31. I'm just going to say that this is a kind of a nerdy note. All of these lines, why I say it's a poem, is an acrostic. It actually starts with the letter Aleph, which is like our letter A, and ends with Atav at the very end, our letter T or TH, but that's kind of like writing a letter in the first line being A, the second line being B, the third line starting with C, the fourth line starting with D, and so that's how the whole Psalm goes, or Proverb goes. Also, interestingly enough, Proverbs 31, the Hebrew Bible is ordered a little bit different than the English, and in the Hebrew, It's Proverbs, and then right after you finish Proverbs 31, do you know which book you pick up next?
Ruth. And then you read Song of Solomon. So it's interesting that Ruth is put right in there. So let's go ahead and read about a virtuous woman here. Proverbs chapter 31. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. If you find a virtuous wife, stick to her. Stay with her. That's more valuable than all the money in the world. Find a good woman. You know, I'm sorry, my wife's already taken. You can't get her, but maybe you need to find someone else. But find a good woman. Verse 11, the heart of her husband safely trusts her, so he will have no lack of gain. This is the reality that in a marriage where there is a virtuous wife, the husband is able to have a certain amount of security.
Verse 12, she does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She truly loves him. True love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is not boastful. It does not seek after its own. And so she is, verse 12 says that she's good and not evil. She does good. Verse 13, she seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands. This is a virtuous wife is one who is diligent with her hands. See how that plays out here. Verse 14. She is like the merchant ships.
She brings her food from afar. She also rises while it's yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maidservants. She's an industrious woman. She knows how to go to the market. She knows how to get her goods. She knows how to wake up early in the morning and get things done. Verse 16, she considers a field and buys it. From her profit, she plants a vineyard. She's good at buying and selling land. Her husband has trust in her. She's able to go out and invest money, make a gain off of it, and then turn around and buy a vineyard with it.
This is a woman who knows how to use her finance as well. verse 17 she girds herself with strength and Strengthens her arms. Maybe she goes to a CrossFit gym or maybe this it's not talking She couldn't go CrossFit gym, but she she's a strong woman What is that showing that she works hard with her hands in an agrarian society? That means she wasn't worried about getting dirt underneath her fingernails, but she would go and she would work with the cattle she would go and she would work in the garden she would go and she would throw a bales of hay. She knew what it was like to be at the mortar and to grind the wheat. Verse 18, she perceives that her merchandise is good and her lamp does not go out by night. She wakes up early in the morning and she cares for her family and she's able to take care when she knows that she's got some work to do, something that's profitable to make and to sell, she does it.
Verse 19, she stretches out her hand to the distaff and her hand holds the spindle so she's able to work again with her hand. She knows how to make things and is industrious. She extends her hand Oh, this is interesting. Verse 20. She extends her hand to the poor, yet she reaches out her hands to the needy. She lives out Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians four says, let him who steals, steals no longer, but labor with his hands that he might have to give to those in need. She is able to work hard with her hands and she's generous with it. She takes care of the poor.
It's not just her household, but she is also a loving woman, even towards the stranger. Verse 21. She is not afraid of snow for her household. For all her household is clothed in scarlet. She's got the winter coats ready. She's got the mittens there. It's okay. When the snow comes, her family's gonna be warm. Verse 22, she makes tapestry for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. So she's a woman who knows how to dress well and appropriately.
Verse 23, her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. So this idea of her wearing purple and then her husband sitting in the gates is she's one of the people that is respectable in society. And because of a lot of the work that she has done, her husband is able to sit as an elder, as a judge, as one who's leading the tribes of Israel in the gate. And so this is her saying, or this is saying his success is directly tied to her industriousness.
Verse 24, she makes linen garments and sells them and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing. She shall rejoice in time to come. She's strong and she's industrious. This is a woman, just to make this clear here, this is, this is not, uh, you know, the typical idea of some housewife sitting around eating bonbons and being lazy. No, this woman works hard and she doesn't just work in the house. I need to point out that she is also one who runs a home business. She's one who is investing, she's making, she's selling, and so people who think that women have no place in the workforce, well, I'm not sure that that lines up with what this says here, but her business is about her house. Her business is about her family. Her business makes her family enjoy and have security and has comfort.
Verse 26, she opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is a law of kindness. She knows how to be kind. She knows how to speak wisdom. She fears the Lord and she walks in His ways. She's listened and heard and saw the sluggard and she saw the ant. She heard the law of the Lord and she's kind with others and yet she's able to do what God has told her.
She watches over the ways of her household and she does not eat the bread of idleness. It doesn't sound like this woman gets much sleep at all. Now I'm going to say that this should also be kept in line with Psalm 127. It's vain for you to rise up early and to go to sleep late. Why? Because the Lord gives his loved ones sleep. I'm not saying that she doesn't get adequate sleep, but she's not lazy. She's not a slugger. She doesn't spend her days in idleness.
Verse 28, her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. Man, I'm just going to go out right and say it. I'm sure guys, you have a Proverbs 31 wife too, but I got to tell you, I love praising Olivia. She wakes up early. She's diligent. When I hear her alarm go off in the morning, she's there, and she's reading her Bible, and she's caring for people. I see her care for our children. I see her working with her hands. I see her being industrious.
Men, if you have a Proverbs 31 wife, you better praise that girl. You better, wide and far, in the church, in the gates, in the town, at coffee, in the restaurant, speak praises of your wife. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing. Here's the key thing. Why is she most beautiful? Why does she do all these things? It's not her charm. It's not her beauty. Those things fade away.
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands. and let her own works praise her in the gate. She fears the Lord, but a woman who fears the Lord, a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. And because she fears the Lord, she does good works. She does the things that God has commanded. It's so interesting that the book of Proverbs starts off as Solomon talking to his son and it ends with a woman who's keeping the commandments. A woman who is wise. A woman who has chosen to fear the Lord and walk in his ways. It wasn't all about the kings, was it?
But it's for all of us. Well, let's go ahead and pray. Father, we thank you so much. that each one of us can walk in Your ways by Your Spirit. And we pray, Father, that as we walk in Your ways, as we have heard Your Word, we pray that we might love You and follow in Your paths. In Jesus's name, amen. May the Lord bless you today. If you have a Proverbs 31 wife, hope you go home and praise her. If you are one of those Proverbs 31 wives, well, the Lord bless you in all your work. Hope you have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.