The Virtues of a Noble Woman
“Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.
She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.”
(Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.)
“ Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than rubies. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.” Thus starts one of the most intimidating passages in all of Proverbs. Why do I call these verses intimidating? For centuries, women have had these verses quoted to them, held over their heads, and sometimes used as weapons. The lady described in these verses is Wonder Woman personified. The standard this lady sets is a daunting one. Look at her qualities:
- Noble character-many of us might have moments of nobility on a good day with the wind in the right direction, but consistent nobility is tough.
- “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.” Anybody can behave well for a few days or weeks or months, but when a couple have been married for decades, it is easy to lapse into small acts of viciousness.
- “She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.” Consistent diligence must be sustained and demands an enormous amount of self-discipline. There’s nothing simple about working with eager hands, and maintaining a large household requires a lot of administrative ability
- “She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.” Not only can this lady run a household efficiently, but she is also a savvy businesswoman investing her money wisely.
- “She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.” This lady is making sure she is in good physical shape. The older we get, the more we need regular exercise to keep ourselves mentally sharp and physically able.
- “She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.” This lady is on point 24/7; she makes certain that everything is taken care of before retiring for the night.
- “She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.” Not only can this lady run a household well, but she also is a skilled weaver who uses her spare time to create items she can sell. In an earlier age, my great-grandmother would stop her housework about 2 in the afternoon, change into slightly better clothing, and then do needlework for an hour or two before starting to cook supper. When Great Grandma died, she left beautiful things behind. It’s little wonder that two of her great grandchildren have become surgeons!
- “She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” Having provided for her household, this lady is also helping care for her neighbors, setting a wonderful example for her children.
- ‘When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.” Not only does this lady produce material for her household, but that material is high-quality. Scarlet and purple dyes are very expensive and only upper class and royalty can afford them.
- ‘Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land.’” Elders and leaders sit in the city gate, and only those of good reputation are included in this number. This lady’s conduct is so exemplary that she enhances her husband’s standing in the community.
- “She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.” This lady is a businesswoman par excellence with a reputation for excellent products.
- “Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” You begin to wonder if this lady is the Energizer Bunny. Does she ever really rest? Yes, this lady probably does rest at intervals; however, she watches what she says and continues to be diligent even when it’s difficult.
- “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!” No matter how many outsiders honor this lady, the most important accolades come from her husband and her children. Our families are generally our toughest critics because they know us best.
- “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.” No matter how many different beauty or exercise regimes you follow, aging happens. Your body parts begin to sag. The charm you had in your twenties fades, never to return. But character continues to shine brighter as the years go on. Many of us may have started as self-centered youngsters, only to grow and become far better people as we age. My mother had an aunt who lived to be 102 and who was one of the sweetest people imaginable. My constant prayer is “Dear Lord, help me to be sweeter the older I get.”
In the beginning, I said that these verses can be intimidating; however, they can also be encouraging. We must remember that God is the One who knows our struggles and our trials; only God knows how hard we have tried to survive. And God is a good Father who loves to encourage His children. Let us remember that God is cheering us on, even when friends and family are not.
But what about those women who are childless? Everybody needs a mother, and many times mothering is in short supply. You don’t have to have given birth to be a mother to those around you. Take heart! In the end, those whom you have comforted or encouraged will still rise up and call you blessed!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to be encouraged and not intimidated. Thank You for sending people to mother us when we need it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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