A daughter of wisdom
The dreaded “Proverbs 31 Woman” is a marvel of industry and maternal perfection. She grows the food her family eats. She sews all the household bedding and makes the clothes her family wears from fabric she has woven herself or has traveled far and wide to procure. She is a powerhouse of charity in the community and yet her own children are not neglected.
She is a savvy businesswoman, successful in real estate and marketing her own clothing line. Little wonder “her lamp does not go out at night.” This woman is busy! Yet, she’s up at the crack of dawn, always perfectly coiffed, making breakfast. Her husband is glad to be married to her because he gets to sit with the good old boys at the city gate.
I’m not mocking the virtuous woman God’s Word commends to us, but the woman of unachievable perfection we have wrongly made her out to be. I’d like to offer a correction.
The Book of Proverbs is found in the Bible and is a compendium of Israelite wisdom expressed in poetic verse, much of which is attributed to King Solomon. Its wise sayings are built upon the foundation of a reverential fear of the LORD. At the end of the book is Proverbs 31, which is introduced as “the words of King Lemuel,” and described as “an oracle that his mother taught him.” Lemuel’s mother is to be celebrated for faithfully imparting wisdom to her son. She warns him away from indulgences that would compromise his reign and encourages him to pursue purity, sobriety, empathy and justice. Sound advice for any governing official.
King Lemuel’s mother offers one more jewel of wisdom – find an excellent wife. Bear in mind that his mother is intent on preserving the integrity of his reign. History is replete with unwise monarchs who married poorly, and their subjects suffered grievously for it. She describes for him the portrait of an excellent wife and it is one of several personifications of wisdom found throughout the Book of Proverbs.
You could say that his mother would have him marry “a daughter of wisdom,” a woman one who is faithful, responsible, industrious, compassionate and nurturing. Her crowning virtue should be that she fears the LORD. Such a wife would be a complement to his reign. One who was unfaithful, irresponsible, lazy, cold-hearted and uncaring would scuttle it in a heartbeat.
So, what are women who are not palace-dwellers to take from this? The resounding message that permeates the Book of Proverbs is the incomparable value of wisdom. A woman who pursues wisdom is benefiting herself by building her life on a solid foundation. If she is a wife and mother, her family will be blessed to have such a one for a partner and parent. Where do you start? Proverbs 9:10 answers, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Start there.