A Competent Wife/Woman-4 Series

A COMPETENT WIFE/Woman-part 4—Proverbs 31:10-31

Attention:

The writer of Proverbs detailed a successful marriage from the standpoint of a competent wife.

A wife’s competence completes a successful marriage.

Who is a competent wife?

What makes/characterizes a competent wife?

Competent—1)“Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully; 2)Efficient & capable.

*There is no higher calling for a wife/woman than to be ‘competent’ in Christ Jesus!

We have found previously that

A competent wife/woman...

1. Is Competently RARE & PRECIOUS(:10)in a world given to self-service

2. Competently COMMITS(:11-12)to her husband & family

3. Competently PROVIDES(:13-15)for her husband & family

4. Competently PREMEDITATES(:16)opportunity for her family’s resources

5—A competent wife/woman is...

Competently STRONG(:17)

Explanation:(:17)

:17—“She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.”

A virtuous woman/wife must actively ‘put on’ “strength” in order to accomplish the daily tasks to which she commits herself. She pulls everything about herself together with “strength” as with a belt.

Likewise she takes it upon herself to “strengthen” her “arms.” Physical strength is something usually sought by men but is just as becoming to a woman as well.

She is unafraid of hard work. Thru her work she remains fit both physically & mentally. She does not balk at physical labor & is accustomed to it. Thereby she will not back down from a task that may cause her to ‘break a sweat.’

Such integrity of her ways “strengthens” her for greater works.

Such “personal initiative” is an asset to her, her family, & beyond.

“Girds/Sets about”—rgx khaw-gar’—(See :24 ‘from’—“Sashes”)—1) To gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt. Strong—a primitive root; To gird on(as a belt, armor, etc.).

“Strength/Vigorously”(See :25)—zwe `owz—Noun Masc.—1) Might, strength—1a) Material or physical, 1b) Personal or social or political. Strong—Strength in various applications(force, security, majesty, praise).

“Strengthens/Strong”—Uma aw-mats’—Piel(intensive/intentional or repeated/extended) Imperfect—1) To be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard—1b) (Piel)--To strengthen, secure(for oneself), harden(heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure. Strong—a primitive root; To be alert, physically(on foot) or mentally(in courage).

“Arms”—erz zer-o'-ah—1) Arm, forearm, shoulder, strength—1a) Arm, 1b) Arm(as symbol of strength), 1c) Forces(political & military), 1d) Shoulder(of animal sacrificed). Strong—The arm(as stretched out), or (of animals)--The foreleg; figuratively--Force.

Argumentation:

Inner strength from God is necessary for attaining His outer strength.

Hosea 7:11-16—“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense--They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria. Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard. Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me. They did not cry out to Me with their heart When they wailed upon their beds. They assemble together for grain & new wine, They rebel against Me; Though I disciplined & strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me; They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.”

Though God gave strength to their lives, they accepted the strength without honoring the Giver of the strength.

Lk. 12:32-40—“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have & give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Let your waist be girded & your lamps burning; & you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes & knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself & have them sit down to eat, & will come & serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, & find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched & not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

**Eph. 6:11-20—“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--& for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”