A Competent Wife/Woman-7 Series

A COMPETENT WIFE/Woman-part 7—Proverbs 31:10-31

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

Competence is something needed in all areas of life...

Climbing Mt. Everest(VBS Theme)—Challenges are only conquered with competence, or the result is defeat &/or death!

School—Every grade school, collegiate or professional sport demands competence.

Every grade school grade, every college level course, every post-grad curriculum requires some type of determinative testing.

Fishing—Every successful sport-fishing tournament demands competence on the part of the fishermen/women.

Every successful commercial fisherman exhibits competence as he supports his family thru it.

Pilots—Every successful sea captain must exhibit competence in piloting skills in order to accomplish the task consistently & meaningfully. People’s incomes are at stake.

Airplane/Jet—Competence in the cockpit is needed because people’s lives are at stake.

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?

There is no higher calling than to be & have a ‘competent’ wife!

We have found previously that

A competent wife/woman Competently...

1. Is RARE & PRECIOUS(:10)

2. COMMITS(:11-12)

3. PROVIDES(:13-15)

4. PREMEDITATES(:16)

5. Is STRONG(:17)

6. Is INVOLVED(:18-19)

7. Is COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS(:20)

8. CLOTHES(:21-22)

9. MARRIES(:23)

10. NETWORKS(:24)

11. REJOICES In HER FUTURE(:25)

12. PROJECTS(:26)

13—A competent wife/woman...

Competently ATTENDS TO(:27)

Explanation:(:27)Watches

:27—“She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.”

The virtuous wife always “watches”(attends to) to her “household’s” “ways.” The choices & actions of her family are important to her. She is attentive to alleviation & mediation so that her family will prosper. She is proactive in her family’s direction. She is attentive to relating to her individual children’s needs.

Her children do not “raise themselves,” nor are they dependent upon ‘their village’ for guidance because they receive it at home.

Again she is no slacker(:15). Laziness(“Idleness”) is far from her door. She does not avail herself of or partake of that by which slackers/sluggards are sustained.

“Watches over/Looketh well”—hpu tsaw-faw’—Qal Participle Active—1) To look out or about, spy, keep watch, observe, watch. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To lean forward, i.e. To peer into the distance; by implication--To observe, await.

“Ways”—hkylh hal-eey-kaw’—Noun Fem.—1) Going, doing, traveling company, way—1a) Going, walk, marching, doings, 1b) Traveling company, caravan. Strong—A walking; by implication--A procession or march, a caravan. Used 7X.

“Household”(See :15, 21)—tyb bah'-yith—

“Eat”—lka aw-kal'—1) To eat, devour, burn up, feed. Strong—1) To eat, devour, burn up, feed.

“Bread”(See :14—“Food”)—Mxl lekh'-em—1) Bread, food, grain. Strong—Food(for man or beast), especially--Bread, or grain(for making it).

“Idleness”—twlue ats-loowth'—1) Sluggishness, laziness. Strong—from lue[a primitive root; to lean idly, i.e. to be indolent or slack]; Indolence. Used 1X.

Argumentation:

Ezek. 3:16-21—“Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman[hpu] for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, & give them warning from Me: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ & you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, & he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness & commits iniquity, & I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, & his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. “Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, & he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

**Ezek. 33:1-11—“Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, & say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, & the people of the land take a man from their territory & make him their watchman[hpu], when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet & warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet & does not take warning, if the sword comes & takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman[hpu] sees the sword coming & does not blow the trumpet, & the people are not warned, & the sword comes & takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s[hpu] hand.’ “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth & warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ & you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, & he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions & our sins lie upon us, & we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way & live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”