A COMPETENT WIFE/Woman-part 5—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 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—A competent wife/woman is...
Competently COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS(:20)
Explanation:(:20)
:20—“She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.”
By “extending her hand” the virtuous woman/wife is described as literally opening(“extends”) her palm to “the poor.”
She is not tight-fisted with her earnings or her work.
She has a genuine concern for those who are “needy.”
So a godly wife not only provides for her own family, but for her neighbors in need as well. She is loving & generous.
“Extends”—srp paw-ras’—Qal Perfect—1) To spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To spread out, display, 1a2) To spread over. Strong—a primitive root; To break apart, disperse, etc..
“Hand”—(See :13, 16b, 19)—Pk kaf—
“Poor”—yne aw-neey’—Adj.—1) Poor, afflicted, humble, wretched. Strong—Depressed, in mind or circumstances [practically the same as wne, although the margin constantly disputes this, making wne[Noun] subjective & yne[V.] objective].
“Reaches out”(See :19—“Stretches out”)—xlv shaw-lakh’—Qal Perfect—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To send, 1a2) To stretch out, extend, direct, 1a3) To send away, 1a4) To let loose. Strong—a primitive root; To send away, for, or out(in a great variety of applications).
“Hands”(See :19, 31)—dy yawd—1) Hand. Strong—a primitive word; A hand(the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from Pk[See :13, 16b], the closed one); used(as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally & figuratively, both proximate & remote.
“Needy”—Nwyba eb-yown’—Masc. Adj.—1) In want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person; 2) Subject to oppression & abuse; 3) Needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God; 4) General reference to lowest class. Strong—from hba[To breathe after, i.e. figuratively--To be acquiescent], in the sense of--Want(especially in feeling); Destitute.
Argumentation:
COMPASSION:
**Gal. 6:7-10—“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
**Isa. 58:5-8—“Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth & ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.”
Ex. 34:5-8—“Now the LORD descended in the cloud & stood with him[Moses] there, & proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him & proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful & gracious, longsuffering, & abounding in goodness & truth, “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity & transgression & sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children & the children’s children to the third & the fourth generation.” So Moses made haste & bowed his head toward the earth, & worshiped.”
**Zech. 7:8-10—“Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy & compassion Everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’”
**Mat. 9:35-38—“Then Jesus went about all the cities & villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, & healing every sickness & every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Eph. 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
**1Pet. 3:8-11—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion[sumpayhv] for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace & pursue it.”
**1Jn. 3:17-19—“But whoever has this world’s goods, & sees his brother in need, & shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, & shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Php. 2:1-7—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men.”
Thank God that He did not consider my need(salvation) too far beneath His dignity to supply! Our God is awesome, loving & compassionate!
GENEROSITY:
Deut. 15:1-11—“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’S release. Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance-- only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him & willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ & your eye be evil against your poor brother & you give him nothing, & he cry out to the LORD against you, & it become sin among you. You shall surely give to him, & your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works & in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor & your needy, in your land.’”
Rom. 12:6-14—“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless & do not curse.”
If these things are granted to individuals as gifts of God by His Spirit, then they should also be corporately manifested!
2Cor. 9:10-15—“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, & bread for food, supply & multiply the seed you have sown & increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, & for your liberal sharing with them & all men, & by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
1Pet. 4:7-11—“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious & watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen.”
**Isa. 32:8—“But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.”
Illustration:
*’Moochers’-‘Abusers’ & those who ‘Work the system’ tend to wear us down to the point that we imagine no one is sincerely in need/We then close our hearts to everyone, making us cold & indifferent & thus UnChrist-like before a world where lost people yield more ‘love’ for their fellow man than ourselves/COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS
A mother bird(& in some instances a father) expends herself for her babies/They are desperate thru no fault of their own/We should extend that ‘love’ which we have for our own, to others...in need/Such requires the sacrificial use of our resources/COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS
Application:
?You Competently COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS?
?You a Competent Wife/Woman?
8—A competent wife/woman...
Competently CLOTHES(:21-22)
Explanation:(:21-22)
:21—“She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.”
Adverse weather conditions do not frighten the virtuous woman/wife for she insures that her family is clothed more than adequately.
They are not only clothed warmly, but richly & beautifully as well. They do not merely ‘eke by,’ suffering thru the winter.
However, if they do ‘eke by’ it is not because this wife/woman has brought it on or is at fault!
“Afraid”(See :30—Adj.—“Fears”)—ary yaw-ray’—Qal Imperfect—1) To fear, revere, be afraid; 2) (TWOT)--To shoot, pour. Strong—a primitive root; To fear; morally--To revere; causative--To frighten.
“Snow”—glv sheh'-leg—1) Snow. Strong—from glv[To be white]; Snow(probably from its whiteness). Used 20X.
“Household”2X(See :15, 27)—tyb bah'-yith—
“Clothed”(See :22, 25)—vbl law-bash’—Qal Participle Passive—1) To dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed. Strong—a primitive root; properly--Wrap around, i.e. by implication--To put on a garment or clothe(oneself, or another), literally or figuratively.
“Scarlet/Doubly”—ynv shaw-neey'—1) Scarlet, crimson—1a) properly--The insect 'coccus ilicis', the dried body of the female yielding coloring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to color it scarlet or crimson. Strong—of uncertain derivation; Crimson, properly--The insect or its color, also--Stuff dyed with it.
EBC—The MT & the LXX & Vulgate both read Mynv but with different vowel pointings—The MT=‘Scarlet’ whereas the LXX & Vulgate=‘Two’ or ‘Double.’
:22—“She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen & purple.”
The virtuous woman/wife dresses her family warmly & well & covers herself as well.
“Tapestry”(dbrm) is not necessarily a technical term as we might think it to be, but more than likely refers to a ‘covering’ of some sort, possibly for a bed(Prov. 7:16).
Both “fine linen” as well as “purple” describe a woman whose dress speaks of elegance.
Her “clothing”/dress is not a frivolous matter. Yet the way she dresses & presents herself is not employed as a fleshly means of promoting herself. Even her clothing maintains balance!
Finery is not the end result sought after by this wife/woman, but rather that which her frugality affords(:13, 19).
“Makes”(See :24; :13—“Works”)—hse aw-saw'—
“Tapestry/Coverings of Tapestry/Coverings/Bed coverings”—dbrm mar-bad' or (plural)Mydbrm—1) Spread, coverlet. Strong—from dbr[ a primitive root; To spread]. Used 2X.
Prov. 7:16—“I have spread my bed with tapestry(dbrm), Colored[hbjx(properly--A carving)] coverings[Nwja(properly--Twisted(yarn))] of Egyptian linen.” Thus there is an artistic aspect to this covering. This possibly speaks of what we would call a comforter or bed spread.
“Clothing”(See :21, 25)—vwbl leb-oowsh’—Noun Masc.—1) Clothing, garment, apparel, raiment. Strong—A garment(literally or figuratively); by implication(euphemism)--A wife.
“Fine Linen/Silk”(See :24—Nydo)—vv shaysh—1) Something bleached white, byssus, linen, fine linen; 2) Alabaster, similar stone, marble. Strong—Bleached stuff, i.e. White linen or by analogy--Marble.
“Purple”—Nmgra ar-gaw-mawn'—1) Purple, red-purple. Strong—of foreign origin; Purple(the color or the dyed stuff).
Argumentation:
Ps 132:8-9—“Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You & the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.”
2Chron. 6:41—“Now therefore, Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place, You & the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.”
Ps. 93:1—“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.”
Isa. 11:1-5—There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom & understanding, The Spirit of counsel & might, The Spirit of knowledge & of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.”
1Pet. 5:2-7—“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Rev. 17:3-6—“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads & ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple & scarlet, & adorned with gold & precious stones & pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations & the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints & with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”
Rev. 19:5-8—“Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants & those who fear Him, both small & great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters & as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad & rejoice & give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, & His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean & bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Rev. 19:11-14—“Now I saw heaven opened, & behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness He judges & makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, & on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, & His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white & clean, followed Him on white horses.”
Illustration:
Black Bears in the northern reaches of the US & Canada hibernate give birth in mid-winter/Nursing the cubs until spring when they emerge from the den in search of food/The mother provides shelter(a den), warmth(her body), & sustenance(mother’s milk)/Competently CLOTHES
Our church building/Should be maintained well because it presents-represents a public appearance of Christ to our town/Competently CLOTHED
take appropriate/proper care of
Renters whose landlord cannot take adequate care of the renter’s broken heating-air conditioning/Concern for her family’s comfort, Momma ensures her family is adequately clothed—something she can directly provide/Competently CLOTHES
The church family’s bout with their air conditioning-heating/Trying to get it fixed properly/Family went months without proper ‘air’/Concern for his family’s comfort/Momma had to ensure her family had adequate clothing/Competently CLOTHES
Application:
?You Competently CLOTHE yourself & others?
?You a Competent Wife/Woman?
9—A competent wife/woman...
Competently MARRIES(:23)
Explanation:(:23)
:23—“Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.”
The fact that her husband is spoken of here(& thruout) as leb rather than vya suggests a deep respect on the part of the wife.
Though she is a masterful & resourceful woman, she has no problem as her godly husband’s wife. His authority over her is not oppressive but rather is encouraging & helpful. They are indeed one flesh & work together perfectly as if one unit—God’s intent!(See :11).
This is the center of the chiasmus according to NAC. The focus of the entire poem, that is the husband of such a virtuous wife/woman is rightly recognized with respect “in the gates” of the city. He is regarded by others of like calibre & among & along with them he thus wields noteworthy influence.
A man should always seek to have the respect of others. His family depends upon it. He can only do this thru an exemplary life, & if married, thru his tie as ‘one flesh’ with his complementarily exemplary wife.
Deciding whom NOT to marry is also a competent choice!
When you get married you better know what you’re doing! Just as trusting Jesus as Savior!...Once you make that decision, you are never to ‘look back’ as it were but only look ahead empowered in that relationship!
Lk. 9:57-62—“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go & bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go & preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go & bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, & looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Argumentation:
1Cor. 7:1-9, 10-17, 27-35—“Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, & let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, & likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting & prayer; & come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner & another in that. But I say to the unmarried & to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, & she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, & the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.”.....
.....“Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; & if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife & a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body & in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, & that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”
Marriage is God’s design, & has intended your first marriage to be your lifetime marriage, & that to be between one man & one woman!
2Cor. 6:14--7:1—“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Deut. 7:1-6—“When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, & has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites & the Girgashites & the Amorites & the Canaanites & the Perizzites & the Hivites & the Jebusites, seven nations greater & mightier than you, & when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them & utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you & destroy you suddenly. But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, & break down their sacred pillars, & cut down their wooden images, & burn their carved images with fire. For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”
1Cor. 6:15-17—“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ & make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
Eph. 5:8-16—“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Jn. 15:18-19—“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
1Cor. 10:19-20—“What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons & not to God, & I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.”
Illustration:
*Electrical wiring/A ceiling fan—In order for that fan to accomplish its work it must receive electricity—it is designed for electricity, a specific type & amount/Wires are spliced together with appropriate ‘wire nuts’ or ‘wiring connectors’ that are screwed onto the bare ends of two or more conjoined wires/The wires thereby effectively ‘marry’ allowing a complimentary purpose/Competently MARRIED
City Water/Infrastructure—“the basic physical & organizational structures & facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, & power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.”/A well-respected competent husband never exists of his own right to the exclusion of his wife—thus the adage: ‘behind every great man is a great woman’/Competently MARRIED
Electrical Infrastructure provides support for most any business/Supplies resource necessary to provide clean drinking water/Electricity brings the user of such to an entirely different level of capability & efficiency/If it is used in a manner consistent with your needs it is a blessing/However some use it for self-centered reasons/Competently MARRIED
Application:
?You Competently MARRIED?
?You a Competent Wife/Woman?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
A competent wife/woman Competently...
7. Is COMPASSIONATE & GENEROUS(:20)
8. CLOTHES(:21-22)
9. MARRIES(:23)
1. Is RARE & PRECIOUS(:10)
2. COMMITS(:11-12)
3. PROVIDES(:13-15)
4. PREMEDITATES(plans)(:16)
5. Is STRONG(:17)
6. Is INVOLVED(:18-19)
Pts. 7-9 Presented 06/07/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave(A Ave. SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
