The Noble Woman
Proverbs 31
SCRIPTURE READING: Proverbs 31:10-
INTRODUCTION:
Today we’re ending our study of Proverbs. In sermons and in our Pueblo Groups we’ve covered topics from finances to child-raising . We’ve seen God’s wisdom for working right, for talking right and for living right. The book of Proverbs ends with a well-known chapter on the Wife of Noble Character. I’ve usually heard this text used on Mother’s day. It causes us to appreciate our own mothers and to urge young women to develop the noble qualities described here.
But today I’d like to look at these verses in a little different way. In scripture, the Church is often called “The Bride of Christ.” I believe that the same qualities God considers noble in a wife are the qualities He would want to see in His beloved Church. Let’s see how these verses can speak a fresh message to you and to me as part of this Congregation. We’ll start with verses 10-12.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12
These verses give a beautiful picture of the Marriage relationship, which God designed, from the Beginning. God wants Husbands and Wives to enjoy a relationship infused with trust, sharing of everything, transparent honesty, and the giving and receiving of good will throughout all their days.
Unfortunately, all marriages don’t look that way. But that doesn’t mean marriage as an institution is flawed. It just means that Satan does all he can to drive a wedge between husbands and wives. Satan likes nothing better than to pervert the relationship God wanted for a man and his wife.
In the same way, God had a plan from the beginning for fellowship between the Jesus Christ and His church. Our connection to Christ is so close that we are called the Bride of Christ. This means that the same kind of relationship God pictured for a healthy and happy marriage, is the relationship He wants for Jesus and His Church. Look again at verses 11 and 12. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. This was the kind of wife who deserved complete trust because she was a woman of INTEGRITY. Her husband could put his full confidence in her.
1. She showed Integrity Proverbs 31:10-12
Can Jesus put his full confidence in us? Can Jesus trust us to “do him good and not harm all the days of our lives”? You might ask, how can we do harm to the cause of Christ? Well think about how a wife can do harm to her husband. Unfortunately, we’ve all known wives who do their husbands more harm than good.
Many years back, I knew a preacher who had a wife with an acid tongue. She was known for complaining about everything … but especially about people in the church. She was continually stirring up arguments among the church members. They moved from church to church, usually because folks got tired of her mouth. The whole thing kind of amazed me (since I have such a noble wife myself!) I still remember the comment another preacher made to me about the situation. He said that this preacher’s wife literally undid everything the poor preacher ever tried to accomplish.
God forbid that the Church would be that kind of Bride. But the harsh truth is that some church members do Christ harm and not good. They literally undo the things Jesus is trying to accomplish through his church. How? Usually --- just like that preacher’s wife --- with their mouths.
We harm the reputation of Jesus Christ every time we gossip and complain. Now don’t get me wrong. There is always plenty to complain about ... in life and in the church. Things aren’t perfect, and we should always strive to do better. But grumbling, criticizing, nit picking, and whining are not on the list of noble qualities in Proverbs 31!
I hate to say it, but I often see people in the church who shame the good name of Christ by what they say and do. When we live lives without INTEGRITY, we cause Jesus to be a laughingstock and an object of ridicule. People who live that way are living a lie. Just imagine the Bride who continues to go out on dates with other men. She gets married, but continues to spend nights out partying with her husband’s enemies.
No wonder on that great Day of Judgment Jesus will tell some people, “I never knew you.” You can bet those are people whose names are on Church Membership Rolls. Those are people who claimed to belong to Him, but never actually had a relationship with Him. Their marriage is nothing more than a Pseudo Marriage! Leading to annulment! Friend, you don’t want to hear those kind of words leveled at you. And for that reason, you must ask yourself what is the nature of your relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you really enjoy spending time with Him? Do you honor him by the way you talk and live?
In Proverbs 31 we see that the Noble Wife not only had Integrity, she was also INDUSTRIOUS.
2. She was Industrious Proverbs 31:13-19
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. Proverbs 31:13-19
The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 was no “domestic goddess” sitting around on a couch eating bonbons and watching soap operas. She was a whirlwind of activity; industrious in so many ways, and all for the sake of delighting her husband. She took care of business in the home and out, dealing in real estate, finding deals at market, making clothing and crafts … anything it took to fill the needs of her family.
That industrious picture also speaks to us as the Church. We have to ask: Are we giving our energy to HIS causes? To His people? Serving the Lord usually takes EXTRA effort. It may literally mean rising early and going to bed late. I think of our Elders who meet twice a month. Their last meeting lasted from 7 to 11. These are dedicated men with jobs outside the church, but they are willing to be up late at night when that’s what it takes. Every year Ronnie and Rocky and their dedicated Sponsors go to weeklong camps with our children and youth. (If you’ve never been to Church Camp, let me tell you, it’s no summer vacation for the adult workers. They are up early and down late!)
But this doesn’t just apply to Elders and Staff. Every one of us is called to be INDUSTRIOUS for the cause of Christ. If we are to serve Him properly, we’ll probably need to give up some of our “free time.” Preparing to teach a class, helping a friend in need, or fixing something that is broken at the church cuts into our “free time.” But I’d hate to have to give account to the Master for wasting my hours doing nothing productive. The virtuous woman calls us away from the leisure couch to productive activity designed to delight our bridegroom.
Proverbs 31:20 shows us that the Noble Wife was also INCLUSIVE.
3. She was Inclusive Proverbs 31:20
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20
I don’t think any quality of the Noble Wife is more important than this one. Not only did this great woman provide for her own family, she opened her compassion to those beyond the walls of her home. Her energy and creativity were not lost on the poor and needy.
As part of the bride of Christ we must ask ourselves, “Do we open our arms to the poor and needy?” I am reminded of a woman in the Bible named Dorcus who was that kind of woman. When she died, the whole town came out to mourn her departure, for she was compassionate to every needy person she met. She was such a benefit to her community that Acts chapter 9 tells us Peter prayed for her and God raised her from the dead.
When we die, will anyone grieve over us in that manner? Will they remember us because of how helpful and full of mercy we were to everyone in need?
Because of all her good qualities, the Noble wife was also INFLUENTIAL.
4. She was Influential Proverbs 31:21-29
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. Proverbs 31:21-23
This woman lived her life in such a way that her husband was respected in the community because of her. She set the tone in her home that flavored everything around her and blessed everyone connected to her.
As part of the bride of Christ we must ask ourselves, “Are we admirable and influential in our community? Do we cause people to respect Jesus Christ because of the way we look, behave?” Like the Noble wife, our congregation should have the qualities of beauty and class and excellence. We should be known for our faith, our optimism, and our generosity.
The Noble Wife of Proverbs was a truly likeable and admirable person. The whole community noticed it and it brought honor to her husband. As a congregation, we should strive to be likeable and admirable also, so that we can bring honor to Jesus Christ.
Finally, we notice that the noble wife understood her IDENTITY.
5. She knew her Identity Proverbs 31:30-31
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:30-31
The noble woman’s strength was not in her own attributes but in the Lord. In the same way, we must never lose sight of our identity in Christ. As a congregation, we don’t rely on our own abilities or clever ideas. We depend completely on Jesus Christ. We never want to do anything independent of Him, because He is the Head of the Church. We’re not trying to cast our own shadow. Instead we rest trustingly in His shadow.
Our chief joy is to wait for that day when our bridegroom to come back and get his Bride. And while we wait, we need to learn --- day by day --- how to stay completely connected to Him. This calls for introspection. If we’re honest, most of us would be embarrassed if others knew how little time we spend with the One we claim to love … how seldom we open his Word, which is His Love Letter to us.
CONCLUSION:
Now, I might be able to do it, but I have no desire to shame you into spending more time with Christ. Shame is never a good motivator … not in the long run. When you read the Gospels, you find Jesus did not spend much time criticizing and shaming the crowds that came to hear Him. And I don’t think we should be spending our time shaming and criticizing each other. Instead, Jesus often spoke in Proverbs and Parables such as the ones we’ve studied in this sermon series.
And as we hear the Words of Jesus and get to know Him, we can’t help but be drawn to Him! That’s why I don’t need to shame you into spending time with Jesus. When you see the beauty of Jesus for yourself, you will naturally want to be in His presence. You will look forward with great enjoyment to every minute you can spend in communion with Him. He is the One who loved you long before you ever noticed him He is the One who paid the price for your sins long before you knew you needed to be saved.
Today we’ve seen the picture of the Noble Wife who is the pride and joy of her husband. Like her we can be pleasing to our heavenly Bridegroom as we live a life of Integrity, Industry, Inclusiveness, Godly Influence … and as we find our full Identity in Jesus Christ.
