As we develop what we can learn from this over the next few sermons, we will be looking at the themes interwoven in these verses regarding the work and character lessons that we should be learning right now as God prepares each one of us for our very specific responsibilities that will be part of our own work and character for eternity in the Family of God. But for today, we are just going to focus on the all-important introduction to this manual of preparation as it appears in verses 10 through 12. An introduction to any book prepares the reader for what lies ahead in the context of the book. Here in Proverbs 31:10-12, we have both a question and a very broad answer to what the rest of the manual begins to expand regarding the perfected wife of Christ.
This introduction begins with the first hint we have that the remainder of the chapter is laying out a number of things for our consideration. Verse 10 begins with a question that does not anticipate a direct answer. Who can find a virtuous woman? is grammatically an anthesis. It is a rhetorical question, a question not looking for information or a direct answer, as I said. Rather, it is a question posed in expectation of careful consideration concerning details of the object of the question.
Please put a marker there in Proverbs 31, and we will turn to a couple of examples of this kind of grammatical question. So please turn with me first to Genesis the 13th chapter. We will be coming into the middle of a situation with Abraham and with Lot.
With this in mind, let us go back to Proverbs 31, verse 10, and what God is telling us within this all-important 3-verse introduction regarding what we will be examining in a bit greater detail later from verses 13 through 31 in other sermons. Just exactly what does God think of this wife of Christ, if you will, as implied from the rhetorical question: Who can find a virtuous woman?
In verse 10, the word virtuous is the Hebrew word chayil. This word carries with it the basic idea of strength, force, influence, worthiness, excellence. It indicates someone who is trustworthy and consistently at work with outgoing concern for others in excellence. However, we need to add an important piece to this, as it is often found within God's Word. And that is, God Himself is the source of this strength. We need to see a couple examples of this.
This is what we need to keep in mind from God's introduction to the preparation manual for the wife of Christ. He is the Source of all that makes up the virtue of the wife of Christ, even though it is the wife's responsibility to faithfully live within the virtue that then becomes her own. We can expand on this a little bit. I would like to read this same verse from the Amplified because it adds something that seems to be overlooked in the King James version.
What I was looking for us to catch was the last sentence and specifically the last word in the sentence as translated in Amplified. Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls. The King James limits the translation to rubies, but as described in Strong's, the Hebrew word panîn, the Jews translated ruby. Actually it was probably a pearl.
The Keil and Delitzsch Commentary even puts it this way, A wife such as she ought to be is a rare treasure, a good, excelling all earthly possessions. A virtuous woman who can find her? She stands far above pearls in her worth. We can now tie this into Jesus Christ's parable as recorded in Matthew 13:45. You do not have to turn there, I will just read it.
I had titled this sermon, Proverbs 31 and the Wife of Christ, an Introduction. But I think it also serves as the preface to verses 13 through 31. English grammar and composition are certainly not my strong suit, but are left to Doctor Maas or Richard. But from what I understand about nonfiction literature, the preface gives the author the opportunity to introduce himself to the readers and explain to … . . .
Her worth, at least to Christ, is far above anything physical and far above almost anything spiritual.
A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. So this woman excels in her fear of the Lord and stands as a model of the character traits and wisdom taught throughout the book of Proverbs.
The appearance of this woman's fear of the Lord at the end of this list also reminds us that this quality is more important than great skill or talent, and is foundational to the wise and proper use of all words, activities, and skills. Verse 26 says, She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.
For a final scripture, please turn to Revelation 21, verse 1. A godly woman may possess outward charm and beauty, but these are secondary to her godliness.
So let us turn to the wife of Christ's preparation manual, to Proverbs 31, and we are going to read all the way from verse 10 through the end of the chapter. But I want us to consider this beyond what we normally would consider the physical ideal wife. I would like us to think about all these words with ourselves in mind regarding what the wife of Christ, who has made herself ready, is to be doing right now.
Consider that night, we will get into this in the next couple of sermons. But she is working in the time of night before the beautiful light of God is always the present.
