A Noble Woman
[Proverbs 31:10-31]
I still vaguely remember. A long time ago, I went to a dormitory at a university in Southern California to meet someone, and I recall seeing a framed Bible verse embroidered in English on the living room wall about the “Noble Woman” from Proverbs 31:10-31. At that time, I thought that bachelor brother must have longed to marry a sister like the noble woman described in Proverbs 31. Probably, he was not the only one. If not all the single brothers who believe in Jesus, surely many brothers dream of a noble woman like the one described in Proverbs 31:10-31 as their future spouse. Here, the phrase “noble woman” literally means “a capable woman,” referring to “a woman who acts with moral strength and dignity” (Park Yun-sun).
Personally, I thought the term “noble woman” only appeared in Proverbs 31. But around 2009, while reading the Book of Ruth, I realized that Ruth 3:11 also speaks about a “noble woman”:
“And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all the people of my town know that you are a noble woman.”
[(Contemporary Bible) “Now, do not be afraid. I will do everything you ask. Everyone in our town knows you are a noble woman.”]
This was said by Boaz, a Jew, to Ruth, a Moabite woman, indicating that Boaz and the town people all recognized Ruth as a noble woman. So, I reflected on three reasons why Boaz and his townspeople knew Ruth was a noble woman:
First, Ruth was a woman who longed for grace. That is, a noble woman longs for God’s grace.
Boaz showed grace to Ruth, and Ruth, having received that grace, confessed she could not understand why he would show favor and look after someone like her, a foreigner (2:10). Amidst this, Ruth was comforted and delighted by Boaz’s words and confessed, “My lord, I have found favor in your eyes” (2:13). She said she was not worthy to be considered one of Boaz’s maidservants (verse 13). Thus, Ruth, a noble woman, humbly longed for Boaz’s grace.
When I meditate on this, I realize, at least somewhat, that I must first become a noble Christian myself. I learn that to become a noble Christian, I must long even more for God’s grace. At such times, Romans 5:20 comes to mind: “… But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Through the presence of the holy God, as my sins are continually exposed, I want to recognize God’s grace even more. Then, like the psalmist, I cannot help but confess:
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 144:3).
Also, as I progressively understand God’s abundant grace, I think of Ruth’s confession, “I am a foreigner, so why have you paid attention to me and shown me kindness?” (Ruth 2:10), and Apostle Paul’s confession, “I am the worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). I cannot help but pray, “Lord, I am the worst of sinners, so why do You show me such great grace?” This is because the grace God shows to someone like me, the worst of sinners, is overwhelming and incomprehensible. At such times, I cannot help but be humble before the Lord. Therefore, like Ruth said to Boaz, “My lord, I am not worthy to be considered one of your maidservants” (Ruth 2:13), and like the prodigal son said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21), I too can only confess to the Lord, “God, I am not even worthy to be one of Your servants. I am the worst of sinners, and I cannot deserve to be regarded as Your precious and honored one” (Isaiah 43:4).
Second, Ruth was an obedient woman. That is, a noble woman obeys God’s word.
Ruth was a daughter-in-law who obeyed her mother-in-law Naomi’s words. She was a submissive daughter-in-law who did all that Naomi instructed (Ruth 3:5-6). Ruth was a woman who knew grace and longed for it even more, so I believe she had a humble and obedient heart. Therefore, Ruth obeyed Naomi without any objection, simply and sincerely. For example, when Naomi told her, “Wash, put on perfume, dress in your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not let him see you until he finishes eating and drinking. When he lies down, note where he is, then go and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do,” Ruth answered, “I will do whatever you say” and indeed did as Naomi instructed that night (Ruth 3:3-6, Contemporary Bible). Thus, Ruth, a noble woman, obeyed Naomi.
When I meditate on this, I learn that to become a noble Christian, I must recognize and know God’s abundant grace and, by that grace’s power, obey God’s word. The verse that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 15:10:
“But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
I recall this because Apostle Paul worked harder than all the apostles by God’s grace. That is, one who progressively knows God’s grace becomes more humble and not only so but also more obedient to God’s word [“I am the least of the apostles...” (verse 9), “This grace was given to me, the least of all the saints...” (Ephesians 3:8), “… I am the worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15)]. Therefore, he did not consider his own life precious while fulfilling the mission of preaching the gospel that the Lord had given him (Acts 20:24). So, in my faith life, as I increasingly understand God’s grace, I want to humble myself more and obey the Lord’s word, even to the point of death, just as Jesus did (Philippians 2:8).
Thirdly, Ruth was a woman who showed kindness. In other words, a virtuous woman shows kindness.
Ruth obeyed the command of her mother-in-law Naomi and took the blanket and lay down at the feet of Boaz when he lay down (Ruth 3:4, 7). In the middle of the night, Boaz was surprised and turned around to find Ruth. He said to her:
“… My daughter, may the Lord bless you. You have not gone after young men, whether rich or poor. Your kindness is greater now than at the beginning” (verse 10). Thus, Ruth was a woman who knew how to show kindness.
When I meditate on this passage, I believe that to become a virtuous Christian, I must taste God’s grace, long for it more and more, and by the power of that grace obey God’s Word so that my love for the Lord gradually grows fuller than when I first believed in Jesus. At that time, the hymn that comes to mind is “I Love My Savior More” (New Hymnal No. 314):
“… My true desire is to love my Savior more and more” (verse 1), “My only prayer is to love my Savior more and more” (verses 2 and 3). I want my true desire to be, as the lyrics say, to love the Lord more and more. Therefore, when the Lord looks at me, I want to be someone who loves Him more than when I first believed in Jesus, by God’s grace.
A virtuous woman longs more for God’s grace, obeys God’s Word more, and loves God more. Such a virtuous woman is more precious than pearls (Proverbs 31:10, Contemporary Bible).
Have you ever heard that “the pearl is the jewel of pain”? I learned a little about why the pearl is called the jewel of pain through an internet article. It says: “While the clam performs various activities such as feeding and breathing to survive, grains of sand or small worms and other foreign substances penetrate the clam’s body and bore into its flesh. At this time, the clam continues to secrete substances to overcome the pain. From the moment the unbearable pain begins, the fight to protect life also starts, and the secretion forms thin layers one by one, causing the ‘crystal of pain’ to grow. The more the injury, the more secretion is produced, and the larger and more brilliant the jewel becomes, which is why the pearl is called the ‘jewel of pain.’ Also, the thicker the pearl layer (the secretion layer), the more beautiful the luster, and the luster and thickness are important factors determining the pearl’s quality. Pearls with thick layers and no blemishes are considered ‘top-quality pearls’” (Internet).
Therefore, when Jesus spoke the parable of the kingdom of heaven, He said in Matthew 13:46:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Pearls are so precious that someone sells everything to buy one. And Proverbs 8:11 says:
“For wisdom is better than pearls, and all desirable things cannot compare with her” (Contemporary Bible). This shows how valuable, important, and precious wisdom is.
But in today’s passage, Proverbs 31:10, King Lemuel’s mother tells her son, King Lemuel, that “a virtuous woman (wife) is more precious than pearls.” What a wise mother she is! She instructs her beloved son Lemuel about a virtuous woman (wife) who is more precious and valuable than pearls. I think Lemuel’s mother taught this because she hoped her son would find such a virtuous woman and marry her.
So, what kind of woman is the virtuous woman more precious than pearls according to King Lemuel’s mother? Look at Proverbs 31:29:
“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all” (Contemporary Bible). The value of the virtuous woman, more precious than pearls (v. 10), is that in the eyes of her husband (v. 28) she “surpasses all women” (v. 29). Therefore, her husband praises his virtuous wife, saying:
“Many women do noble things, but you are the most outstanding of them all” (v. 29). And her children “rise up and call her blessed” [“Her children are grateful to their mother” (Contemporary Bible)] (v. 28).
Then, how can we find such a woman? Lemuel’s mother also says in the first half of verse 10, “Who can find a virtuous woman?” (Who?). How can we find such a virtuous woman (How?)? Dr. Park Yoon-sun said:
“Those who seek only physical beauty will have difficulty meeting such a capable woman. Only those who pray to God and sincerely seek will meet such a capable woman. Such a wife is a gift from God” (Park Yoon-sun). He also mentioned two Bible verses:
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (18:22), and
“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord” (19:14, Contemporary Bible).
In today’s text, Proverbs 31:10, the mother of King Lemuel tells her son, King Lemuel (verse 1), “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above jewels” [“Who can find a wife of noble character? She is worth far more than rubies” (Contemporary Bible)] (verse 10).
Today, focusing on Proverbs 31:10-31, I want to meditate on six points under the title “The Virtuous Woman” and receive the lessons given.
First, a virtuous woman gives trust to her husband.
Look at Proverbs 31:11-12:
“The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” [(Contemporary Bible) “Her husband trusts her fully, and lacks nothing. She does him good and not harm all her life.”].
It seems like we live in a world where there is hardly anyone trustworthy. Many people get disappointed and hurt by trusting others. Because of this, many hesitate to trust anyone easily. Even between husband and wife, there is often no full trust. Rather, many couples suspect each other. There are many couples who doubt whether their husband or wife might be having an affair. Especially when one spouse has broken the trust once, trusting again is a big risk. So today, we live in a world where even those we love, we cannot fully trust.
In such a world of distrust, what should we Christians do? We must build strong trust with the person we love. Especially, we must build strong trust with the spouse God has given us as a partner.
How should we do this? I want to think about four points:
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To build strong trust with the person we love, first we must trust God.
The ultimate reason why people who love each other do not trust one another is because they do not trust God. For example, a couple that does not trust God cannot trust each other. This is because only when there is trust in the vertical relationship with God can there be trust in the horizontal relationship with a loving spouse. Therefore, the first thing we must do to build strong trust with the person we love is to trust God. -
To build strong trust with the person we love, since we trust God, we must give trust to the person we love.
People who love each other must trust each other because they trust God. The more they trust God, the more they can trust each other. They should trust each other, but before expecting trust from the other, they must give trust first. Rather than giving trust only when there is reason to trust, even if it looks like there is no reason to trust, they must give trust to the person they love because they trust God. Just as God’s love is unconditional, we must love the person we love unconditionally. And if we love unconditionally, we must give unconditional trust to the person we love. Even if, in reality, the loving spouse betrays them, a God-centered couple looks to Jesus, who was betrayed by His own people, and leans on Him to overcome their own struggles. And even in the midst of this, they forgive their betraying spouse with God’s love. This is impossible by human wisdom, but if we trust God, it is definitely possible. God can make it possible. Trusting in God, we must give trust to the person we love. -
To trust the person we love, we must be truthful before them just as we are truthful before God.
People who love each other must be sincere Christians. They must be honest. They must not lie to each other. They must not deceive each other. They must be truthful not only before God but also before each other. To what extent must they be truthful before each other? They must be truthful enough to say to each other, “God is my witness” (Philippians 1:8). God sees everything about us. Also, God knows all our thoughts. Therefore, just as we are truthful before God, we must be truthful before the person we love. -
To trust the person we love, when we have done wrong to them, we must admit our faults and ask for forgiveness. And we must be committed to change.
If we have deceived or lied to the person we love, we must ask for their forgiveness. We must honestly and sincerely confess our sins to them. And we must not only commit that we will never commit the same sin again, but also show that commitment through our actions. Furthermore, when the person we love asks for forgiveness for their faults toward us, we must forgive them. When we forgive, we must not keep a record of wrongs against us for a long time in our hearts (1 Corinthians 13:5). Just as God, according to His great mercy, “blots out our sins” (Psalm 51:1), we must erase the faults of that person from our hearts. And we must commit to love them with God’s unchanging love. Also, we must recommit to trusting the person we love. We should turn the relationship with the person we love, which could deteriorate, into an opportunity for transformation in the Lord. Therefore, we must grow together with the person we love in the Lord. We must be built up as mature people.
In today’s text, Proverbs 31:11-12, the mother of King Lemuel, the author of Proverbs, says to her son Lemuel: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above jewels” (verse 10), and then she specifically describes that virtuous woman:
“The heart of her husband safely trusts in her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” [(The Contemporary Bible) “The husband of such a woman trusts his wife, so he will lack nothing. Such a woman does good to her husband all her life and does not harm him.”]
The mother of King Lemuel told her beloved son that a husband who has a virtuous woman as his wife—one more valuable than pearls, indeed more precious than all the treasures of the world (Park Yoon-sun)—trusts his wife. In other words, the husband of that virtuous woman trusts her. Why does he trust his virtuous wife? What is the reason? I think the immediate reason is written in verse 12:
“She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” [(The Contemporary Bible) “Such a woman does good to her husband all her life and does not harm him”] (verse 12).
That is, the reason the husband of the virtuous woman trusts her is because she “all the days of her life” (“all her life”) does good to her husband and does not do him evil. Friends, what do you think about a wife who, all the days of her life, does good to her husband and does not do him harm? When I think about this passage, I see the virtuous woman as a “good woman” who does good, and since she does good to her husband all her life, I consider her a “faithful woman.” Therefore, her husband trusts his virtuous wife.
Besides this immediate reason found in verse 12, I looked for a more ultimate reason why the husband of the virtuous woman trusts her in verse 30 of today’s passage:
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
In other words, the reason the husband of the virtuous woman trusts her is because she is a “wise woman” who fears God. This wise, virtuous woman who fears God hates evil (8:13). And such a woman not only hates evil but also loves good (Amos 5:15). Furthermore, a woman who fears God and belongs to God does not imitate evil but imitates good and does good (3 John 1:11).
Personally, I often counsel my beloved children that when they marry in the future, the character of their spouse is very important. And the character I emphasize to them is “integrity.” I have advised my children to beware of people who lie. The reason I emphasize integrity of character to my children is because I pray that when they seek and pray for their spouse, they will meet someone trustworthy.
We must be the church, the bride who is trustworthy to our bridegroom Jesus. In other words, the church, the bride of the Lord, must be a church that Jesus, the bridegroom, can trust. To do that, the church must not do evil to the bridegroom Jesus until the very last moment it exists on this earth but must do good to Him. Here, for the church to do good to the bridegroom Jesus means that, in fulfilling God’s good will on this earth (Romans 12:2), the church as “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10) lives doing good works.
Therefore, I pray that our church becomes a church that can give trust to the bridegroom Jesus.
Secondly, the virtuous woman works diligently.
Even after marriage, one must diligently strive to remain attractive to their beloved spouse. Among those efforts, there should be not only physical attraction but also personal character attraction. And among that personal character attraction, based on Proverbs 31:11-12, where we learned the first lesson that “a virtuous woman gives trust to her husband,” I believe integrity that can give trust to the spouse is very important.
That is, one of the personal character attractions that spouses must strive to have is integrity that can give mutual trust. And among these efforts, I think another important one is “diligence.”
Looking back on the Proverbs we have meditated on every Wednesday prayer meeting for a long time, the author of Proverbs often mentioned laziness and diligence. For example, regarding laziness, the author says in Proverbs 6:10 and 24:33:
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.”
The lazy person not only says, “Let’s sleep a little more, let’s doze a little more, let’s fold our hands and lie down a little more,” but actually sleeps more, dozes more, and lies down more. In other words, the lazy person does not wake up when they should but delays waking up. Also, the lazy person does not work when it is time to work but postpones the work. And they do not blame their laziness on themselves but blame other things (situations, people, etc.). In other words, the lazy person does not know how to take responsibility.
What is the result? Look at Proverbs 6:11 and Proverbs 24:34:
“Your poverty will come on you like a robber, and your scarcity like an armed man.”
What does this mean? It means that inevitable poverty comes upon the lazy, as if the victim were overwhelmed by a robber (24:33) (MacArthur).
An interesting point is that in Proverbs 24:30, the author says that he passed by the field of the “sluggard” and the vineyard of the “man who lacks judgment.” Here the author uses “sluggard” and “man who lacks judgment” as synonyms. That is, the lazy person is the unwise person. And here, “unwise” translated literally from the English Bible means ‘a person lacking judgment.’
What exactly is the lack of judgment in the lazy person? I think it is priorities. In other words, the lazy person lacks the judgment to know what to do first and what to do later.
For example, Jesus said:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
However, at the time of the prophet Haggai, the people of Israel were busy building their own houses before building the house of God (Haggai 1:4, 9). They left the temple, the house of God, desolate and were only busy building their own houses lavishly. Their priorities were wrong. As a result, God punished the people of Israel.
What was that punishment? Look at Haggai 1:6 and the first part of 1:9:
“Though you sow much, you will harvest little; though you eat, you will not be satisfied; though you drink, you will not be filled; though you put on clothes, you will not be warm; and the worker’s wages will be put into a bag with holes” (v.6).
“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little; when you brought it home, I blew it away” (v.9, first part).
What does this mean? God caused a famine (drought) on the crops of the people of Judah (Haggai 1:11), making their harvest scarce (vv. 6, 9) (Park Yoon-sun).
Ultimately, God causes drought in our finances and makes us poor when we do not seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. In other words, if we do not have the right priorities in God’s eyes, we are bound to become poor.
Thus, the lazy person becomes poor because they lack wisdom and do not do what should be done first. Therefore, the author of Proverbs says in Proverbs 6:6:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.”
Why should the lazy person go to the ant and learn wisdom by observing it? Doesn’t this imply that the lazy person is less wise than the ant?
What wisdom should the lazy person learn from the ant? There are two things (Park Yoon-sun):
(1) The ant works diligently and cooperatively without a supervisor. See Proverbs 6:7:
“It has no commander, no overseer or ruler.”
The lazy person should carefully observe the ants, who work diligently and cooperatively with a spirit of mutual help even without supervision, and learn wisdom.
(2) The ant prepares in advance for the future. See Proverbs 6:8:
“They gather their food in summer and collect their provision at harvest.”
The Bible encourages people who are less wise than ants to learn from ants the wisdom of preparing in advance for the future.
Proverbs 30:25 also describes ants as “ants, which are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”
Why do ants prepare winter food in summer? According to Dr. Park Yoon-sun, summer is the harvest season in Palestine. Therefore, ants gather food for the winter during the summer (Park Yoon-sun).
Thus, ants prepare the food they will eat in winter during the harvest season.
Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 31:13-19:
“She seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.”
[(From The New Living Translation) “She seeks wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises before dawn to prepare food for her household and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; from 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.”]
This passage talks about the labor of a virtuous woman. In one word, a virtuous woman possesses the “beauty of labor” through diligently managing her business (Park Yoon-sun).
Dr. Park Yoon-sun described three ways in which the virtuous woman diligently operates her business:
(1) The virtuous woman is engaged in fabric production.
Look at Proverbs 31:13, 18, 19:
“She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands … She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. She puts her hands to the distaff and her hands hold the spindle.”
[(From The New Living Translation) “She seeks wool and flax and works with eager hands … She knows that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. She spins thread with her hands and works with eager fingers.”]
The virtuous woman runs a small-scale home industry using her hands and simple tools. For example, verse 13 says she “seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands.” Verse 19 notes that she “spins thread with her hands and works with eager fingers.” She makes a business out of this, and verse 18 says she recognizes her business is good and works late into the night, not putting out her lamp.
Reflecting on this, I think it is good for women in the home to value such home-based handiwork and engage in productive small-scale industries. Especially in today’s world, women can run various small productive businesses from home using computers and the internet. This means women can care for children and manage household chores while running small businesses. It would be good for each woman to find what she wants to do at home according to her talents and diligently engage in business.
(2) The virtuous woman manages her household well.
Look at Proverbs 31:14-15 (first half):
“She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household.”
[(From The New Living Translation) “She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She rises before dawn to prepare food for her household.”]
Personally, I believe sisters who are diligent in church life but neglect their family life are living an unbalanced faith. Especially if such a sister’s husband is an unbeliever who does not believe in Jesus, neglecting her family life contradicts 1 Peter 3:1:
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.”
[(From The New Living Translation) “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.”]
Many believing wives with unbelieving husbands are diligent in church but neglect family life. They might be good examples in church but not at home, showing a life of imbalance as Christians. What should be done?
A wise wife is an example not only in church but especially at home. She submits to her unbelieving husband as to the Lord, thus being a model at home as well. Dr. Park Yoon-sun said:
“When an unbelieving husband sees the godliness of his wife, he may recognize the truth of the gospel and be converted. This is evangelism through practice. Our gospel witness is powerless if it does not accompany our good living.”
A wise wife does not merely witness the gospel by words. She does not just say, “Let’s go to church,” to her unbelieving husband. Rather, by submitting to her husband as to the Lord, she shows the authenticity of the gospel. She shows Jesus Christ by her life. Therefore, the Lord uses her to save even her unbelieving husband.
Looking at Proverbs 31:14-15, the mother of King Lemuel tells her son about the virtuous woman: she is “like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar, and rising before dawn to give food to her household.” From this, we understand that the virtuous woman buys food from far away and brings it home for her family. But the food she brings is not ordinary food; it is the best food (MacArthur). Dr. Park said:
“Her purpose in buying food from afar is to buy quality goods at a cheap price. Thus, she adeptly manages the family’s food supply policy.”
Shouldn’t our wives have such agility? Not only in food policies but in managing household affairs generally, virtuous wives should manage finances wisely—not wastefully—buying good quality items at low prices. What happens if money is wasted recklessly? The family suffers. Indeed, the Proverbs author, the mother of King Lemuel, says in Proverbs 31:27:
“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
[(From The New Living Translation) “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”]
The virtuous woman diligently manages her household and earns her food by hard work. She not only buys quality goods cheaply from afar for her family but also “rises before dawn to prepare food for her household” (verse 15, NLT).
Perhaps early in marriage, the wife may prepare breakfast before her husband leaves for work. Of course, not every newlywed couple is like that. Some couples may handle their own breakfast or skip it. Especially nowadays, with many dual-income families, it may not be easy for a wife to prepare breakfast for her husband. For wives with young children, preparing breakfast for both husband and children is a great challenge.
Nevertheless, Proverbs 31:15 says the virtuous woman “rises before dawn to prepare food for her household.” Dr. Park commented on this:
“… She personally makes and serves food to her family. The family’s table is prepared with care, and there is warmth and joy in that home.”
The virtuous woman joyfully rises early to prepare breakfast for her loved ones. This shows she diligently attends to her household duties.
(3) The virtuous woman develops industry.
Look at today’s passage from Proverbs 31:15 (second half) through 19:
“…She assigns work to her maidens, and tasks to her servants. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. She plants a vineyard with the fruit of her hands. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good; her lamp does not go out by night. She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.”
[(From the Contemporary English Version) “…She tells her maidservants what to do. She goes out and looks carefully in the fields and buys them. She makes a vineyard with the money she earns. She is strong and works hard. She knows that her work will be successful. She stays up late at night spinning thread and weaving cloth.”]
From these verses, we can see that the virtuous woman does not work alone doing house chores or small-scale handicrafts but works together with her maidservants by instructing them on what to do. This suggests that the virtuous woman had some degree of leadership.
Furthermore, she “looks well to the ways of her field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard” (verse 16). This suggests that she saved money from small-scale industry at home, thoughtfully purchased a vineyard, and cultivated it (as interpreted by Dr. Park Yoon-sun). In other words, the wise and virtuous woman diligently manages not only the household but also expands her business ventures.
Dr. Park Yoon-sun said, “She strives to increase her income by marketing her products far and wide, thus developing her industry (verses 17-19).” The virtuous woman’s strong economic ability comes from her diligence [(verse 17, Contemporary English Version) “She is strong, hardworking, and diligent.”] Therefore, “she knows that her work is profitable and works late into the night” (verse 18, Contemporary English Version). One of these profitable works is described in verse 24: “She makes linen garments and sells them to the merchants” (verse 24, Contemporary English Version).
Nowadays, seeing young sisters selling clothes online, we can think that a wise virtuous woman could easily manage both household duties and a business selling clothes online diligently.
The wise and virtuous woman distinguishes whether her work is profitable or unprofitable. Therefore, she does not engage in unprofitable work but diligently and earnestly does profitable work. The virtuous woman with diligence has economic capability. She carefully saves the money she earns and uses it wisely, working diligently to develop and expand her business.
Our church, as the bride of Christ the bridegroom, should be like this. We must know what is profitable in God’s eyes and diligently work for the Lord to expand God’s kingdom.
Thirdly, the virtuous woman helps the poor and needy.
Once, on May 8, 2018, I read an article titled “7 out of 10 Christians Help Poor Neighbors” in the online edition of the Korean American Central Daily. According to the article, the polling organization Barna Research recently released a report titled “Three Reasons to Have Hope Regarding Global Poverty Issues.” According to Barna Research, 7 out of 10 practical Christians (75%) responded that they had provided food to poor people or low-income families. Here, “practical Christians” refers to those who regularly participate in religious activities and claim to live according to doctrine in practice.
“Christians have a higher response rate than the general adult population in all areas: donating money or clothes or furniture (72% vs. 64%), praying at set times for the poor (62% vs. 33%), volunteering for low-income communities (47% vs. 29%), volunteering in domestic volunteer organizations (39% vs. 24%), and even going overseas to help the poor (10% vs. 6%).” Barna Research attributes the hope regarding poverty solutions to these factors: practical Christians are actively involved in various charitable activities worldwide, those who think active participation is needed in poverty issues are also interested in other social issues, and those hopeful about poverty eradication tend to participate more actively in solutions.
Looking at Proverbs 31:20, King Lemuel’s mother tells her son about the virtuous woman:
“She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.” [(Contemporary English Version) “She helps the poor and needy.”]
Here, the phrase “reaches out her hand” means sending charitable material aid kindly even to the poor who are far away (Matthew Henry, Park Yoon-sun). This means the virtuous woman not only kindly helps the poor nearby but also sends aid to those far away.
Why does she kindly help both the nearby poor and those far away? I think it is because she has a heart that pities the poor. That is, the virtuous woman shows kindness and charity because she has compassion for those in poverty.
Personally, when I think of “having a compassionate heart,” I cannot forget Henry Nouwen’s writing about compassion. He explained that the Hebrew original word “rachamim” (compassion) literally means “womb of Yahweh (God).” I found an article about the womb and learned three characteristics, which I compared with God’s compassion:
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Just as the womb accepts foreign bodies without rejecting them, God the Father accepts and tolerates us sinners without rejection.
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Just as the womb accepts the infiltration of the placenta’s blood vessels to nourish and develop the placenta, Jesus the Son tolerates the ‘infiltration of sin’ by bearing our sins and dying on the cross to supply us the bread of life. Those who believe in Jesus, the bread of life, are now protected from further ‘sin infiltration’ and prevented from being defiled in body and soul.
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Furthermore, just as the womb prevents natural cell death during fetal growth and softens to allow the fetus to move comfortably late in pregnancy, the Holy Spirit enables us to live a vibrant faith life, freely moving and living in the Lord.
Those who have a compassionate heart help the poor and needy but obey Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:2-4:
“Therefore, when you do charity, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets, to be honored by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you do charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Interestingly, those who are compassionate not only perform charitable acts to help the poor but also pray to God. In other words, those who have compassion toward the poor both give aid to neighbors and faithfully maintain a prayer life with God.
That is why after teaching about charity in Matthew 6:2-4, Jesus teaches about prayer from verses 5 to 15.
A good example is Cornelius in Acts 10. Look at Acts 10:2:
“He was a devout man, who feared God with all his household, gave many alms to the people, and prayed continually to God.”
Then God said to Cornelius through an angel:
“Your prayers and alms have come up as a memorial before God” (verse 31).
Thus, the godliness God remembers is both prayer and charity.
In today’s passage, Proverbs 31:20, the virtuous woman is described as diligent (verse 13), hardworking and industrious (verse 17, Modern Korean Bible), expanding her business (verses 15b-19), and not only providing food for her beloved family at home (verse 14) but also helping and caring for the poor and needy neighbors. When I think of this virtuous woman, I consider her a “wise wealthy person.” The reason is that a wise wealthy person fears God (Proverbs 22:4, 31:30), works diligently, and with a humble attitude understands the situation of the poor (29:7), has compassion for them (Psalm 72:13), helps them, and gives to them (Proverbs 28:27) (31:20). Such a wise wealthy person does not become proud, does not put their hope in uncertain riches, but places everything in God who generously gives for us to enjoy. Furthermore, a wise wealthy person does good, does many good deeds, and is generous in giving (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Proverbs 28:27 states that those who give to the poor will not be in want: “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but whoever turns a blind eye will have many curses.” Conversely, Proverbs 11:24 says, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
I pray that our church becomes a giving church like the church of Antioch. The Antioch church, to help the Jewish brothers suffering from a severe famine, each according to their ability, voluntarily collected relief funds and sent them through Barnabas and Paul to the elders of the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:29-30). If our church, like Antioch, helps not only our nearby neighbors but also distant mission churches in need, supporting the building of the Lord’s church and raising precious workers who dream of a Christ-centered ministry both materially and spiritually, wouldn’t that be the beautiful bride church of Jesus the Bridegroom?
Fourth, the virtuous woman does not worry.
Friends, we live in a world full of worries. Day by day, surrounded by various concerns, even though as believers we know from 1 Peter 5:7 that we should cast all our anxieties on the Lord, we still fail to entrust all our worries to Him who cares for us. But Jesus says in Luke 12:22 and 29 that we should not worry about what we will eat or drink, or what we will wear. Why?
(1) The first reason is that “who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (verse 25). What good does worry do? It neither helps nor benefits, yet we find it difficult to stop worrying.
(2) The second reason is that we “cannot do even the smallest thing” (verse 26). It’s puzzling why we worry about many things when we can’t even control these small matters (verse 26, Modern Korean Bible).
(3) The third reason is that “all such things the unbelievers seek after” (Matthew 6:32, Modern Korean Bible).
(4) The fourth reason is that our “Father knows all that you need” (Luke 12:30, Modern Korean Bible). God the Father knows everything we need, so we should not worry, yet we do, because we are “people of little faith” (verse 28). Because of our small faith, even today and tomorrow, we worry about what we will eat or what we will wear (verse 22).
What should we do? We should think of the ravens (verse 24). We should look at the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26). I still remember last time when I went to a retreat in the mountains with the English ministry, sitting on a chair on the back veranda of the lodging early in the morning, watching the birds flying and perching on trees, I recalled Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” As I watched those birds and meditated on this verse, I thought: ‘If the Heavenly Father feeds the birds, how much more will He care for me, who is much more precious and honored than they are (Isaiah 43:4)?’ In fact, throughout my life, God the Father has cared for me, giving me daily bread abundantly so that I have never gone hungry. He has also provided clothing so that I have never been naked. Rather, God has allowed me to enjoy food and clothing in abundance and grace. Yet, I still worry about various things. I worry about what to say and how to say it in human relationships (Matthew 10:19).
I also worry about “worldly matters, wondering how to please my wife” (1 Corinthians 7:33). I worry and am anxious about church matters (2 Corinthians 11:28; see also Luke 10:41). I worry that some church members might leave the church and abandon Jesus (Deuteronomy 29:18). Especially, I worry that I myself might fall into Satan’s temptation (1 Timothy 3:7). In this way, “the worries of life weigh down my heart” (Luke 21:34), and because of these “worldly worries,” God’s word is blocked, and I bear no fruit (Mark 4:19). Even though I know I should not be like this (Mark 4:19), I still worry about many things. I worry about today’s matters and even about tomorrow’s (future) matters that have not yet happened. To me, the Lord says: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 31:21-22: “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” [(Modern Korean Bible) “She has prepared warm clothes for all her family, so she does not worry when winter comes. She beautifies her bedroom and wears beautiful fine linen and purple garments.”] This passage shows that the virtuous woman clothed all her household in scarlet so well that she did not have to worry for them, and she wore fine linen and purple for herself. Scarlet and purple garments were expensive clothes (Bible Knowledge commentary). This shows that the virtuous woman not only did not make her family poor but lived abundantly and prosperously. She worked diligently (verse 13), developed her business (verses 15b-19), and made sure her family did not worry about their livelihood (verses 21-22). To such an extent, her husband trusted his virtuous wife so much that “he lacked nothing” (verse 11, Modern Korean Bible). Ultimately, the reason the virtuous woman did not worry about her household is that she managed the household well so that her family would not have to worry about their lives [“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (verse 27, Modern Korean Bible)]. Therefore, Proverbs 31:25 in the Modern Korean Bible says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity and does not worry about the future.”
Let us not worry. Especially, our parents should not worry in front of their children. The reason is that when parents worry in front of their children, the children become anxious. Rather, we should show our children that we entrust all our worries to the Lord through prayer. Even if our faith is weak and we worry, we should not hide or deny it in front of our children, but we should show them, according to the Bible, that we entrust all our worries to the Lord.
About four years ago (in 2015), I experienced God’s grace when He already knew all my weak faith and worries and provided for what I needed in a completely unexpected way. At that time, I realized a little bit that God the Father loves me so much, and I thanked God. At that moment, I recognized that although I should live by faith moment to moment, I kept trying to live by what I saw with my eyes, acting hastily relying on my own understanding rather than quietly praying and waiting in faith for God’s work. I saw myself worrying while trying to predict results. I no longer want to live that way. I no longer want to live day by day feeling anxious and worried. Rather, I want to entrust all my worries to the Lord and live by faith. I pray that all the members of our church entrust all their worries by faith to Jesus, our Bridegroom. Let us not rely on our own understanding but fully trust and rely on the Lord, our Bridegroom, and stop worrying.
Fifth, a virtuous woman causes her husband to be respected by others.
What kind of woman do you think a wise wife is? A psychology professor at Sungshin Women’s University, who counseled couples for 20 years, summarized the seven things husbands want from their wives. One of them is that a husband wants his wife to respect him and boost his self-esteem. The hardest thing for a husband to endure is feeling disregarded by his wife. Especially, husbands really dislike it when their wives compare them to other men. Common comparison topics among women about their husbands include paychecks, gifts, vacations, how well they get along with the wife’s family, and help with housework. Professor Chae advises women not to try to correct their husbands’ behavior by comparing them to other men, but rather to focus on their current behavior, point out what they do well, and request the behaviors they want.
I want to share with you something I wrote on May 22, 2005, titled “Wise Wife”: “A wise wife is one who submits to her husband and respects or reveres him. However, in these days, I think the words ‘submission’ and ‘reverence’ are hard to find in marital relationships. Although the unchanging Word should be applied in a changing era, many Christian couples, singles, and young people worry me because they neglect the eternal, unchanging principles of the Word amid the overwhelming trends of the times. It is a wife’s proper duty to submit to her husband as to the Lord (Colossians 3:18), and through this, to bring salvation to an unbelieving husband, which is a great divine calling of a wife. However, I think many wives fail to fulfill this calling well. Also, although respecting one’s husband as a wife is a precious act that builds him up, I think many wives ignore their husbands. This should not be. Wise wives, submit to your husbands and respect them to beautifully build your families!”
Look at Proverbs 31:23: “Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.” [(The Contemporary English Version) “Her husband is also known at the city gate, where he sits with the elders of the land and receives respect.”] From this verse, we can understand that a virtuous woman is a wise woman because she significantly contributed to establishing her husband so that he “sits with the elders of the land at the city gate” (MacArthur). You might wonder why this is such a big deal, but at that time, the “city gate” was the place where leaders in the city or region sat to handle the affairs of the people (Job 31:21) (Park Yoon-sun). For her husband to be “sitting with the elders of the land” meant he was not an ordinary man but “a leader known in the region” (Proverbs 31:23, Contemporary English Version). Could her husband have become such a leader without the help of his virtuous wife? Such success of the husband would have been impossible without the support of his wise wife. Thus, a virtuous woman establishes her husband as a person who is recognized and respected by others (verse 23). Married sisters, how would you feel knowing that your husband not only succeeds in society but is also recognized and respected by others? Wouldn’t you be happy?
Today, while browsing various Christian websites, I came across an interesting article about the famous Pastor Spurgeon’s wife. The article was titled “3 Things You Didn’t Know About Spurgeon’s Wife.” The three things are: first, Susannah, Pastor Spurgeon’s wife, had to learn difficult lessons about marriage. Living with a husband who had great responsibilities for God’s kingdom, the Lord’s work, and gospel ministry, she painfully learned that she could never put herself first in her husband’s heart as a wife. Therefore, she had to dedicate herself to not being an obstacle to her husband’s ministry for God’s kingdom and the Lord’s work. Second, through her own illness and suffering, God shaped her character and drew her closer to Him. She had to help her husband, who struggled with depression and illness, and also suffered from severe medical problems herself. Yet she believed that God was shaping her character through her brokenness and that her physical pain brought her closer to the Lord. Third, Susannah established worldwide ministries. She organized a charity called “The Book Fund,” which distributed 3,058 theological books and 71,000 copies to impoverished pastors (Internet). Because she was such a faithful and wise wife, her husband, Pastor Spurgeon, became an influential pastor who accomplished many great things for the Lord’s church and God’s kingdom. According to Proverbs 31:23, virtuous Susannah established her husband as a pastor respected by many.
A virtuous and wise woman not only respects her husband (Ephesians 5:33) but also causes her husband to be respected by others (Proverbs 31:23). Then, how can a virtuous woman greatly contribute to her husband sitting “with the elders of the land at the city gate” and being recognized and respected? I found the answer in Proverbs 31:11-12: “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” [(Contemporary English Version) “Because her husband trusts her, he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all her life long.”] A virtuous woman does good and not harm to her husband throughout her life, so she makes her husband trust her. Therefore, her husband who trusts such a virtuous wife “lacks nothing” (verse 11, Contemporary English Version) and with her help “sits with the elders of the land at the city gate and receives the respect of the people” (verse 23).
I read an article titled “A Wife Who Doesn’t Understand Her Husband, A Husband Who Hurts with Words.” The article says that when a husband feels unrecognized by his wife, he becomes frustrated. It goes on to say that the husband, lacking the strength gained from his wife to go out into the world and fight, becomes discouraged and loses all his energy. The article includes this statement: “Wives often do not realize how much influence they have on their husbands and overlook this fact” (Internet). Sisters, you need to understand how much influence you have on your husbands. I believe the best way for sisters to exert a positive influence on their husbands is by obeying God’s word. That word of God is found in Ephesians 5:33, which says that a virtuous woman “respects her husband.” Therefore, a virtuous wife raises her husband to be respected by others.
Beloved, as the bride, our church must respect Jesus, the bridegroom. Accordingly, we must make others respect Jesus. To do this, we must obey the Lord’s word. While obeying, we should live in this world as the church that is the bride of Jesus, the bridegroom. Just like the church in Antioch described in the Acts of the Apostles. When we do this, the Lord, the bridegroom, will be respected by people in this world.
Finally, the sixth point: a virtuous woman has a wise mouth.
Have you ever heard the saying, “You must skillfully wield the tongue”? What does it mean? The “three-inch tongue” refers to the roughly 10 cm length of the tongue, emphasizing how something so small can determine life or death. Though the tongue is small (about three inches), the results of words that come from the tongue are tremendous. Look at James 3:5: “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire can set a great forest ablaze.” The words from our tongues can cause great wounds, frustration, disappointment, and curses for some, while for others, they can bring hope, courage, and life. In some cases, a careless word can even lead someone to take their own life. How much more important, then, are the words that we Christians who believe in Jesus speak?
That’s why Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
We have already meditated on Proverbs 15:2, which says: “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness.” Based on this verse, I have reflected on four characteristics of the tongue of the wise:
(1) The tongue of the wise calms the anger of others.
Look at the first half of Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” A wise person does not get angry along with an angry person. Rather, even if the other is angry, a wise person is slow to anger (verse 18). Meanwhile, the wise person knows what to do to calm the angry person. That is, with a gentle answer, the wise person soothes the anger of the other. In other words, a wise person uses soft words to calm the anger of the other. Not only that, but a wise person patiently deals with the angry person (25:15). Through persuasion with a gentle tongue, the wise person calms the angry heart of the other.
(2) The tongue of the wise imparts knowledge rightly.
Look at the first half of Proverbs 15:2: “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly...” What does this mean? It means the wise person speaks God’s word well (Park Yun-sun). In other words, the wise person spreads the knowledge of God’s word (verse 7). This is because the wise person reads God’s word with their eyes, seeks knowledge with their ears (18:15), and meditates on God’s word day and night (Psalm 1:2). So, because the wise person meditates on God’s word day and night, they have knowledge of it and spread that knowledge well.
(3) The tongue of the wise heals wounds.
Look at the first half of Proverbs 15:4: “A gentle tongue is a tree of life...” Here, “gentle tongue” means a healing tongue. Foolish lips speak harshly, wounding the hearts of others, but the tongue of the wise heals wounds. Don’t you want to have such a tongue? How exactly does the tongue of the wise heal wounds? By speaking God’s word well (verse 2). The wise person speaks God’s word with soft and gentle words (verse 1), healing the wounded hearts of others. Dr. Park Yun-sun says about this healing tongue that it speaks truthfully and peacefully, comforting, giving life, and bringing hope to the listener. Such words are described as “seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6) (Park Yun-sun). Thus, the tongue of the wise comforts, gives life, and brings hope, which is why it is called a “tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). In other words, the tongue of the wise spreads Jesus Christ, who is life itself, healing the dying soul as a tree of life.
(4) The tongue of the wise speaks words in due season.
Look at Proverbs 15:23: “A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!” I often experience the Holy Spirit guiding me to say the right words at the right time. For example, when counseling through internet chat, as we exchange words, the Holy Spirit reminds me of a scripture passage, which I share, and I see how it touches the other person’s heart. Sometimes I am surprised myself because the words the Holy Spirit brings to mind are exactly what that person needed at that moment. Proverbs 25:11-12 says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuke to an obedient ear.” What does this mean? Appropriate counsel yields good fruit (Park Yun-sun). The Hebrew original word for “appropriate” means “wheel,” implying adaptability to circumstances. This teaches that the one giving advice should carefully consider and adjust their words (Park Yun-sun): “The counselor must speak with love and peace. They must not speak with a sarcastic attitude. They must not speak hastily. They must not speak without courtesy. When advice is given this way and the recipient accepts it well, it is considered a great honor to the counselor—like ‘apples of gold in a silver setting’ and ‘golden earrings and fine gold ornaments’” (Park Yun-sun).
Look at today’s passage, Proverbs 31:26: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” [(Modern Korean Bible) “She speaks with wisdom and kindness.”]. The virtuous woman is not only a good housewife who works diligently and develops her own affairs, but also leads her family well with words of wisdom (The Pulpit Commentary). What are the words of wisdom that come from her mouth? I think the words of wisdom from her mouth are knowledge (15:7), and that knowledge is truth (8:7). This is because her heart is filled with the word of truth that gives life (18:4, Park Yoon Sun). From the mouth of a wise and virtuous woman should flow the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives eternal life. Her mouth should not only proclaim the knowledge of Jesus Christ but also the blessed news that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross to give eternal life and rose again on the third day. And from her mouth should flow the word of God’s truth. Knowledge of God should come forth, and words of wisdom should flow.
Moreover, the Bible says that the virtuous woman speaks “the law of kindness” with her tongue (verse 26). The Modern Korean Bible translates that she speaks kindly. I believe that in the heart of the virtuous woman, not only is there abundance of the word of truth that gives life, but also an abundance of God’s love. Therefore, she speaks the law of kindness with her tongue. Her tongue is regulated by God’s love and speaks the law of kindness (The Pulpit Commentary). If we apply this law of kindness to us believers living in the era of the New Covenant, I think it corresponds to Jesus’ double commandment. That double commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). The virtuous wife not only shows this double commandment by her life to her husband and children within the home but also opens her lips to teach it.
This should be the image of our church, the bride of Jesus, the bridegroom. Our church must obey Jesus’ double commandment and not only show the law of kindness of God through our lives but also open our mouths to proclaim the word of truth. While proclaiming the word of truth, our church must open its mouth to proclaim Jesus Christ, who is true wisdom. In other words, we must preach the gospel. This is the image of the wise and virtuous bride church of Jesus, the bridegroom.
To conclude the meditation on the word, there is a phrase that I will never forget from my dear grandmother when she was alive. That phrase was Proverbs 31:30: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” I still remember it vividly. When I visited her at the nursing home, I don’t recall what conversation we had, but I clearly remember that even though she was old and had many wrinkles on her face, she recited Proverbs 31:30 before me. Hearing that word through her, I could not help but feel more deeply that “charm and beauty are fleeting,” because I could not help but think about what meaning a woman’s beauty holds before the passing of time. However, I felt that the phrase “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” is truly important. And the woman who fears God and is praised is a wise and virtuous woman.
A virtuous woman is one who gives her husband trust, works diligently, helps the poor and needy, and does not worry. Moreover, the virtuous woman has a wise mouth, and her husband is respected by others. Her children are grateful to their mother, and her husband praises her, saying, “You are more excellent than all other women” (there are many great women in the world, but you are the greatest among them). I pray that all of us, as a church, may be a church that gives trust to the Lord, our bridegroom. That we may work diligently in the Lord’s work, help the poor and needy, worry about nothing, and with wise mouths proclaim and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the word of God’s truth. Therefore, I pray that when we stand before the Lord, we may all hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”