The Intelligence of the Wise Woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
Verse 11 – She understands what her husbands desires of her, and willingly complies, so he can safely trust in her.
Verse 13 – She seeks various types of material so she can produce with her own hands what her family needs. She understands what the various types of material are for and understands how to make whatever her family needs.
Verse 14 – She understands commerce, how to go about the various businesses to retrieve the various food stuffs necessary to her household.
Verse 16 – She considers a field, whether to buy the land or to purchase the produce the land produces. She does this, not to make a living, but to provide for her family what the field provides. She understands that even a king is served by the field. Buying and selling is not her career, but her family is her career.
Verse 18 – She understands what is good and what is bad, and what is mediocre.
Verse 18 – She is busy working, many times when others are sleeping. She is ready to help her household even in the night when she is tired after a long day’s labor. Her thoughts and ambitions are in her family, not in making a name for herself in the workplace.
Verse 19 – She is not lazy, but readily takes hold of work that is necessary, even if that work is drudgery, or difficult.
Verse 20 – She readily helps the poor, reaching to help the needy, but not giving the things her family needs. Her family does not suffer because she is giving their belongings or necessities to the poor.
Verse 21 – Her thoughts are not just of today, but are far-reaching into the days, weeks, and months to come. When troubles come, she has seen them coming and has done all she can to prepare for the welfare of her family. It is likely the children do not know she has done all this. They may come to think their lives are easy because of something they have done or are doing. When their children are born, they will soon discover provisions are not automatic, but come as a result of forethought, hard work, and persistence, and much diligence.
Verse 22 – She makes nice things for herself, things befitting her station in life. She understands she is a queen in her home, and dresses accordingly.
Verse 23 – She is not jealous of her husband, who is known in the gates, or government, of the city. She knows her reward will be great when her children rise up and call her blessed.
Verse 24 – She understands how to make fine linen, and knows what is fine linen and what is not fine linen. She makes money by selling, and her merchandise is good. People are often willing to pay for her labor, because they understand they are paying for good merchandise.
Verse 25 – She understands the place clothes have, as is related in verse 13, 22, and 24, but she knows her real qualities are not the clothes she wears, rather the strength, honor and majesty of being a worker at home with her family. Notice verse 17 where she girds her loins with strength, not with the latest fashions of the day. Notice verse 18 her wisdom in analyzing her merchandise, rightly judging it by correct standards, and not trying to make it better than it really is.
Verse 26 – She controls her tongue, no small feat! Wisdom does not come from the tongue, but from the heart, which she has given to the Lord and he has given her wisdom. If any of us lack wisdom, we must ask God for it. She has asked for wisdom, received it, and is able to impart it to those that desire it.
Verse 27 – She understands the long term of all family actions. It is easy to look at the short term of a matter, but to see the long term takes the wisdom only God can give. Note, she is not looking at the acts of her household, but at the ways of her household. She is more concerned with why her family does a certain thing than that they do a certain thing to please somebody.
Verse 28 – Her praise is in her family, not in others. Her desire is fulfilled, not because she always did what they wanted her to do, but because they know understand her actions were for their benefit, and they understand the work, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom she used for many years to guide them, protect them, nourish them, cloth them, and provide for them the necessities and many luxuries of life.
Verse 30 – The wise woman understands this verse. She understands 1 Timothy 2:15, which states, Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. Her progressive sanctification is not in her career, or in doing things outside the home, but her progressive sanctification is fulfilled in her work in her own home, because that is what God designed her for, and that is what God intended her to do.
Verse 31 – There is no need of false praise, but she will receive the fruit of her own hands, and her own works will praise her in the gates – in the governing places in the city.
Jessie has an aunt who passed away. She was a quite, saved, Baptist, homemaker, who dedicated herself to the local Baptist church in the area and took care of her family, making a garden each year, canning the produce, and sewing, crocheting, and painting, producing clothes and items to decorate her home. Her husband and sons were farmers who worked in the community in various community affairs. Before her death, she gave testimony of peace with the outcome, and her trust in Christ was very evident. At her funeral, the building was packed with more than 300 people.