A Proverbs 31 Man

Proverbs 31 Merch Pictures

Proverbs 31:10–12 NIV

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:25–29 NIV

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

A Mothers’ Day Sermon on Fathers’ Day?!

Only if taken out of context!

Literary structure to the rescue, again...

Proverbs 31 is a bookend

Balanced by Proverbs 1-9 where the Holy Spirit is personified as Lady Wisdom

Proverbs 1:20–23 NIV

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; 21 on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: 22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.”

The Bookends of Proverbs

Universal principles, presented as advice from a queen mother to a king

Avoid the influences of evil people

Avoid falling into debauchery

Choose a partner who is wise and of good character

Your greatest influence of all!

Against Folly

Before describing “a wife of noble character”

Proverbs 31:2-9 warns the king against the folly of debauchery

Balanced by the personification of Lady Folly in Proverbs 1-9

Proverbs 31:2–9 NIV

2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! 3 Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. 6 Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

A Warning Against Temptation

Wasting vigor on women ruins kings

Specifically the entanglements that result from promiscuity

Craving wine and beer deprives the oppressed of justice

A leader can not act justly when preoccupied with drunkenness

An Acrostic Poem - Proverbs 31:10-31

Each line starts with the successive letters of the Hebrew Alphabet

No single attribute is more important than another

Represents the variety and fullness of virtuous character, as developed by the Holy Spirit

Not a checklist!

A True Partnership Represented

Presents a king who governs justly while his home is well administered by an industrious businesswoman who:

Administers the estate and a staff of servants

Makes and sells goods

Is compassionate and generous

Cultural roles are easily reversed

A wife of noble character

“cḥayil” - power, strength, valor, wealth, capability

Also used to describe David in 1 Samuel 9:1 as “a man of standing”

A Capstone on the Theme of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Ch 31 is a the final mirror of Proverbs

For both men and women

What Do You See In The Mirror?

Proverbs 31 describes a person of noble character

A full partner in the household

A person who fears the Lord and seeks wisdom

Do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life to develop these attributes of holiness?