Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning I want to set aside a time to speak to mothers.

But, I think this message will be relevant for not just mothers and wives, but it will be relevant for all women.

My aim this morning is threefold:

1. to challenge you ladies to be godly

2. to encourage you to continue walking in godliness

3. to praise you for the godliness you are already putting on display

You might think that last one sounds a little strange, but if you follow along with me this morning I think we can all come to a proper biblical understanding of why we are to praise the godly women in our lives.

This morning I want to examine the qualities of an excellent wife (or woman), and by that I mean the qualities of a woman who fears the Lord!

These two thoughts are book end thoughts- that is these thoughts sum up the teaching of Prov.

31:10-31.

An interesting fact about this passage is that it is an acrostic.

Each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

It is a beautiful poem about an excellent woman or a woman who fears the Lord.

The other interesting fact about Proverbs 31 is the order of the book in the Hebrew canon.

In the Hebrew OT the books of the bible are arranged in a different order than they are in our English Bibles.

One interesting observation is that in the Hebrew Bible they put the book of Ruth right after the book of Proverbs.

In our Bible Ruth is put in with the Historical Books of the OT, but in the Hebrew Bible Ruth comes right after the poetry and wisdom books, right after Proverbs.

Some scholars believe the reason the Jews in the OT place Ruth right after Proverbs is that Ruth is meant to be an illustration of the Proverbs 31 woman.

The book of Proverbs ends with this description of an excellent wife or woman of a woman who fears the Lord, and then you go right into reading the book of Ruth who typifies exactly what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like in real life.

So that is what we are going to do this morning.

We are going to look at the qualities of a Proverbs 31 woman, and then we are going to see those qualities lived out through the example of Ruth.

What are the qualities of an excellent woman?

1.

Her character reflects the disposition of a wise and loving heart

Mouth and teaching- highlight the idea of her words.

But her words expose the quality of her heart.

The heart of an excellent woman is saturated with wisdom- thus when she opens her mouth wisdom issues from it.

Where does this wisdom come from?

Wisdom comes from the Lord, He is the One that gives it.

The beginning of wisdom is to develop a proper fear or reverence for God.

Righteousness is connected with wisdom.

That means words of wisdom come from the life of one who knows God, who loves and fears God, and who is putting on practical the practical righteousness of God.

When she teaches or gives instruction her counsel is bathed in kindness.

The word for kindness is the Hebrew word חֶ֝֗סֶד.

This word carries the idea of loyalty and faithfulness.

It is a loyal love or kindness- the excellent woman is herself faithful and loyal in her love towards others and she teaches this loyal love because that is the quality of her heart.

Do we see wisdom and kindness or loyal love on display in the life of Ruth?

What is the context of this passage?

Days of the judges- significant to our understanding of Ruth!

Everyone was doing that which was right in their own eyes.

And yet here is a Moabite woman exemplifying wisdom and loyal love in her words to her mother-n-law.

Naomi’s husband was dead, her two sons were dead.

Elimelech led the family out of Bethlehem and into the foreign land of Moab (not the wisest decision on his part).

Now Naomi was going back to her homeland and she tells her two daughter-n-laws to “turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband.

If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown?

Would you therefore refrain from marrying?

No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

And how did Ruth respond?

With words of wisdom and loyal love.

But, it was not just words.

Hand and reaches out - highlight the idea of her actions.

She takes pity on the poor and needy.

The words and actions of an excellent woman expose the quality of her heart!

Ladies- have words and actions that reflect wisdom and loyal love that issue forth from the disposition of your heart.

Illustration: Tea bag- the hot water merely brings out what is already inside the tea bag.

Your walk with the Lord, the condition of your heart is of utmost importance.

You must set aside time in your life to seek the Lord.

You must be constantly growing in your relationship with Christ.

You must seek time to let the Word of God dwell in you richly with all wisdom.

You must take time to seek God in prayer.

You need other people in your life encouraging you in your faith!

(challenge, encourage, praise)

What are the qualities of an excellent woman?

2. Her actions show her willingness to work for the benefit of others

One of the discovers of the COVID lock-downs and government bailout checks is that many people got to stay home and got significant time off of work.

Many people got a little too accustomed to that idea and never went back to work.

The excellent woman of Proverbs 31 doesn’t allow circumstances or excuses to stay in the way of her willingness to work for the benefit of others.

Proverbs 31:13–15 (ESV)

13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.

14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.

15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

SEEKS, WORKS, BRINGS, RISES, PROVIDES

LOOKS, DOES NOT EAT

These action words help explain the qualities of an excellent woman.

Do we see these qualities exemplified in the life of Ruth?

Let me go to the field- seeks wool and flax, brings her food from afar, looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

So she set out and went and gleaned in the field- works with willing hands.

Aside: Perhaps the most important aspect of a woman who fears the Lord, or the excellent woman or wife, is the silent Partner who is graciously working by sustaining and governing all her steps!

Ruth 2:3 (ESV)

3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.

The text uses this word “happened” like it was blind luck or chance that brought Ruth to the field of Boaz, but the careful reader of Scripture understands that this is God’s wise providence leading, guiding, and working.

And it is perhaps this aspect above all others, that is key in the life of a woman that fears the Lord.

God is always working on her behalf, and in all her doings she carefully looks and acknowledges the silent hand of God’s providence.

Ruth 2:20 (ESV)

20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Continue with the quality- she works willingly for the benefit of others:

She came, and she had continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest- She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

The excellent woman, the one who fears the Lord- is one who works diligently!

I think a good NT parallel to this idea is found in Philippians.

The beautiful blend of, one the one hand, a right heart with God- who is the one working in you to give you the desire and the ability to do his is good pleasure, and on the other hand a determination to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Illustration: She does not “let go and let God” she “trusts God and get busy.”

Here in our text one aspect of the excellent woman working out her salvation is seen as she diligently works for the benefit of others.

Ladies- your must do your part.

God is working in you to give you the desire and the ability to do his good pleasure, but you must do your part.

You must diligently work for the sake of others in whatever situation of life God has placed you.

(challenge, encourage, praise)

What are the qualities of an excellent woman?

3. Her attitude toward the unknown is that of courage and quiet confidence

We never really think about the danger that Ruth assumed by going out into the fields alone to glean what she could to feed her family.

Apparently, there was a real danger for a lone vulnerable woman (time of the judges- everyone did that which was right in his own eyes).

And yet Ruth went anyway, and God’s providence took care of her.

Then, she was obedient to the counsel of Naomi and continued to go to the field of Boaz.