Part VI

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Proverbs 31:10,19

I have heard many sermons preached about the Proverbs 31 Wife, or Wife of Noble Character over the years. There are numerous blogs and even entire ministries built around this particular passage of scripture. These messages generally focus on the woman’s character and duties as a wife and mother; I don’t want to diminish that focus in any way. It is both valid and important.

However, there is a major aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman that is widely glossed over, and even totally ignored. This relates to her business acumen and the way she manages her finances. Here are the facts. Of the twenty-two verses in the passage, seven are comments for the reader’s benefit or general praise from her husband and children (E.g. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her – vs28). While these are interesting, they don’t actively describe her character. The remaining fifteen verses focus explicitly on her character and actions.

Of the fifteen verses that actively describe her character and actions, only two actually focus on how she acts toward her husband. Another three focus on how she cares for her children and household….

And no less than six verses focus on how she conducts her financial life. How can we, in good conscience, read this passage about the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’ and simply disregard 40% of what the Bible tells us about her!

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In Her Hand She Holds the Distaff

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Proverbs 31:19

The distaff is used to produce spools of neatly wound yarn from a piece of wool. It is this process that makes raw wool usable. Only then can it be used to create coverings or items of clothing.

The wool is first attached to the distaff, which is held in one hand. With the other hand, one pulls out sections of the wool. Each section of wool must be carefully twisted and pulled down to attach it to the spindle. The weight of the spindle then pulls the fibers out of the compacted wool. The fibers then begin to spin around the spindle.

During this process, the distaff must be held with one hand, while the other hand keeps the fibers from tangling. The process requires skill, care and attention. It is a laborious and time-consuming task. The job requires nothing less than complete attention.

Despite the skill, concentration, and attention to detail, it was considered a fairly menial task. A wealthy woman could be forgiven for delegating this responsibility to her employees. However, once again, this verse shows that the Proverbs 31 Woman does not shy away from work because it is difficult. Nor does she consider this work to be beneath her. Instead, in her hand she holds the distaff. In other words, she rolls up her sleeves and leads from the front.

Spinning the yarn is an integral process in her business, and a crucial one that will determine the final quality of her produce. She must ensure that her employees get it right and she is right there on the factory floor with them. In this way, she leads by example.

Anyone who has run their own business knows that the owner has a multitude of other responsibilities. These include dealing with suppliers, doing the Accounting, Human Resources (staff problems), Marketing, Paying Bills and a whole raft of admin tasks. Of course, the passage has already shown us that this lady rises early, long before her household is awake and before her employees show up for work. She also does not let her lamp go out at night, and continues working long after sunset. It is in this time that she completes many of those tasks.

But, during the day, when her employees are on site and working, she is on the factory floor working alongside them; in her hand she holds the distaff. From this position, she is able to lead and mentor her employees. She is able to show them how to use the distaff and the spindle to produce the quality that her clients expect; quality that will fetch the highest prices in the market and make her business profitable.

It is interesting to note that, in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Toyota implemented its Lean Manufacturing Methodology. This was a set of principles and practices designed to improve quality and efficiency in the manufacturing process. Other companies and industries quickly latched onto this methodology and the Lean Methodology took the business world by storm.

One of the driving philosophies within the Lean Methodology is Go to Gemba — or doing the Gemba Walk.

The word Gemba is a Japanese term that means ‘the real place’. In Lean management, Gemba is the most important place for a team as it is where the real work happens. In short, it is a principle and practice that insists managers get out of their offices and down on the factory floor where the real work happens. Only then can they truly understand their how their business truly operates.

By doing this, managers are better informed because they understand the challenges their employees face, the constraints in which they operate and why they often work the way they do. This enables managers to make better decisions about how they run their business and what they can reasonably expect from their employees.

The Lean methodology and the principles on which it was built were ground-breaking and many companies still work hard at implementing Lean within their organizations today. Interesting that the Proverbs 31 Woman appears to have had a firm grasp of these core principles several thousand years before companies like Toyota ever existed.

Part V

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

Proverbs 31:10,18

I have heard many sermons preached about the Proverbs 31 Wife, or Wife of Noble Character over the years. There are numerous blogs and even entire ministries built around this particular passage of scripture. These messages generally focus on the woman’s character and duties as a wife and mother; I don’t want to diminish that focus in any way. It is both valid and important.

However, there is a major aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman that is widely glossed over, and even totally ignored. This relates to her business acumen and the way she manages her finances. Here are the facts. Of the twenty-two verses in the passage, seven are comments for the reader’s benefit or general praise from her husband and children (E.g. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her – vs28). While these are interesting, they don’t actively describe her character. The remaining fifteen verses focus explicitly on her character and actions.

Of the fifteen verses that actively describe her character and actions, only two actually focus on how she acts toward her husband. Another three focus on how she cares for her children and household….

And no less than six verses focus on how she conducts her financial life. How can we, in good conscience, read this passage about the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’ and simply disregard 40% of what the Bible tells us about her!

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She Sees That Her Trading is Profitable

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

Proverbs 31:18

The crux of this verse — she sees that her trading is profitable — appears to be book-ended between two verses that, once again, commend her work ethic.

While it has not received a post of its own it is noteworthy that the preceding verse highlights the fact that she is a hard worker; she sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks (vs 17). Then the second half of verse 18, once again, showcases the Proverbs 31 Business Woman’s dedication and capacity for hard work; her lamp does not go out at night.

The fact that her lamp does not go out at night demonstrates the fact that she continues her work long after sunset. However, the verse also shows us the promise. Her diligence and effort pays off when she sees that her trading is profitable.

If anyone comes into this chapter thinking that success will be easy, and that Proverbs 31 might offer some sort of get-rich-quick scheme, they should check that thought at the door. Let’s remember that Proverbs 31 is not about being successful, financially or otherwise. It is about being Godly, and building a Godly character. It just so happens that those character traits that make this woman Godly, and for which the Bible commends her, are the same ones that make her so successful in business.

As Proverbs 31 shows us, she rises early to run her household and her business. She makes and sells garments for a living. She invests in fields. She plants vineyards and attends to them. She sets about her work vigorously and her lamp does not go out at night. And in the end she reaps her reward when she sees that her trading is profitable.

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Part IV

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:10,16

I have heard many sermons preached about the Proverbs 31 Wife, or Wife of Noble Character over the years. There are numerous blogs and even entire ministries built around this particular passage of scripture. These messages generally focus on the woman’s character and duties as a wife and mother; I don’t want to diminish that focus in any way. It is both valid and important.

However, there is a major aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman that is widely glossed over, and even totally ignored. This relates to her business acumen and the way she manages her finances. Here are the facts. Of the twenty-two verses in the passage, seven are comments for the reader’s benefit or general praise from her husband and children (E.g. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her – vs28). While these are interesting, they don’t actively describe her character. The remaining fifteen verses focus explicitly on her character and actions.

Of the fifteen verses that actively describe her character and actions, only two actually focus on how she acts toward her husband. Another three focus on how she cares for her children and household….

And no less than six verses focus on how she conducts her financial life. How can we, in good conscience, read this passage about the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’ and simply disregard 40% of what the Bible tells us about her!

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What The Bible Says About Investment

She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:16

I found very little commentary from the theological experts on this particular verse. I guess this should not come as a surprise, since it has very little theology to offer. Our church pastors and teachers are concerned with our salvation, our eternal well-being and our relationship with God; just as they should be. Consequently, most have little interest in what the Bible says about investment and can be forgiven for blowing past this verse as they focus on weightier spiritual themes.

But this verse is still in the Bible. God put it there! More than that, he included it as one of the fifteen character traits that show us why the Woman of Noble Character is the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’.

If you ever wondered what the Bible says about investment, here it is. So what does this verse tell us? Investing may not have any direct eternal value in terms of salvation or righteousness but neither is it obviously sinful. In fact, according to the context of this passage, we should consider it commendable.

This is what the Bible says about investment. The Woman of Noble Character invests in assets that produce additional income. She already has a means of income, from the manufacture of garments, as the passage tells us elsewhere. However, this verse tells us she considers a field and buys it. Instead of spending her hard-earned income on fleeting fancies that drain her funds but have no lasting value, she invests in a field — an asset.

Why is owning assets so important to her? After all, the passage already shows that she owns a thriving business and it is clear that she is a wealthy woman. What does she need the extra income for? The difference between her garment business and the vineyard is subtle. But it is also vital. While her business is very profitable, according to Proverbs 31, it is also labor-intensive. The day she stops buying wool, and spinning it; the day she stops making garments, her income will dry up completely.

Far less so with the vineyard. Yes, the process of acquiring the field, buying the vines and planting the vineyard was, perhaps, a labor-intensive one. However, once done, the vines will continue to grow and produce a crop year on year, without any further intervention on her part. Sure, they might require some pruning and weeds will need to be dug up from time to time. And, of course, she will need to harvest the grapes. This maintenance work, however is not nearly as intensive as the daily grind of her garment business. In fact, having planted the vineyard, she appears to go straight back to the garment business while the vines mature and grow with little or no input from her.

In fact, even long after she no longer has the strength to weave wool and make garments, her vines will continue to produce a harvest year on year. This is the difference between an asset and a job. A job can take care of immediate needs, but only assets can take care of the future.

This is one time where the advice from the secular self-help and financial advice gurus actually lines up with the wisdom in God’s word. They all tell us to stop spending our money on liabilities that take money out of our pockets and rather to invest in assets that will put money into our pockets. In this verse, the Bible commends the Proverbs 31 Business Woman for doing the same.

Note, she does not make this decision lightly. She considers the field carefully. She takes the time to appraise its true value. And when she is satisfied that it is worth the agreed price, she buys it. The second part of the verse is equally important. She chose an asset to which she was able to add value. Once again, she reaches to her existing income. Instead of squandering everything she earns on lavish food, clothes and entertainment, she buys vines and plants a vineyard. This increases the asset’s value and ensures that it will not lie fallow for years. Rather, it will produce a harvest.

That is the verse in a nutshell. There really is not much more to say about it.

Of course, there are many sincere believers, men and women, both in Bible times and today who have never considered investing their hard-earned wages in assets to produce additional income. There are likely others who have considered this but never had the courage to take the plunge and buy the asset in question. Then there are probably a few who went as far as purchasing their asset but did not bother to tend to it or add any value. Instead, they let the asset lie fallow, as it were, and they never reaped the reward of their investment.

The Proverbs 31 Business Woman understood the value of investing and the Bible commends this facet of her character. We can all learn from this woman’s example.