Part VIII
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Proverbs 31:10.22
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!
She is Clothed in Fine Linen and Purple
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Proverbs 31:22
I am reminded of the pre-flight safety announcements on commercial air travel. In the event that the cabin loses pressure, passengers are instructed to put on their own oxygen mask first; before attempting to assist others. This to ensure that they are properly able to take care of those around them. In this, strangely counter-intuitive, instruction, the airline companies have recognized that the only way to properly care for the needs of others is by taking care of yourself first.
The Proverbs 31 passage tells us much about what this woman does for others. This includes her family, her employees, her community and the poor. In this verse, the passage pauses for a moment, and focuses on how she takes care of herself. In my experience, this is one of the most neglected areas in the lives of many wives and mothers. It is easy to become so busy doing daily chores, caring for the family, and running the household — often while earning an income and pursuing their own career — that many women never make time for themselves. Worse than that, many actually feel guilty when they take a moment to have some down-time and care for their own spiritual, emotional, or physical needs. As if, somehow, they are doing the world an injustice by putting themselves first for a change.
This verse reminds us that it is not only okay to take time out to care for oneself but also essential. Just like the airline illustration, what good is it trying to help someone with their oxygen mask if you pass out from lack of oxygen yourself while attempting to assist them? We need to replenish ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically in order to properly tend to the needs of others.
Jesus understood this and we see many verses in the New Testament where he withdrew from the crowds who so desperately sought his attention and healing power. The Bible tells us that he often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16).
While the above example shows that there is no shame in making a little time for oneself, Proverbs 31:22 actually shows that the Woman of Noble Character is not above spending a little money on herself either. She happily spends some of her earnings on personal pampering and paying for the finer things in life. And, far from admonishing her, the Bible actually commends her for it.
This in strong contrast to Jesus’ New Testament parable of Lazarus and the rich man. In that passage, Jesus uses almost exactly the same words when he says the rich man was, ‘dressed in purple and fine linen’ (Luke 16:19). However, in that context, Jesus uses the phrase as an accusation rather than a compliment. The fundamental difference between the two is their heart attitude. The rich man lived only for himself whereas the Proverbs 31 Woman lived a life of service to others. In earthly terms, such a simple change of heart seems like such a small thing. outwardly, both of these Bible characters come from the same demographic; only their heart attitude is different. Yet, in Kingdom terms, it makes a world of difference.
Verse 22 focuses on two rather unexpected areas; how she cares for her comfort and her appearance.
The first, part of the verse takes a look at how she adorns her home. It tells us she makes coverings for her bed, adorning it with cushions and soft coverings that are both beautiful and comfortable. Some of the Bible commentaries point out that this verse could actually be a reference to her wider household furnishings — or how she adorns her home.
The second part of the verse focuses on how she adorns herself. The verse tells us she is clothed in fine linen and purple — just like the rich man in Jesus’ parable. In the original Hebrew, the term fine linen could refer to silk or, possibly, a white linen of very fine texture. Either way, the fabric was of good quality and extremely expensive. The reference to purple is also significant. Purple dye came from a specific shellfish species in the Mediterranean. It required somewhere between 10,000-12,000 shells to produce just one gram of purple dye. As such the dye, or the purple fabric made with it, was prohibitively expensive and only worn by the wealthiest members of society.
However, unlike the rich man in Jesus’ parable the Bible does not censure her for this indulgence when she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Rather, the Bible recognizes that she has kept some money aside to pamper herself only in the wider context of all she does for others, she ensures. She need not feel ashamed or guilty for this. In fact, according to Proverbs 31:22, she has every right and should do so with a clear conscience.