Part IX
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies….Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:10,23
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!
Freedom to be a Christian Influence on Society
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
Proverbs 31:23
At first glance, this may look more like a tribute to the Proverbs 31 Woman’s husband rather than to her. However, in the context of this passage, it is clear that this is her achievement, not his alone. I have no doubt that her husband was a Godly man, filled with wisdom. He would not last long as an elder at the city gate unless it were so. But this verse is all about the Proverbs 31 Woman; not her husband.
So how is her husband’s position among the elders of the land counted as her achievement? The clue is in all the surrounding verses:
- She contributes to the family income (vs 13)
- She manages the household budget (vs 14)
- She rises before dawn to provide food for her family (vs 15)
- She also has help; she plans her day before sunrise and assigns her staff their responsibilities (vs 15)
- She invests her earnings to acquire assets (vs 16)
- She also works her assets to ensure they provide ongoing harvests (vs 16)
- She is a hard worker (vs 17)
- She runs a profitable business (vs 18)
- She also nurtures her business income by working late into the evening (vs 18)
- She works alongside her employees on the factory floor to maintain quality and productivity (vs 19)
- She ensures that her family is properly clothed (vs 21)
- She makes time to care for her own needs (vs 22)
- She has prepared for the future (vs25)
- She takes charge over her household (vs 27)
- She is also never idle with respect to her household affairs (vs27)
… all of which creates the freedom her husband needs to take his seat among the elders at the city gate. Think of it as the Old Testament equivalent of being a Christian influence on society.
By leading the life she did, and by exemplifying the character and actions listed in the Proverbs 31 passage, this lady created the freedom for her family to be a Godly influence in her community, city, and nation. Because of her diligence and business acumen and wise management of the family finances, her husband was free to spend his days at the city gates, and take his seat among the elders of the land. Lest we think that he was living a life of leisure, while she worked her fingers to the bone back at home, this is not the case. His was a big responsibility and it was also a life of service.
In Biblical times, the city gates were where important business transactions were made, courts were convened, and public announcements were heralded. By way of example, in Ruth 4:1-11, Boaz officially claimed the position of kinsman-redeemer by meeting with the city elders at the gate of Bethlehem. It was at the city gate that the legal matters concerning his marriage to Ruth were resolved.
Proverbs 31 is a very practical example of how the Christian influence on society might look
This verse is, perhaps, the first in the passage that truly reveals the male-dominated system into which this woman was born. She was a Godly woman full of wisdom who, for the most part, never allowed herself to be shackled by the patriarchal society in which she lived. However, in this, she had no choice but to work within those constraints; a woman in Old Testament times could never be an elder in the city gates. The only way to ensure that she and her family could exert Godly influence in their community and city was to pave the way for her husband to sit in that seat — and this she did with grace and dignity.
In this way, the Proverbs 31 Woman worked to position herself and her husband so that they could share God’s love, mercy, wisdom and righteousness with the people around them. More than that, it enabled them to influence shape a society that did the same. Thanks to the Proverbs 31 Woman, her family was in a position to change the world. This is her triumph and it is why the Bible commends her.
In fact, Proverbs 31 is a very practical example of how the Christian influence on society might look. Yes, we are all called to shine God’s light to those around us but we should also think about how we can shine that light beyond our immediate sphere of influence. I am reminded of verses like Acts 1:8 that tells us to be Gods witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Our friends, family, neighbors and work colleagues are our ‘Jerusalem’ but we also need to think about how we reach beyond that.
This means joining, or building, a platform from which we can expand our Christian influence on society. However, while we do this, the practical concerns like putting food on the table and keeping the lights on don’t go away. The Proverbs 31 Woman is a shining example of how we can manage our income and expenditure in a way that creates the freedom and opportunity to share God’s love and spread the gospel throughout the world.
I do not believe that every Christian should be rich like the Proverbs 31 Woman — but I do believe that every Christian should be free. Free to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, as Jesus instructed. Free to share the gospel with others at every opportunity. Free to go wherever God sends them and to serve whenever God calls. In short, I believe that every believer should be free to be a Christian influence on society. To shine God’s light and to draw others into his kingdom so that they may also seek his kingdom and his righteousness. In this way, we can truly change the world.