Part VII
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Proverbs 31:10,20
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!
Biblical Giving
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Proverbs 31:20
Despite the introduction to this post, this is one aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman’s financial activities that is highlighted and widely taught in most sermons, blogs devotionals and Bible studies. While most of the other verses in this series are often glossed over or flat-out ignored, this verse is usually not. And why would it be? Generosity and giving are an integral part of our Christian walk and should be taught on a regular basis. No teaching in relation to what God’s word says about managing money would be complete without a deep study of Biblical giving.
So, despite the fact that this verse has probably been widely taught in other forums, I would still like to focus on it as a part of this series. It is, after all, not only a vital aspect of our Christian walk but also an intrinsic part of the Proverbs 31 Woman’s financial life and one of the traits for which the Bible commends her.
In one sense, this is the verse to which many of the preceding verses have been building up. We have read much about her work ethic, her business acumen, her management skills and her ability to turn a profit. We have also had a glimpse of her wisdom when it comes to investing and acquiring assets. However, it is in this verse that we see why she goes to such lengths to enlarge her income. She has a deep understanding of Biblical giving and is generous toward the poor and needy.
We have seen that she is a woman blessed by God. She has her own income and it is clear that it is a large one. She works hard for her money and is shrewd in both her trading and investment activities. In this verse, we see that she does not labor simply for her own household necessities. Far less, to live a life of luxury! Instead, she labors to increase her income so that she is able to meet the needs of others who need her assistance.
This passage was written before Christ. In New Testament passages, Jesus teachings introduce another facet to our giving. Not only should we give generously to the poor and needy, like the Proverbs 31 Woman, but also to the kingdom in order to spread the good news of the gospel.
Generosity and Biblical giving should be a big part of our Christian walk. It should be done deliberately and with prayerful consideration so that we know where God wants us to employ our resources for the poor and needy as well as for his kingdom.
Most of all, this verse teaches us that the Proverbs 31 Business Woman understood that she was not the beneficiary but, rather, a steward of the wealth she acquired. Yes, she used her income to meet her household needs. Yes, she used her income to invest in assets in order to increase her income and produce a future harvest. But most of all, she used her income to reach out to the poor and needy. In so doing, she chose to live a life of service to others rather than a life of leisure for herself.