He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Proverbs Of King Lemuel: A Godly
Influencial Woman In The Business Of Her Family: Proverbs 31:13-16
13) She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14) She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15) She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her
household, and a portion to her maidens.
16) She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands
she planteth a vineyard.
savvy
King
Lemuel now turns our attention to advice, given from His mother, to help us
understand the preciousness and importance of “virtuous” women.
What
does “virtuous” mean? This is a term
that carries with it the idea of “force” or “influence”. It is translated in the Bible as: “army”,
“company”, “force”, “might”, “strength”, “valor”, among others. The main thrust of this term is teaching us
that this type of woman is a tremendous force for good in society. Not only does she bring profit to herself and
her family, but she is profitable to all those around her. This is why she is described as “virtuous”.
EXPOSITION:
13) She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
1. The virtuous woman seeks out wool and linen
thread
2. She is willingly to manufactures her
families’ needs from raw materials.
The
virtuous woman must be adept with working with her hands to meet the needs of
her family. She is willing to physically
labor to supply that which is necessary for her families existence and
comfort. In this case, it is making them
quality clothing from the material and thread she has purchased.
C.
The virtuous woman plays the role of manufacturer for her family.
“And that ye study to be
quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we
commanded you;” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
14) She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
1. The virtuous woman is like the ships bringing
the goods of merchants from afar.
2. So too, she willingly travels to find the
proper materials at the right price to meet her families needs.
The
virtuous is knowledgeable in quality and value of the goods she purchases, as
well as the location where they can be found.
She uses this knowledge to make purchases of high quality and value.
D. The virtuous woman holds the position of
purchaser for the family.
“He also that is slothful in his work is
brother to him that is a great waster.” (Proverbs 18:9)
15) She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her
household, and a portion to her maidens.
1. The virtuous woman awakens and begins her
labor before sunrise
2. She prepares the food for her family and
others under her authority
The
virtuous woman puts in long hours in the process of meeting the needs of her
family. She must be the first to awaken
and the last to retire making sure her family’s needs are met from their
arising to going to bed at night.
E. A virtuous woman holds the position of
manager/laborer working long hours in her pursuit to lovingly, sacrificially
care for those under her watchcare.
“And the Lord said, Who
then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over
his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season?” (Luke 12:42)
16) She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands
she planteth a vineyard.
1. She closely examines a field and purchases it
2. With her personal labor she plants a vineyard
A
virtuous woman enters into wise business transactions, and oversees the use of
that which she owns. She invests of the families assets and her
personal labor to bring benefits to be shared by all the family members.
F. A virtuous woman holds the position of
business owner and farmer entering into business transactions and exercising
oversight of lands and laboring in fields assuring they bring lasting benefit
to her family.
“Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found,
he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth
that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
SUMMARY:
In a study, so far,
these are the qualities that are possessed by a Godly “woman of influence”:
A. A virtuous woman will faithfully care for her
family and make certain their needs are supplied.
B. A virtuous woman will always work for the
benefit of her husband’s and family’s reputation and well-being.
C.
A virtuous woman plays the role of
manufacturer for her family.
D. A virtuous woman holds the position of
purchaser for the family.
E. A virtuous woman holds the position of
manager/laborer working long hours of labor and oversight.
F. A virtuous woman has the position of business
owner and farmer exercising asset oversight, output and profitability
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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