Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The Proverbs 31 People | The Writings | Proverbs 31

Episode Date: October 30, 2024

Is Proverbs 31 for women only? Are you working hard to care for the people in your life? Are you dependable? In today's episode, Jensen shares how Proverbs 31 gives us a picture of the beauty of wisdom displayed in the life of a woman. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Proverbs 31

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. Today we're finishing the book of Proverbs, and it ends with Proverbs 31. Now, I've grown up in the church, and as a woman, I've been taught Proverbs 31 a number of times, the wife of noble character. I've read books, been to conferences, learned from ministries all founded around Proverbs 31, and all written specifically for women. And I get it. When it comes to getting a vision of women in the Bible, there really isn't a lot of real estate. Proverbs 31 does have so much that we as women can take out of, learn from, and apply to our lives. And it's an amazing portion of scripture where we don't have to extrapolate as much to apply our own circumstances because it's already written about a woman.

But this chapter of Proverbs is not written only for women. Hear me out. The first nine verses of Proverbs 31 are an entirely different, often forgot about plotline. It recounts the words of a king's mother, the wisdom that she taught him. It's nine verses of a mother speaking to her son, giving him advice and wisdom about how to be a good king. Now, kings are men. kings have always been a very limited select few group of humans throughout history, and yet, if someone were to teach this passage, they would not speak only to the very few kings alive today.

We do not disregard the first nine verses simply because we're not men who are kings. No, we read it. We apply it to our circumstances. We take from it what we can learn about God, about humanity, about his values, his expectations. What makes a wise king can be applied. down to what makes a wise and virtuous human being. Sure, if King Charles read Proverbs 31, 1 through 9, he'd have some super specific direct application to his life work. But that doesn't mean it was written only for him. And so, while the latter half of Proverbs 31 is a proverb about a wife

of noble character, it is not a portion of this book that men can ignore. Now, to be fair, I have seen people talk about the Proverbs 31 man. But without fail, they tend to just pull out portions of this chapter that talk about husbands, the husband of the noble wife, and teach men about what it means to be a wise husband. And that's good. Men can and should learn from this passage in this way, just as women can and should be challenged to be women of noble character like the woman in this passage. But I want to put forth the notion that in the same way, women have been looking at the character of men like David, Moses, Abraham, Paul, Luke, and Jesus for centuries, and applying the wisdom of their actions and lives to our own lives, I want to say that the wife of noble character

has something to teach each and every one of us, male or female. Yes, she is a woman. Yes, she is a wife. But David was a man and a king, and still as a woman I am challenged by his life, as I glean wisdom about who God is and what he expects of his people throughout his life. And so this one is not just for the girlies. It's for all of us. So let's read this chapter of Proverbs with that lens. This is the final closing thoughts of this entire book. The final glimpse the author gives us of what it looks like to live a life of wisdom in God's world. This is the final imagery we're given of what it looks like to live a life of noble character. And the goodness and blessing that can come from it. So let's read together now. And as we read, I want you to

be thinking, what does this teach us about the wisdom of God and the ways that he has called you to live in this world? A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. So a fool will spend their life seeking beauty and wealth and success, but the wise person knows that wisdom, a noble character, is worth far more than anything else. more than rubies. Verse 11. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. To this woman is trusted by those close to her. She's proven herself to not cause trouble to seek the good of those around her. The people in her life don't have to question or wonder about her intentions, her character. No, she's dependable and

trustworthy. Verse 13. She selects wool and flax and works with equal. her hands. She's like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it's still night. She provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. This woman is hardworking. She's not idle like the sluggard. She's not selfish or proud. She gets her hands dirty. She puts in the work. She humbles herself and cares for people that she could easily overlook. Verse 16. She considers a field and buys it. Out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard. This woman is not a fool. She doesn't act hastily, but she makes wise decisions. She's a good steward of her money. She does not squander it, but uses it to benefit her family. Verse 17. She sets about her work vigorously.

Her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand, she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it's it snows, she has no fear for her household for all of them are clothed in scarlet. Again, we see her hard work, her careful stewardship, and her generosity. She's not motivated by self-gain by her own success or profit, but so that she can care for those in need. Keep her family safe and protected. She's looking to the interest of others, not herself. Verse 22. She makes coverings for her bed. She is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is responsible. Her husband is responsible.

at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. See, the people in her life are blessed because of their association with her. Her reputation is pure. She's known to be wise, and it reflects well on all she deals with. Verse 24. She makes linen garments and sells them. She supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity. She can laugh at the days to come. I love this. Her hope is not temporary. It's not in fleeting things, but it's in all that is dependable. She laughs at the days to come because whatever they bring, she knows that she's secure. She's safe in what matters. Verse 26, she speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue. This is not the fool who runs his mouth or the gossip or the

slander, no, she uses her words to bless, to bring life. Verse 27, she watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Again, she is not a sluggard. She's proactive, hardworking, dependable, she's able to bless and provide for those in her life because of it. Verse 28. Her children arise and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done and let her work bring her praise at the city gates. And so here, at the very end of Proverbs, we're given a picture of the honor due to the person who lives a life of wisdom, the blessing that comes to them. In God's

kingdom, the wise will be blessed and honored. Those who seek out temporary things like charm and beauty are fools. They get their blessing in the moment but cannot hold onto it forever. The wise person is honored, praised and blessed in God's kingdom. See, when you live a life guided by wisdom, you will not fall into the temptations of the fool and the sluggard. A life of wisdom is one dedicated to working diligently for the good of others, for the benefit of others. It's one that is marked by kindness, generosity, and dependability. It's one where people are drawn to you to praise you. When your words are marked with wisdom and not gossip or slander, you're able to build bridges to gain trust to make a difference in your community rather than to split it apart.

I hope you can see that this final chapter of Proverbs is painting a beautiful picture of a life that is guided by everything that has come before it. Yes, we can glean truth about how a wife and a husband and children should act, but this is not the only thing or maybe even the main thing that happens in this chapter. Here we are reading the closing thoughts of a book about how to live, a good life in the kingdom of God. We're given an image of a woman whose life is guided by wisdom, and that image should challenge each and every one of us and encourage us to see the benefit and goodness of a life lived well in the kingdom of God, a life of wisdom. These proverbs are not

arbitrary. They're not rules for the sake of rules. They show us the wisdom of God and reveal to us the way that we were created to live. We all should strive to live lives guided by the kind of wisdom the wife of noble character is guided by, to approach our relationships with as much love and generosity as she does, to look to the needs of others as she does, to see our work as part of a larger story not just for our own glory, but for the benefit, provision, and care of others. To use our words to heal and build up rather than tear down,

to be a dependable part of our communities, bringing blessing and life to others and all that we do, to not be thwarted or run off course by the offerings of the foolish, but to know where true value lies. And it lies in the wisdom of God. May we always know it, and may we always seek after it.