Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
Verse 30 contains a contrast (notice that little word “but”?) It contrasts the way we behave and look (charm and beauty), with the condition of our hearts toward God.
Charm = favor, grace, charm, elegance, acceptance
The word "favor" is the Hebrew word for "grace." In this verse the word "grace" is speaking of a woman's outward appearance and form. It is paralleled with the word "beauty," and both words carry the same idea.
Webster, in his original 1828 dictionary, has numerous definitions for grace, one of which is "beauty, whatever adorns and recommends to favor." Gesenius defines the Hebrew word to mean "gracefulness, beauty."
Being funny, clever, or charming is something that comes naturally for some people. It can also be learned to some degree. But beauty fades with age. Popularity is based on other people’s perceptions, which are easily swayed. Prov. 31:30 tells us these things are vain.
Vain = vapor, breath, empty, transitory, unsatisfactory
Real beauty in the sight of God is not the product of cosmetics but the outshining of the indwelling Christ.
Beauty, charm, and popularity never last, which is why they are ultimately empty and unsatisfactory. We, however, are eternal beings who crave something of eternal worth. If we want to have a sense of lasting value in who we are and what we do, we should consider what qualities can withstand the test of time.
Inner beauty comes from a right relationship with the Lord. True beauty is impossible apart from the fear of the Lord. When the Lord is enthroned within, His glory will shine without.
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Prov. 31:31b
That word “fears” can mean to be afraid, but in this case, it does not.
Fears = morally reverent, afraid
The fear of the Lord is essential in the cultivation of inner beauty. If the fear of the Lord is absent, then it is impossible to radiate the beauty of the LORD.
Fear can be a bad thing; fear can also be a good and healthy response. If I meet a bear in the woods, I should have a healthy respect for the animal, knowing something of its power and potential ferocity. This is a healthy fear that could save my life. We are to fear and respect God in the right way, knowing that He is a loving, caring Heavenly Father who bids us to cast all of our care upon Him and come boldly to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Fallen Adam feared God in the wrong way and hid from Him (Gen. 3:10). The right kind of fear of God causes us to draw near to Him.
The one who fears God believes that God is great and deserves his utmost respect and reverence. He is afraid to do anything that would displease such an awesome God. In Genesis 22 Abraham was faced with the seemingly unreasonable command of sacrificing his beloved son Isaac. In verse 12 God gave this testimony of Abraham: "for now I know that thou fearest God." Abraham feared God; that is, he believed that God was so great that to disobey Him was unthinkable!
The God fearing woman will be praised.
This verse reveals the Proverbs 31 Woman’s true source of motivation for everything she does in verses 11 through 27. It explains why the heart of her husband trusts in her. It explains why she is willing to rise early and stay up late. It explains why she isnot afraid, why she smiles at the future, and why her children bless her and her husband praises her.
Everything the Excellent Woman does is for the Lord. Why? Because she respects and trusts Him. She understands that her sense of security and personal worth are not based on anyone else, nor on anything she can do. They are based solely on who the Lord is and what He can do. Consequently, she is free to live her life and enjoy her family, without the burden of worry and fear of failure.
A godly and virtuous woman will be rewarded. What she gives out she will get back.
It is the boomerang effect: she hurls out many a good deed, and they are all going to come back to her. In devotion to her God and in love for her household, she is willing to expend herself ("to spend and be spent"). As she steadfastly labors and abounds in the work of the Lord, she knows that her labor will not be in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).
God is a very generous Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), "knowing that whatever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord" (Eph. 6:8).
The Lord who knows all our works will faithfully reward all that is done in His Name and for His glory. It pays to live in a right manner. It pays to fear the Lord.
What motivates you? Is it what others might think? What others might say?
One day each one of us will receive the fruit of our hands.
So today may Christian women adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour by their good works (compare Titus 2:10). God's special people should be "zealous of good works (fervently seeking to please God in all we do)" (Tit. 2:14). May our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:16).Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Cor. 5:9-10
As Christians this is not a judgment for sin, but a receiving of the fruit of how we lived our lives. It is something that each and every Believer will be required to do.
When eternity comes, what will you have to show for your life? Will you be known to have been like the Proverbs 31 Woman?
0 comments:
Post a Comment