| The final 22 verses of chapter 31 in the book of | | | | standard, even fewer societies throughout history |
| Proverbs present an acrostic poem in which each | | | | have accorded women the opportunities and |
| verse begins with a successive letter of the | | | | freedom to do so. The biblical ideal portrayed in |
| Hebrew alphabet. This poem contains the sage | | | | Proverbs 31 indicates that the cultural standards |
| advice of a mother to her son, a king named | | | | the Creator set for His people were far more |
| Lemuel. She outlines for him what he should be | | | | progressive than many would believe. The Bible |
| looking for in a prospective wife. Lemuel's mother | | | | relates that God created man and woman in His |
| describes a capable woman, one any mother | | | | image (Genesis 1:27). The first woman, Eve, is |
| would be delighted to see her son marry. It is a | | | | pictured as having been created from Adam's rib, |
| woman she describes that would inevitably help | | | | not as some subspecies but as a person of |
| create the family and relationships her son would | | | | comparable talents and abilities (Genesis 2:18). In |
| have one day. This woman is a jewel. She can be | | | | marriage, a woman is instructed to submit to her |
| trusted (verse 11) to do the right thing, whether | | | | husband's authority (1 Peter 3:1), but in the next |
| in evaluating and purchasing real estate (verse 16), | | | | breath the husband is commanded to treat her |
| buying and selling merchandise (verses 14 and 24), | | | | with understanding and to honor her as one |
| managing the household staff (verses 15 and 27), | | | | having the same potential for eternal life--"heirs |
| providing for the needs of her family (verses 15 | | | | together of the grace of life," as the apostle |
| and 21), or helping the poor and needy (verse 20). | | | | Peter expressed it (verse 7). The biblical model |
| She is an industrious individual (verses 13, 15, | | | | for society is patriarchal in structure, but it has |
| 17-19, 22). She is a person of inner strength | | | | little in common with the selfish, uncaring, |
| (verse 25), wisdom and compassion (verse 26). | | | | male-dominated patriarchies this world has |
| Though this portrayal describes an idealized | | | | produced throughout history. Rather, the biblical |
| woman whose characteristics would be hard for | | | | model reflects God's own loving character. A |
| anyone, woman or man, to live up to, it says a | | | | husband is to love his wife as much as he does |
| lot about the biblical ideal for society. Caring for | | | | himself, and the wife is to respect her husband |
| her family and supporting her husband is her | | | | (Ephesians 5:33). A society with this at its |
| primary focus, but neither her husband nor the | | | | foundation doesn't establish a multitude of rules |
| society in which she lives constrains her from | | | | restricting women at every point of the compass. |
| using her many skills. She is able to serve her | | | | Some fortunate couples have succeeded in |
| family and others because the cultural and legal | | | | working together in the kind of loving harmony |
| standards of her society give her freedom to | | | | and respect implied by Proverbs 31, but sadly it |
| function in areas that many societies, even to this | | | | has never become norm for our society and |
| day, prohibit women from entering. While few | | | | culture as the Bible directs us to follow. |
| individuals can measure up to this idealized | | | | More articles from this pro: C. |