December 2004 Issue - Excellent Wife
An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.
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.
Proverbs 31:10-31
A man trying to explain a woman, even his wife, is faced with a daunting task. Women are complex creatures with paradoxical attributes that leave men perplexed and confused. Maybe you have heard men lament about women. Cant live with them; cant live without them.
The first woman, Eve, seemed to have the same mystique over Adam. Why did Adam partake of the fruit that was forbidden? Answer: His wife gave it to him, and his desire to agree with his wife was stronger than his will to obey the Lord. How could Adam surrender his will so quickly for his wife? Whatever it was, men have been moved by it many times since.
There are other stories, some humorous, that try to portray this attribute of women and wives. However, there is one portion of the Scripture that transcends the problem and boldly describes the greatest qualities in women and wives. It is actually counsel given to a man to recognize and understand the best in women. This incredible wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is special in the Bible, long recognized by Bible teachers. First, the book is written in a special way with the very first letter. The letter Mem is the first Hebrew letter of the book, and Biblical scribes have always made that letter enlarged just as the letter Bet is enlarged in the book of Beresheet - Genesis. Only three books in the Bible have these enlarged first letters. The third book is Song of Solomon with an enlarged Shin.
The Hebrew letter Mem means water, specifically chaotic waters. It is also an illustration of the womb. Each of us are born from the chaotic waters of a womb. We are born out of water with a soul. The womb is where our soul and flesh are first joined. Therefore, the book of Proverbs really deals with the things of our souls and how to avoid the mistakes of the flesh. This is why the book begins with the sign - the enlarged Mem.
The final Proverb, number 31, describes the excellent wife. It is the final word in the book of wisdom, but it doesnt come from the wisdom of a man. It is not a description of a perfect wife written by her husband. This final piece of wisdom comes from a Godly woman. Proverbs 31 is the teaching of a mother to her son, who happens to be a king. It is counsel fit for kings that comes from an impeccable source his mother.
The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him. Proverbs 31:1
The Proverb addresses two subjects: exercising good judgment by avoiding excessive amounts of libations and the selection of an excellent wife. Beginning in verse 10, a description of an excellent wife is given. It is not a mans definition of the perfect wife; it is a womans definition. It is his mother telling him about someone that will be greater than his own mother. It is about the most important decision of his life his wife. Now, that puts a whole new perspective on Proverbs 31. Most of the believers I have known thought Solomon wrote this proverb. It turns out that the wisdom expressed here is greater than Solomons.
King Lemuel said that his mother taught him this counsel. She used a very special way to accomplish it. If you read Proverbs 31 in the English only, you will never see it.
There are 22 verses used to describe the excellent wife, the same number of letters in the Hebrew Alephbet. In the Hebrew text, each verse of Proverbs 31:10-31 begins with the corresponding letter in the Hebrew Alephbet. This writing style is used both as a teaching method and to express a deeper wisdom. King David, the writer of Psalm 119 used the letters of the Alephbet as titles for each stanza. Each stanza illustrates a portion of Davids love for the Word of God. Proverbs 31 does the same in the context of illustrating an excellent wife.
There is some very profound wisdom being used here. The number 22 is used sparingly in Scripture. Twenty-two is the number of almond bulbs in the Menorah for the temple. These bulbs are distributed upon the branches of the menorah to represent the wisdom and judgment of the Messiah filled with the Seven Spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2). This kind of wisdom and judgment is not used to resolve a great battle for the conquest of a kingdom; instead, it is the wisdom and judgment used to lead a kingdom of peace. The parallelism of the number 22, the wisdom and judgment of the Messiahs kingdom, is equated with the excellent wife in Proverbs 31.
When a man takes a wife, he takes the first step in building his house. However, it is the wife who builds the house. She bears the children and teaches them. She teaches the son to be respectful and to be a leader. She teaches the daughter to become wives and mothers. She makes her house into a home, a pleasant place where peace and comfort reside. The wife prepares the feast and the family to enjoy it. The wife doesnt win the battles outside of the house; she wins the peace every day in the home. This is the wisdom and judgment of the Messiah in His kingdom.
With these initial thoughts in the background, let us examine the last 22 verses of the book of wisdom again as they describe the excellent wife. In particular, I want you to note the teaching of each Hebrew letter and how it adds depth and dimension to this wisdom.
To Read rest of article.
http://www.lionlamb.net/pub2004.htm
An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.
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.
Proverbs 31:10-31
A man trying to explain a woman, even his wife, is faced with a daunting task. Women are complex creatures with paradoxical attributes that leave men perplexed and confused. Maybe you have heard men lament about women. Cant live with them; cant live without them.
The first woman, Eve, seemed to have the same mystique over Adam. Why did Adam partake of the fruit that was forbidden? Answer: His wife gave it to him, and his desire to agree with his wife was stronger than his will to obey the Lord. How could Adam surrender his will so quickly for his wife? Whatever it was, men have been moved by it many times since.
There are other stories, some humorous, that try to portray this attribute of women and wives. However, there is one portion of the Scripture that transcends the problem and boldly describes the greatest qualities in women and wives. It is actually counsel given to a man to recognize and understand the best in women. This incredible wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs.
The book of Proverbs is special in the Bible, long recognized by Bible teachers. First, the book is written in a special way with the very first letter. The letter Mem is the first Hebrew letter of the book, and Biblical scribes have always made that letter enlarged just as the letter Bet is enlarged in the book of Beresheet - Genesis. Only three books in the Bible have these enlarged first letters. The third book is Song of Solomon with an enlarged Shin.
The Hebrew letter Mem means water, specifically chaotic waters. It is also an illustration of the womb. Each of us are born from the chaotic waters of a womb. We are born out of water with a soul. The womb is where our soul and flesh are first joined. Therefore, the book of Proverbs really deals with the things of our souls and how to avoid the mistakes of the flesh. This is why the book begins with the sign - the enlarged Mem.
The final Proverb, number 31, describes the excellent wife. It is the final word in the book of wisdom, but it doesnt come from the wisdom of a man. It is not a description of a perfect wife written by her husband. This final piece of wisdom comes from a Godly woman. Proverbs 31 is the teaching of a mother to her son, who happens to be a king. It is counsel fit for kings that comes from an impeccable source his mother.
The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him. Proverbs 31:1
The Proverb addresses two subjects: exercising good judgment by avoiding excessive amounts of libations and the selection of an excellent wife. Beginning in verse 10, a description of an excellent wife is given. It is not a mans definition of the perfect wife; it is a womans definition. It is his mother telling him about someone that will be greater than his own mother. It is about the most important decision of his life his wife. Now, that puts a whole new perspective on Proverbs 31. Most of the believers I have known thought Solomon wrote this proverb. It turns out that the wisdom expressed here is greater than Solomons.
King Lemuel said that his mother taught him this counsel. She used a very special way to accomplish it. If you read Proverbs 31 in the English only, you will never see it.
There are 22 verses used to describe the excellent wife, the same number of letters in the Hebrew Alephbet. In the Hebrew text, each verse of Proverbs 31:10-31 begins with the corresponding letter in the Hebrew Alephbet. This writing style is used both as a teaching method and to express a deeper wisdom. King David, the writer of Psalm 119 used the letters of the Alephbet as titles for each stanza. Each stanza illustrates a portion of Davids love for the Word of God. Proverbs 31 does the same in the context of illustrating an excellent wife.
There is some very profound wisdom being used here. The number 22 is used sparingly in Scripture. Twenty-two is the number of almond bulbs in the Menorah for the temple. These bulbs are distributed upon the branches of the menorah to represent the wisdom and judgment of the Messiah filled with the Seven Spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2). This kind of wisdom and judgment is not used to resolve a great battle for the conquest of a kingdom; instead, it is the wisdom and judgment used to lead a kingdom of peace. The parallelism of the number 22, the wisdom and judgment of the Messiahs kingdom, is equated with the excellent wife in Proverbs 31.
When a man takes a wife, he takes the first step in building his house. However, it is the wife who builds the house. She bears the children and teaches them. She teaches the son to be respectful and to be a leader. She teaches the daughter to become wives and mothers. She makes her house into a home, a pleasant place where peace and comfort reside. The wife prepares the feast and the family to enjoy it. The wife doesnt win the battles outside of the house; she wins the peace every day in the home. This is the wisdom and judgment of the Messiah in His kingdom.
With these initial thoughts in the background, let us examine the last 22 verses of the book of wisdom again as they describe the excellent wife. In particular, I want you to note the teaching of each Hebrew letter and how it adds depth and dimension to this wisdom.
To Read rest of article.
http://www.lionlamb.net/pub2004.htm
