A Godly Woman (Proverbs 31:10-31)

[Judy McKenna]

Oh my goodness... didn't our grandmothers have it tough without the convemiences that we have!

Marilyn - I've never heard of that version of the Bible that you mentioned earlier.

Have you a "Message Bible"?  I gave my son one for Christmas.  I must remember to ask him how he likes it!

[Marilyn]

Yes Judy I am reading through The Mesage bible this year. I also hve the following
King James
New century Version,
NIV
A parrellel with the KJV and the New Living Bible
NASB (New American Standard Bible)
NKJV

[joyce robson]

Wow, what great postings...

Trying to digest it all.

Hey, Marilyn, hurry up and post again--don't like the number on your postings above.

[Marilyn]

Joyce what do you mean by "I  don't like the number on your Ppost.? What number.

In going backand reading over the posts here, I can't believe I wrote with such depth, it had to be God that put it in my thought.

Pat when are we going on to the next verses.

Marilyn

Edit I just dawned on me I'll bet the number of my posts at that time was 666. Right Joyce???

[Pat]

Yes, it was 666 Marilyn.  HAHAHAHA!  


Yes, let's go on to the next verse now.  I'll go and get them and put them in here so that they will be in front of us.

[Pat]

Before we do go on though, have you all had a look at the quilt in our Hooks and Needles area of the forums that Ruth Gray sent?

I think that this is a wonderful expression of a lady's characteristic of being "Industrious" don't you think?  Here's a link to it...  Grandma Ribbel's Quilt.  She didn't have the money for a bill so charged people 25 cents per name to embroider the names on a quilt to get the money to pay the dentist/doctor or whatever it was!  I really was touched by this.

[Pat]

So far, we've come up with these characteristics of a Godly woman as set out in Proverbs 31:

• Trustworthy  (vs. 11)
  She is the kind of woman/mother/person/wife that God wants her to be.
  
  
• Encourager  (vs. 11-12)
  I'm sure that in this point, a godly woman would be a person who would encourage her whole family and would understand just what the needs of the family members are.
  
  
• Industrious  (vs. 13-17)
  Our Godly woman works hard to benefit family and friends.
  
  
  

Now let's move on to verse 15...

King James Version

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.



New King James Version

She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.


NIV

She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

[Marilyn]

She gets up while it is still dark and prepares food for her family and feeds her servant girls.  NC

She rises early to prepare the food for the family and her servants. She thinks of her family and others first. This is certainly an attribute we should all seek for. She is humble and thoughtful.

In verses 13-17 we covered this didn't we?

[Pat]

Yes, sort of...  I thought that we could go back and do just verse 15

Maybe we've finished this section.

We'll wait a little while to see if others have any ideas.

[Sonifo]

Pat, are you trying to tell me something?  I don't get up when it is nite.  I don't even go to bed at nite, I go to bed in the morning.  hehehe...Is this a bad thing.  My husband and I like our nitetime to spend time together since he gets home so late.  

Believe it or not I used to get up before 7:00 and go for walks or rollerblade.  I might start that back up when it gets warmer.  

[Pat]

LOL...  Nope, Sonja...  not trying to tell you a single thing!  

I guess what the scripture is telling us is that we as godly Christian women have our priorities in order.  I guess a good word to describe this would be "disciplined".

[mieka]

  Is it more different to try to be a Godly woman, if you do not have a husband and children?

[Pat]

I wouldn't think so, Mieka.  I would just say that as a single person, you'd have different priorities.  

It's still so important to be a godly woman no matter if you're married or single.

[Pat]

Well, let's look at verses 24 to 27.

Proverbs 31
24She makes linen garments and sells them,
       And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25Strength and honor are her clothing;
       She shall rejoice in time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
       And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She watches over the ways of her household,
       And does not eat the bread of idleness. [/list]

[Marilyn]

Strength and Honor. The godly woman, is strong in the Lord getting strength from Him through prayer and supplication. She knows that God is in control of all things. Life and death. Good and bad. Success and calamity, will all be worked out by God for the good of his children. She has this faith in her heart and nothing will deter her from her faith in God.

Wisdom and kindness. She is so secure in her love of God and the wisdom that he has given to her in all things. She has the peace of God that transcends all understanding and therefore thewisdom and kindness that flows forth from her lips and in her actions has been planted the by her Father in Heaven, she uses it wisely.

Watching over the ways of her family she sees to it that each family member and her servants remain true to their God, and teaches them all to revere Him and walk in his ways. She does not spend idle time gossiping of getting into other peoples affairs but tends to her family and her God.

[Pat]

Thanks Marilyn for your post.

Now, we'll wait a little longer and see if Sonja comes in.

[Sonifo]

ok..I need to work on some things in my life.  Good things don't always come out of this mouth.  I am a little sassy.  

I don't understand the honor part?  Could you elaberate.

[Pat]

My understanding on these verses would be that our woman is not lazy.  She is always keeping busy and does what is needed to provide the proper kind of environment for her household.

[Marilyn]

I totally agree Pat. Did I get too verbose in my "interpetation?" Rather my understanding of the verses. Did you want to explain '"honor" to Sonja?

[Pat]

I thought you would, Marilyn!  

Well, I looked up the word and I get this:

• To hold in respect; esteem.
  
• To show respect for.

So, that is how I felt for Jack.   I respected him.

Is that what you meant, Marilyn?  That we should respect our husbands?  If so, I would agree with that entirely.

[Marilyn]

Yes that's what I meant. Are we following each other around the forums or what.? ;DI read one post and go back to the index and you have answered the last of my posts already.

[Sonifo]

ok I get it know..Strength and honor are her clothing.  We should always honor or husbands and others around us.  It is as important as wearing cloths.  Sorry I need to keep up with you girls.  

So far I have learned that keeping the house together for the family is very important.  I need to stucture and organize things to keep the house running smoothly.  I must honor my husband and be kind and say word with a kind tongue.  I must not let anger and frustration get the better of me.
How am I doing?

[Pat]

What a busy few days I've had!  I'm sorry about not getting back here.  Running back and forth to Hamilton with my neighbour to the Regional Cancer Centre has been a trying experience for me but important to do.  Yesterday I went to the dialysis unit as well and saw so many of the patients and staff from when Jack was going there.  Many tears.




Now, back to our study...

Sonja, I think that you are doing a wonderful job with your family from what I have read and learned both here on CP and on DPC in your lovely family photos.

Your children seem to honor you and so does Mike and that comes from you honoring them I feel.



Let's move on...

I think we've almost finished this little study.

I think that in verse 18, we learn that a Godly woman makes wise use of money.  That's true in our modern day life, don't you think?

Let's look at verse 26

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

Comments?

[Marilyn]

I think it is extremely important in this day and age, to be very careful with our money. I for one find that at times I squander more than I should and then cut back on the things that I really need. Doing things backwards I think.

In this verse She opens her mouth with wisdom.==She doesn't paricipate in idle words, but uses wisdom when she speaks to others. In other words she weighs what she is about to say so that no negativity comes forth.


On her tongue is the law of kindness==In the NCV it says "She teaches others to be kind." To me though it means that she speaks kind words, ie,1. What a lovely new hairstyle you are wearing today. 2. would you mind letting me help you today? 3.May I show you how to do that? She is kind to everyone, friends,husband, children, servants.

We have to so careful about our words. We have been studying on Words in the last 5 Bible studies. Our thoughtless words can be condemning ever to our own lives. and We can hurt someone worse with words than  any other way.



Sonja: you are doing just great.

[Sonifo]

Let's look at verse 26

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

I think you were right, Marilyn we should say those things but I also think we shoud be wise in our choice of words when talking with other women.  I know from my own exsperience that women get together and start to spread rumors.  I try so hard not to be a part of it and actually will stick up for the other and usually it will stop while I am there anyway.  It is so easy to get caught up in others affairs.  

I also think that when we are disiplining our children we should use the correct words and wisdom God has given us to punish them in the way He thinks is right.  It is so easy to yell and say go to your room to the children but God wants us to go further...He wants us to sit and discuss the reasoning why what they did was wrong.  And give them the understanding of why they shouldnt do it or help them to change their bad ways.
Any mother can yell at the kids but only a wise mother will guide her child to make the right choices.

[Pat]

What a wise post, Sonja!  

It's so important that we don't gossip.  It's easy to get caught up in it as you say when we get together with others.   And speaking to our children and disciplining them correctly is also very important.  I was guilty over the early years of doing my share of speaking loudly to the children and now I'm so sorry about this.  I'm glad I found out from some Christian ladies that this was not the correct way to discipline.  Choosing our words very carefully is so important.

[Marilyn]

I too am guilty of yelling at my kids. I don't think I knew any better at that time.

About the gossip and rumors, Since I have been a Christian I have tried to avoid those kinds oif things. I had a friend that was very bad about talking about others, I would tell her I didn't want to hear I. Finally she got real upset withme and told me "Marilyn you never want to hear anything bad about anyone. " My reply was "that's right so don't tell me anything". That was one of the reasons the friendship ended, plus that she went to church and was telling lies about me saying that I told her all the things she was trying to tell me. No one believed her because theyknew what she was like. So she sopped coming to our church and went someplace else.

[Marilyn]

Are we ready for the next verse yet?

27.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28.  Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her saying:
29.  "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."   NAS

Pat: I hope it was okay to post these 3 verses.

[Kathy]

That means she's not LAZY ?   and looks after her family.  

May God forgive me of so many things that I am not, or have not been.  I, too, see so many ways that I failed and wish I could go back and start over...but that is not to be.
Each day is a new day..I can only ask forgiveness and go on.

I just came here today and am glad I got in on the end of this "Godly Woman".  All of you have some great ideas.

The last two verses are beautiful and such a testimony to a Godly Woman.

[Pat]

Kathy, great to see you here.  

It's true that as we look back in our lives, we see so many things that if we were to do things over, we'd certainly do them differently!  I know that's true of my life.  Many big areas of my life I'd surely change.



Our picture of this Godly woman I think would suggest too that she doesn't neglect one thing or one person in order to take care of another.  She always has the "big picture" in mind.

She's kind.  She only speaks what is profitable to others.

But I would suggest too that the last verse (28) tells us that she's appreciated by her family.  She is blessed because she is a God-fearing woman.

Psalm 128:1 says, "Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways."[/i]