Heroines of Faith
NOBLE CHARACTER
The Noble Messianic Community
The Bride of the Messiah is called to be of noble character like the woman of Proverbs 31.
Today there is no shortage of lists. Top 10 Favorites Lists; the Best and Worst Lists. There are lists of achievement and lists of vices. While there is nothing new in all these lists, still, sometimes how we examine them leads to new insights.
The common misconception is that with technology we have gotten better at multitasking; that thanks to technology we are able to do work on multiple items at the same time. Recent research has shown that we are not good at multitasking and in fact we fall short of the high opinion we have of ourselves regarding multitasking. Data from recent research shows we actually switch from task to task in a quick fashion paying little bits of time to each task never really doing anything well but doing a mediocre job on all the tasks. In other words, we take longer but complete multiple average activities at the same time.
The Bible has many lists; some are hanging on walls, like the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20. We consider it to be a good and favorable list, and we have something in common with others who share the same positive view of it.
Another list we look favorably upon is found in Romans 12:9-19. This list gives all the ways love can be good and how it is put into practice, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rom. 12:9-19, NIV11).
However, for many reasons the Proverbs 31 list is love/hate, especially with most women. These verses are more than just a "To Do List"; they are an Achievements list. Achievements take more effort and have measureable results. Achievements take much more time than accomplishing daily tasks such as answering email or sending text messages while standing in line at a coffee shop.
Who is the Wife of Noble Character?
The Beatles famous song says, "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love". In some way they are paraphrasing Proverbs 31:10, "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."
What makes a wife have a noble character is not the flowing list of accomplishments in verses 11-27. If you are hoping that you made the right choice and that your wife is of noble character by measuring her achievement to Proverbs 31, then you are treating these verses as a "To Do List" and you have things all backwards. Notice the noble character is already there in the wife. Because of her Character she has accomplished the achievements, not the other way around.
As you progress through the verses we find the wife fulfills two roles that can be carried out in a noble way. The first role involves her husband i.e. the center of her world. In this world she has her husband's heart and the husband has no lack of gain. It's an interesting contrast where she is compared to be worth more than money and yet the husband does not lack anything of value. Our treasure is not in things made by man. Our treasure is in someone made by God. God made Adam and Eve and the world cannot compete with His creations. Don't chase the world when you have what God creates. Read Proverbs 18:22, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD."
The second role involves the investment she puts in her children and her dealings with the poor and needy. Imagine looking at a mother's hands that have changed from the years of washing dishes, peeling potatoes, cooking, cleaning, shopping, mending clothing, putting toys together, holding children, knitting, watching, listening, etc. The Bible does not describe the noble woman's hands but they have character written all over them.
A woman's hands are not idle, but instead are busy and worn. Her meals are known and loved at the potluck meals. Her kind words lift other's spirits with a message of hope.
The Messianic Community as the Bride
We, the Body, both male and female, are called the "bride of Yeshua" (Eph. 5:25-27). We are called to be of noble character. Proverbs 31 is applicable in context to what the Body of followers of Yeshua should accomplish. Look at your hands and ask do the hands of the members of your assembly look new and soft like a baby's hands, or do they look like the hands of your oldest member who has worked hard.
We are all called to spread the Good Message, the one of hope and reconciliation, the one of the love of God. God has entrusted us to be His hands here on earth and we are to do good and not evil. We should be full of the joy of the Lord, (Neh. 8:10), being renewed to work as needed day or night for the kingdom. We are called to be more than reactive. We are called to be proactive in our tasks, thinking ahead, preparing for what we know is coming. We may have lost heart while waiting for the bridegroom. However, He will come and the question to ask yourself is this: have I prepared, do I have extra oil? Or, am I hoping for someone else to share oil with me? The time is now to reach out to the poor and needy. Only you can make that difference in another person's life.
As we look outside of our home to the work ahead, we can accomplish all things because we have prepared inside our home first. We don't have to worry about the brothers and sisters in the body when snow and winter comes because we have already prepared clothing for them. This is the proactive forward thinking "wife" (Messianic Body) where strength and dignity are her clothing. It is what others see. The World is looking at our achievements to hear us able to speak wisdom and faithful instruction. For us to know what to say to the World we must study the Word.
The fear of The Lord is to be praised. Start praising wives; wives praise your children and husbands. Church start lifting up your members to the calling they have been given.
Start up your engines because the race began a long time ago; the bridegroom values us more than rubies.
