Mother’s Day! How many other countries in the world can you think of that have “Mother’s Day?” Could be England—I’m not sure, but I can’t think of any others. I read in the newspaper this last week a short article about women in Afghanistan. It is a Muslim [Moslem] country. The article said the women did not go to school—no schooling whatsoever. It said that they own no property. It said that they gave birth to children, raised the children and worked in the fields. The article went on to say that this was true in many of the Muslim [Moslem] countries. The Muslim religion may be the second largest religion in the world now. Hindu may be the number one religion in the world, and it’s the same way. Women have that status in the Hindu religion. It’s true in China. There are a few exceptions, but not many.
Isn’t it interesting that we are a country where most of our people believe in the Bible? Our laws are built upon the precepts that we find in the Bible. The Ten Commandments form the basis of some of our laws, as we well know.
I was interested in looking at the Ten Commandments again. The first four deal with God. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me…Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven images…Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…,” and the fourth one is to observe the Sabbath Day, which was the day of the Lord in the Old Testament, [see Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5].
But commandment number five is “Honour thy father and thy mother: that it might be well with thee and that thou mightest live long upon the earth,” [Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16]. We have “Father’s Day.” And we do try to honor our parents. This is probably the first basic rule of a good society. It’s the very heart of the relationship of a family. Children need to grow up respecting father and mother! Where we do not find that, we find all kinds of chaos. We’re seeing it in our country today, where even young people are killing one another, where they’re on dope [drugs] and drunk at an early age. And it’s not all their fault, because in many places the home has broken down. The home is not good about doing what it ought to do. The father and mother have not assumed the roles that the Bible says that they should occupy.
Kim Merewether read to us a while ago from Proverbs, the 31st chapter, [verses 10 through 31]. That chapter is a puzzle to us, as Bible students, in many ways. The reason is that Solomon wrote all of Proverbs except maybe these last few chapters. We don’t know who Agur was [who apparently wrote Proverbs, chapter 30], and we certainly don’t know who King Lemuel was [who apparently wrote Proverbs, chapter 31]. One of the books that I read this past week said that probably Solomon wrote this these chapters and attributed gave the credit to another the writing to someone else. At any rate, they were always in the Old Testament and certainly they were in our Bible when our New Testament joined the Old Testament. And it’s good advice! But not only is it good advice, it’s a beautiful passage and a tribute to a MOTHER!
I don’t know of anything that’s ever been written that’s better than this! It not only gives you good factual information, but it’s said in a beautiful way so that it honors a mother. Think what we have here in our country compared to having been born in one of these other countries. Our country today is observing what we call “Mother’s Day.” We’re trying to honor them. I appreciate that. I’m always glad when our country does anything that can increase or aid our spirituality, or help us obey God!
I want to read that passage again. I’m reading it in a different translation from what Kim read. This is the Old Revised Standard Version of the Bible. We’ll start with verse 10:
[Proverbs 31:10-31 - Revised Standard Version of the Bible: ]
10 A good wife, who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not harm all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool, and flax, and works with willing hands.
14 She’s like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and tasks for her maidens.
16 She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds her loins with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable: her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff [a staff/stick/rod for holding the flax or wool in spinning], and her hands hold the spindle [a round stick with tapered ends used to form and twist the yarn in hand spinning].
20 She opens her hand to the poor; and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She’s not afraid of snow for her household: for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments, and sells them; she delivers girdles to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing; and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom; and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
29 Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
I don’t believe that there’s any finer tribute to a woman, and especially to a mother, than that! Solomon died, we think, in the year 931 Before Christ [BC]. You know, this passage we just read is a little bit older than three thousand years. You know, we have a few of the writings of the Greek philosophers—Plato, Aristotle, Euripides, some of those—and we treasure those writings. But they were written about 450 years Before Christ [BC]. You know, we have Shakespeare—about 430 years ago. What we’re looking at here was written over three thousand years ago!
What does it say to us? It says to us what God had in mind all along! He wanted the woman to be honored, and not treated like a lot of the ancient countries did—as if she was nothing! He does not want her treated like a lot of the countries are doing today that do not have the Bible. The woman is to be revered and loved and honored. Our Bible shows us how we can do it. Our Lord certainly did it. The Scriptures of the New Testament certainly bear out the same principle that we are to honor our father and mother, just like the Ten Commandments said…“That it might be well with thee, and thou might live long upon the earth,”[Exodus 20:12].
Do things go well when we try to do the Will of God? Certainly they do! He didn’t plan anything for us that would hurt us. He’s our Father! He didn’t require anything of us that would damage us, or damage others. He loves the whole human family. He wants them to get along! “Thou shall not kill…Thou shall not steal…Thou shall not bear false witness…Thou shall not commit adultery…Thou shall not covet,” [see Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5]. Those statements are so simple, but they are so far reaching in their effect.
We are thinking about mothers today, not only because our country has designated this day as “Mother’s Day,” but as Christians, as followers of the Lord, as servants of God, we think of our mothers (and our fathers) on more than one appointed day out of the year. When you analyze what is said here in these ancient terms and phrases, and you translate them into modern terms and phrases, you can see the wisdom of what was written. This is good, not only to praise a mother, but it’s good for the whole family.
I’ve divided up the verses 10 through 31…and incidentally, that’s what is called an acrostic. The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. When an author started every little paragraph with one of those letters, like A, B, C, D, etc., in our language, it was a beautiful, narrative poem. An acrostic was a beautiful way of putting together something that people could remember! And that’s the idea. The writer wanted these people to remember all of these qualities concerning a mother.
So the first thing that he said is, “A virtuous woman, who can find…” Well, he talks about her, and her husband. He talks about her, and her children. And he talks about her and her qualities—her virtues, her nature.
Look at the first section—her and her husband. “The heart of her husband trusts in her.” You know, trust is faith, but it’s part of love. You couldn’t love someone you didn’t trust. But, you know, trust is built! You don’t just turn it on and turn it off. Trust is earned. It comes from having conversation; it comes from living together, seeing, observing and following. So he learns to trust her by the manner of her life. He learns to trust her by what she has said. She’s always truthful. She’s always kind. He knows that she is always seeking to do what is best for him. This is a good wife!
“He will have no lack of gain.” It literally means that she doesn’t spend everything. She helps with the household expenses, and it’s going to show that in the rest of what the writer has to say.
“She does him good and not harm all the days of his life.” Her husband is “known in the gates.” The gates were the common meeting place of the men of the city. As they met there, he would be honored because they knew who his wife was and what she did for him.
Well, we are looking at this woman as a wife. Of course, the idea of a virtuous woman is indicating someone of highest character. That’s really what the Bible wants to convey to us. Here’s a woman that’s not just a woman. Here’s a woman with character. She knows Who God is; she knows who her husband is; she knows who her family is; she knows what life’s all about. And she lives a life that’s characteristic of someone who knows—who has the knowledge. She’s a support to her husband. He’s known in the gates. The whole town knows who he is, and who she is. They realize that he is who he is because of the help that she’s given him.
Now, you can see how practical this is because this is how it is today. I’ve known many men that would not be anything without their wife. The wife made that man what he was. That’s the thing that the Bible is speaking about here. It says she does him good and not harm all the days of his life. Isn’t that a beautiful thing? We have seen marriages break up and both parties tried to do all the harm and meanness they could to each other. That’s really not in the Bible. It’s not God’s way. It says her husband is known in the gates. She has built an honorable character for him just like she has for herself.
Then the writer shifts to the idea of the whole household, the children as well as the husband. She’s not afraid of the snow for her household. What does that mean? She works hard no matter how cold it is, how hard or how difficult it is, for her household. She wants to make sure that they’re all right.
And so our old translation says that they “are clothed in scarlet.” Well, that would be expensive clothing. But we now think that the word in the ancient language literally meant double layers. Now, it ties in with what the idea of snow was. She clothes her family, so she has no fear of the snow. They’ve got on “double layers.” I think that’s probably what this means.
She makes herself coverings. It’s talking about outer garments, mainly—fine linen and purple. Purple, even in New Testament times, was that purple dye that came from the murex, which was a shellfish. And it was very rare! Lydia [Acts 16:14-15] was a seller of purple. It was a very expensive dye. Consequently, you only put it on the most expensive of cloth. So, anyone who was dressed in linen and purple, they were at the “top of the list”.
“She delivers girdles to the merchant.” [There is a little laughter here because of the meaning of “girdles” today.] Cross out in your mind what you think a “girdle” is. [The congregation laughs.] It is just a tie around the waist. It was a large belt. And that was the word “girdle”—to gird up, to tighten up, you see.
And verse 27 says, “She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Isn’t that a beautiful way to describe it? Here’s someone who exists, and her bread is not laziness. She always helps out her family.
Verse 13, “She works with willing hands.”She doesn’t begrudge the work that she does for her husband and for her children! She enjoys doing it. She’s willing to do it. And so, in a very beautiful, poetic way, the writer says she works with willing hands.
Verse 15 says, “She rises up while it is yet night, and provides food for her household.” Rises up while it is yet night. Well, her days are long, but it’s her household that she’s concerned about.
And now, the writer turns to her personally. And he is describing her strong character—a virtuous woman. Well, this word is used four times in the Old Testament. It’s used in Proverbs 12, verse 4. It’s used in two different verses here in chapter 31 of Proverbs—verse 10 and verse 29. It’s used in the book of Ruth. Isn’t that a beautiful story? That whole book of Ruth is about a beautiful, wonderful woman of God. She was a Moabitess. She converted over to worshipping Jehovah. And so it describes Ruth as a virtuous woman.
It says here concerning this woman, verse 16, “She considers a field, and buys it.” Now, we must not think that all of the time women in the Middle East or Eastern countries were put down where they had no ability, no idea of business! This shows that she was a business woman!
“She girds her loins with strength, and makes her arms strong.” “She works with her hands.” And one translation says, “It was the delight of her hands to work.” Isn’t that a beautiful way to describe it? “This is NOT the spa or a weight room!” (I put that note in so we could clear that up today!) Her arms are strong because of her work, not because of the way she wants to look.
“She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.” She not only does well for her own household, but she’s generous toward those that are her neighbors—those with whom she comes in contact. It is great that she has a concern for her fellow human beings.
And I love this: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” You know, our clothing is what people see most. They get an idea of who we are by what we wear. They got an idea of who she was, because strength and dignity is what she wore all the time, just like clothes. “She laughs a the time to come.” She has no fear of the future.
Verse 26, “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Faithful instruction? What do you think her family got? What kind of advice did her husband get from her?
And then I come to verses 30 and 31, and these are the last few verses. “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain.” Charm may get people to do something for you. But someone may not love you and they may deceive you into doing something, or make you think that you are very important to them by trying to charm you. So the writer says that you can’t always depend upon charm. And what about beauty? You grow older and older every day. Our beauty is vain (or empty) because it’s not going to last.
“But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” [Ecclesiastes 12:13]. Isn’t that a beautiful thought? It’s not “fear” from the standpoint of a slave that’s afraid that he’s going to get a beating. But it means respect. It’s the kind of respect a child has for parents. She has that kind of respect for GOD! That’s the kind of “fear” (respect) that the writer is speaking of.
“But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” She’s to be held in honor. She’s someone you want to emulate. She’s one that EVERYONE looks up to.
And then the writer says, “Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” What has her life produced? Give it to her—everything she’s worked for. Let it follow behind her as she goes on in life, and as she dies and leaves her mate. Isn’t that an interesting and a beautiful way to put it?
“A virtuous woman, who can find? for her price is far above rubies,” says the old King James Translation of the Bible. Dear friends, this crowd is made up, by in large, of those who are in love with the Lord. And I’m confident that everyone here, in one way or another, wants to honor God, and love God, and do God’s Will. And I’m confident that you’re here today thinking about your Mother, if she’s alive; or thinking about her, if she’s gone. In your heart, you want to honor her. That’s a noble, noble thing! We don’t do this on just one day a year. But this one day helps us to think about it, and to focus on the fact that this is a Bible principle! We all had, or have, a mother. We all had, or have, a father. And this was God’s plan for us to get here in the world. It’s His plan for the world to go on—father and mother, son and daughter. We don’t want to hate anybody! We don’t want to HURT anybody! We want to fear God and keep His commandments. We want to love God, we want to love our neighbor and we want to honor father and mother. This day, let’s make our father or mother a promise that we’ll honor them as long as they live, and we’ll love them as long as they live. There are many, many good, good mothers in this crowd, I know. We’re paying tribute to you, and God wants us to. May you live long upon the earth, and may the Lord bless you richly.