Classic KJV - Proverbs 31:12

Remember first that this text is a poem, written as a Hebrew acrostic, where each subsequent sentence begins with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It may also rhyme in the Hebrew, but I haven’t figured that out yet. The point is this: it does not simply describe one particular woman, but presents the features of a poetically wonderful woman and wife.

A Life Long Blessing

This is her mission statement: I have been created wonderfully in God's image to be a mate and teammate for my man. My first obligation under God is the success of my husband.

She does him good all the days of her life—even before marriage. In other words, she prepares to be a proficient homemaker by learning valuable skills of household management, well before she meets her future husband. And before marriage, she keeps herself pure for him, so she avoids all physical intimacy outside of marriage.¹ Such a strategy takes real faith, and that makes her a desirable prize for any eligible man.

Her unshakeable loyalty after marriage makes divorce unthinkable. So indirectly, the text speaks to the permanence of marriage. It implies that, with such a wonderful wife, no husband in his right mind would ever want to divorce her. She will remain with him all the days of her life, as long as they both shall live, not just for the romantic honeymoon.

Diligent and Entrepreneurial

She’s not the type who talks a lot and works little. She keeps her mind and her hands busy, and has no time for idle chit-chat or gossip. Though she may have maids, she herself works as hard as her servant-girls. As every successful manager knows, effective leadership requires both forethought and the example of diligent effort.

She’s a domestic entrepreneur. Though she focusses on her family, her interests go well beyond the house itself. Before she buys a field, she first determines if it can turn a profit; is it good for farming, or is it a slough? Importantly, she plants a vineyard from her earnings, rather than using debt, external financing. She’s a developer, and not content merely to speculate on raw land. She gathers the capital, then hires the labour. She’s looking for income, as well as appreciation in the land value, since a developed property is worth more than raw land. And today, the “field” may not be agricultural, but any business venture. For my wife, it was reselling organic grains and kitchen equipment to other professional homemakers.

Anyone who thinks that a godly woman limits herself to work in the kitchen or the home itself does not have the full picture. She is aggressive and ambitious for the welfare of her entire household. She is not afraid of work.

A Champion

Olympic athletes may sometimes burn out, yet they thrive on living disciplined lives, and they start training young. Likewise, to maintain a rigorous schedule, the righteous wife keeps herself fit—achieving a lot, without running herself into the ground. She “girds herself with strength and makes her arm strong,” recognizing that strength-training is incremental, learning life-long, and that it takes time and repetition. But there’s a secret here.

The key to personal and domestic success is not in herself, but in God. This is counter-intuitive. Her domestic triumph does not come from focussing on her own strengths or weaknesses, but on the LORD, supplying both natural and supernatural blessings, and deliverance. A superwoman is not self-made, and no one can achieve what she does, day-in-and-day-out, on her own strength! No one is born a superwoman, yet every woman has the potential to become one, in the LORD.

The first step is to acknowledge our inadequacies and need for help outside ourselves. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor (beggars) in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:4). In other words, if you sense that you need help, ASK FOR IT!

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus was fully God, but also fully man.

Except for His brief Transfiguration on the mountain top (Matthew 17:2), when His radiance as God shone through, by all external appearances Jesus seemed no more than an ordinary man. Yet, Jesus was unlike any man who ever lived before or since, He because was flawless (Hebrews 4:15, John 8:46, John 19:6, Mark 7:37).

He alone is the key to becoming a true champion. As long as people seek the LORD, they do well (Isaiah 45:22, 2 Chronicles 26:5).

1. Gender Issues: The School of Issachar- a Division of Compass Call - Alberta Canada  (September 2015), by Christian Klaue