Genesis 2:18-25

Speaker 1: Amen, Thank you for that. if you have them and turn to the book of Genesis. Genesis, chapter number two. And then if you find your place there, you can go ahead and hold up. We're going to start in Genesis two, but then we're gonna make our way to Proverbs thirty one. So Genesis two and then Proverbs thirty one. And as you find your place in those two places, would you mind join me in standing in honor of reading God's word? Genesis Chapter two. We'll read there, and then once we sit down, you can go back to Proverbs 31. Bible says in verse number 15, Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it, Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree in the garden, Thou mans freely eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Thou shalt not. If it were in the day the Dow ends thereof, thou shall surely die. Oh, Lord, God said it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help me for him out of the ground. The Lord God formed every beast of the field and every foul of the air and brought them under Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever. Adam called every little living creature that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle into the fall of the air every beasts of the field. But for Adam, there was not found and help meet for him. Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead there of and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man made him a woman and brought her on to the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave under his wife and they shall be one flesh? They were both naked, the man and his wife. And we're not ashamed. Let's pray, Lord, I ask you to help us now as we look into your word. I pray that you give me the words. You'd have me to say you, the folks that are here to listen and apply to hear their lives for in Jesus name. I pray. Amen. Thank you. May be seated. So as you're seated, if you've already found your place in Proverbs 31, you can go ahead and flip on over there. The reason we read Genesis Chapter two is because obviously Adam and Eve, the very first marriage, a marriage that was instituted by God it was put together by God, is the ultimate matchmaker there in the Garden of Eden. Eve was made specifically for Adam. As we've said before, Eve and Adam were the same. There were also different. They're different in so many ways. Physically, obviously different emotionally, they're different, intellectually, they're different. And yet, as Adam went through the garden, went through creation, there was not a counterpart that was found that was appropriate for him until God made it. Last week, we looked at the special role that the man or a husband plays in a godly Christian home. We said that the role between a man and a wife are complementary of one another. Just as our duty as wedded couples is to demonstrate and display the gospel to our children and to the lost world around us. It is also our duty as male and female to accurately portray different characteristics of God. And so last week, we talked about some of the characteristics that God expects a godly man to portray. And we went to the book of First Timothy and looked at the qualifications of a deacon. And we said at that time that although not every man is a deacon, these qualifications should be seen in every man. These are qualifications of a godly leader. And so we looked at that last week and was standing out in the foyer just saying goodbye to people, as I typically do, and brother Jim and Miss Livonia were leaving and missiles on you came up to me. And she said, Pastor, I really enjoyed that message. That was so good. And I said, Well, thank you, Miss Livonia. I appreciate that like, but we're not going to be here next week. And I thought she was joking with me, brother Jimmy, I thought she figured if it was them in one week, it'd be the women next week. And she didn't want any part of that. So it was good when it was for brother Jim. But this Livonia said, I don't need this. And you can see they're not here tonight. She told me they were going to be out of town. So anyway, she's not ducking out just because of the subject matter. But many of you are familiar with the Bible enough that, you know, when I say Proverbs 31, you already kind of have an idea of what we're going to be talking about. But I love Proverbs 31, because Proverbs 31 is the what is the antithesis of what the world accuses Christianity of wanting women to be like. I was I was listening to a podcast about the Dallas Cowboys, and you're like, Oh great, here we go again. More Dallas Cowboys talk Hey, we won Sunday night. Not saying we're going to the Super Bowl, but, you know, it's looking pretty good. Anyways, I was listening to the Dallas Cowboys and there was a commercial that came on the podcast about the untold stories of common household items. I thought, Well, this sounds interesting. You know, when they were advertising talking about the vacuum cleaner and the toaster, and they were going to detail the history of these common household appliances. Now, doesn't that sound fascinating to you? You're like, wow, your threshold for entertainment is really low. Well, it was a long drive, so I thought I'd listen to it, so I flipped on over to it and the first episode was about the doorbell. I thought it was going to be interesting and I should have known it's a it's an NPR publication. National Public Radio. I not exactly a friend to Christians. And so basically, they were talking about the patriarchy and how really the American house is designed based on Christian principles. Did you know that your house is designed based on Christian principles? It's the weirdest thing I never heard anything like to my life and how it was designed so that the man could leave and go to work and and the wife would stay home and take care of the house and she'd never leave. And she was just expected to stay at home and the doorbell was to, you know, protect her so that she would know someone was at the door and all this other stuff. And I was like, This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard. This is nothing like what I thought I was getting myself into. So anyways, I turned it off. I didn't finish it. I don't know if it got better or worse. I just what was done, OK? Because that's not that's not at all what Christian principles say about womanhood or about what the role of a wife is in a home. And it's sad to me, although I understand it's sad to me that our culture in our society has such a. Twisted or. I know this is an accurate way of saying it, a perverted view of what the Bible actually says about the role of a wife and a home. And unfortunately, because you and I are so inundated with culture and society, I think sometimes you and I start to buy into this. I've said this before, but when I was a youth pastor, we did a A World Views study, and as we entered into this world you study, this is at the academy. There are all of the the students took a test to determine their worldview. And there are a lot of different worldview options. There's a Christian worldview and atheistic worldview, a Muslim worldview, humanistic worldview, all these different options. Did you know that over 70 percent of Christian school students hold a humanistic worldview and they don't even realize it? 70 percent, over 70 percent. Humanists, these are kids who go to church three times a week. These are kids that are going chapel to chapel twice a week. These are kids that are sitting in Bible class every day. And they've got a humanistic worldview. Human, central, human centered worldview. So if they can be in in fact, it is what I was going to say, I guess that works. If they can be infected with the culture, isn't it possible that you and I can be infected by our culture, that we might be holding secular world views and ideas and not even realize it? I think it is possible. And so that's why I think it's very needful and useful for us to take a look tonight at Proverbs 31, a study that probably most of the women in this room have looked at before. But men, if we can be honest, we might not have given Proverbs 31 a whole lot of thought because after all, it's all about women. So what's the point of us reading it? Matt asked me before the service, I know he was joking because like, you tell him to submit to their husbands tonight, aren't you? Now. You know, that verse, we're not going to go there tonight, but we are going to look at Proverbs 31 because it is specifically addressed to married women and their role in their home, in society and to their husband. And so, as I've said before, if you have a problem with any of this. Take it up with God. I didn't write the book. I'm just going to tell you what it says, but the first thing I want you to see in Proverbs chapter thirty one. Let me go ahead and read it, and then we'll back up and go through it, says the verse number 10, which is where we'll start, says who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies. Bible just devalues women. It's so, so insulting to women. The Bible says a virtuous woman is a rare commodity and that her value is far above rubies. Doesn't sound like the Bible's devaluing womanhood to me. Part of her husband, unsafely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil, she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life, she seek Keith wool and flax and work is willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant ships she bring with her food from afar. She rides it. Also, that doesn't mean she burnt the food. You know you're bringing her food from afar. You raise it also, while it is yet night and give it meat to her household and a portion to her maidens, she consider the field and bathe it with the fruit of her hands. She planted the vineyard. She girded their loins, a strength, strengthening her arms. She perceive that her merchandise is good. Her candle go with not out. By night, she let her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaff. She stretches out her hand to the poor. Yeah, she reaches forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow, her household for all her household, her clothes with scarlet, she make it cover herself. Coverings of tapestry. Her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sit among the elders of the land. She make a fine linen and sell it it and deliver it girdles under the merchant strength and on her or her clothing. And she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She look as well to the ways of her household and Edith, not the bread of idleness. Her children, her rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also. He prays with her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excell us them all favor is deceitful. Beauty is vain. But a woman that peer at the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, let her own works, praise her in the gates. There's some good stuff here. I'm excited to get into it versus 10 to 13, the first thing that we see is the virtuous woman's relationship with her husband. Marriage is a team effort. You know, sometimes when people come to camp for counseling, we talk about the fact that it takes two, it takes two to make things work and it takes two to tear things down. But it does. It takes two. And so the virtuous woman that let me well is the author here. Let me well, is going to describe the virtuous woman represents one of the most valuable treasures on the Earth. The phrase that starts this passage, which says who can find may apply to scarcity, and it most certainly almost certainly does. But as one author pointed out, it can also apply to willingness to look for things like Who can find me a stick of gum? Well, Prime Minister Kim. I don't actually need him as Paula, thank you, I see you. She's got it ready to go. It can be who can find because they're they're scarce, but also to me, who can find because nobody seems to be looking. Now I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a little frustrated with young adults and teenagers based on the people that they chase after for a relationship. I'm like, Are you kidding me? You really think our relationship with this person is worthwhile? So some of the problem is that it is scarce a scarcity. But the other problem is that some people just aren't willing to look for these things. But who can find a virtuous woman? Her price is far above what rubies the woman of these versus is an invaluable asset to her family. Now, if you're sitting here thinking, well, maybe you were already married and you're grateful for your virtuous woman. Look. The really slow guys. But maybe you're sitting here and you're single. All right. I have to warn you. Weak man or an insecure man is not deserving, deserving of a virtuous woman because the virtuous woman is strong, smart and capable. She is just as likely to drag you along with her as as anything else you see. The virtuous woman, as we'll see, is not locked in the house waiting to serve her husband. Instead, she is busy advancing the prospects of her family. Now, that's not exactly what's fits with what culture says, we believe. Bible tells us that. The virtuous woman, her husband is confident in her and in her abilities. The Bible says the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall not so that he shall have no need of spoil. Now, if you remember last week we talked about the fact that a godly man, a godly leader, will not be given to filthy lucre. Remember that filthy game a game that causes him to abandon his morals or his family or his god? The godly man he doesn't chase after filthy lucre, but we see a counterpart here in that the godly woman makes it possible for her husband to not chase after filthy lucre. That's what he's saying here when it says that he shall have no need of spoil the the godly man married to a godly woman trusts his wife. He knows that she is on his side and by his side for the good of the family. She is not a detractor, nor is she a liability. But because of her resourcefulness, she is promoting the family and the family's goals. You see, he doesn't have to go and try and gain spoils in order for them to do well. He doesn't have to chase after filthy lucre because she is helping to manage the family's direction. If you ever heard some complain about their wife's shopping. Now you get quiet. Complaining about how much their wife spends on certain things. How much it costs for different upkeep that they may avail themselves to. Air appointments. Nail appointments, shopping appointments. That's a pretty cheap source of comedy. At the expense of your wife. When do you think? I mean, how would you like it, man? She's going around saying, you know, how lazy my husband is. Not a deadbeat I'm married to and get a load of this fun. We wouldn't like that. So why do you think it's OK to make fun of our wives spending habits? Virtuous woman, there's no need for that. A godly woman. The Bible says we'll display the type of teamwork and virtue that is required for a healthy marriage on a consistent basis. It says in verse number 12 that she will do him good and not evil. On a few days a year that she decides to. Now there's all the days of her life. There's something to be said for consistency in marriage. Consistency is what is needed. You can't just be good for a little while and rotten for a little while and good for a little while and writing for a little while and expect that everything is just going to keep going well in your home. I mean, let's apply that to a couple of different scenarios. You think your marriage is going to succeed and be healthy if you're faithful for a little while and unfaithful for a little while and faithful for a little while? No. I mean, how does your body do when you go a few days eating and you go a few days not eating and go a few days eating like that, does your body appreciate that? Usually not. The virtuous woman does good to her husband all the days of her life. That's the first couple of verses there she's she is on her husband's team, they are working together, they are promoting the family's goals and agenda equally, and it's a complementary relationship. Starting in the summer 13, though, we see a little bit of a shift in and let me Well's words here where he he has looked at the virtuous wife and her husband in kind of an introductory way. But the majority of his his text here is going to deal with the virtuous woman and her business, the virtuous woman and her business, her her, her economical or her her economic exploits, I guess you could say. And so let me, well, is going to detail the virtuous woman's business role in an ascending manner. Basically, he's going to show how she starts small with with something little and she grows it into something big. And we'll see this very clearly in the first verse. And then in the last verse, big successes must come from consistency in the small tasks. And this is what the virtuous woman understands. She she has a goal, she has a dream for what she wants to achieve, what she wants to experience in the future. But she knows that in order to achieve the big dream, the big goal, it's going to require a lot of small, consistent successes. And so the first thing I want you to notice in verse number 13 is that she is seeking out some common items, some baser materials not fancy, not luxurious. The Bible says she is looking for wool and flax wool and flax notice. She's having to look for these things. She's seeking them out. They're not readily available. It takes some, some ingenuity to find these things. She has no servants. Any produce that will come from her efforts must come from the labor of her own hands, which is what verse number 13 says she is. Wool and flax, and work will willingly help with her hands. She's not afraid to to get her hands dirty. She's not afraid to to do the hard work, the labor that is required to to grow this business. But she does this, according to the verse, willingly. This is not a situation where her man comes in and says, Hey, honey, we're running low on funds. You're going to have to get a job. You know, things are kind of tight. You're going have to go back to work. This is just something that she comes up with on her own. The the the service that she is performing here is not coerced or forced. Her industriousness springs from within herself and a desire to better her family. There's a bit of what's the word that I'm looking for when you see something and no one has to tell you to do it, just do it. Initiative. He's taking the initiative. She sees a need and she's going to fill that need. Women are often much more observant than men. Right. Yes. That's why many, many times I'll run something by my wife because she's going to see some things that I didn't see. And that's a big help. Ladies, you see a need in the home, you see a a hole that needs to be filled, filled. This virtuous woman sees the need and fills the hole, and so she's working with her hands. She's using common items, but because of her hard work, we see her horizons are broadening. Her opportunities are getting bigger, her reach is extending. Look at version number 14. It says she is like the merchant ships she bring is her food from afar. We see her here using base materials. We see her here having to import things for her family. But look at this, this is really good. We just ate, so we should be able to talk about this without getting too distracted. But she begins to feed her family better than the rest of the local families. You see, you and I take for granted the availability of a variety of foods that can come from around the world. We can have lumpia here in Oklahoma. I mean, in previous generations, that would have been an impossibility. You know, but we have things brought in. You can go down. I remember when we lived in Virginia, where you could go to smart and pick up any Asian food materials that you needed. They had Hispanic grocery stores where you could go and get any kind of Latin food that you wanted. If you can't find something, you might even be able to order it off Amazon and have it shipped to your door. I mean, we have the resources available to us to enjoy just about any food that you want. Brother Mike, I mean, your coffee comes from all over the place. His beans come in from South America, Central America. They've even got beans that they pick out of animal poop and then they sell it for. He does. I don't think you do. No, not yet. OK? But they have it available. I mean, that's not the way it was back then. If you didn't grow it in your backyard or it wasn't grown locally in your community, you didn't get to eat it. And so you'd go your whole life without knowing that certain foods existed. But this woman, because of her industriousness, her ingenuity, her business, her craftsmanship, her family's horizons are opening up and she's bringing food in to her family from a far off distance. They're getting to eat things that the other families didn't get to eat. Because mom is making connections, she is making connections with the vendors and the merchant men. And it's opening doors for her family to have access to something that no one else had access to. Don't discount. The doors that a mother can open the her connections. I'm very grateful to our church benefits from the doors that many of the ladies in our church have access to, whether it be to the schools of the community or local businesses because of their their testimony and their work. We, as a church benefit from the industriousness of the ladies here in our church. And the same is true, I believe, for their families. And so because of her hard work, the virtuous woman has brought her opportunities, this kind of success, an increase in resources and income, though we understand it takes a lot of hard work. Verse number 15, the Bible says she rises rise with also while it is yet night, it was meat to her household and a portion to her maidens. There is no room for laziness in the life of a virtuous woman. She rises early. It seems like this is something that is ingrained in her, that she is already used to getting up early and taking care of things before anybody else gets up. And we'll see later how this this promotes her business. But the Bible shares that she has two responsibilities to attend to. Number one is her household. She's getting up. She's preparing meat and food for her household. That would be her children, probably her husband. But then she's also preparing food for who? Four maidens are. Were these maidens come from the sea before she was searching for flax and she was searching for wool and she was preparing with her hands? Who were these maidens? Well, these are her employees. You see, her business continues to grow and now she has employees. And so she's getting up and she's taking care of her employees. And as her business grows, she has more people to help her. I was I was reading an article a couple of months ago about just this little steak house place, Ruth's Chris. You may have heard of it. Got her to Ruth's Chris. OK. Hey, man, yeah. Some of the, you know, the story of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Oh, it's so cool. OK, so Ruth is a real lady. Chris is a real man. Chris started Chris Steakhouse down in New Orleans, Louisiana. We're all good food comes from and he was a failure. I mean, he was he just he really just messed the whole thing up. And it was so bad he had to sell it. So he sold to somebody. And guess what? They couldn't get it to work. They sold it back to him. Then he couldn't get it to work. So he sold it six times. It was sold back and forth. Finally, Chris is like, I'm done with this steakhouse. I don't want anything to do with it. So he puts it on the market again. Here comes Ruth. Ruth is a single mom. She's raising her kids by herself. She's a younger lady. And Ruth takes out a second mortgage on her house so she can buy this little steak house. The name, of course, had to stay there was she couldn't change the name, and so she just added to it and made it Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Ruth, as a single mother, knew what it meant to be a hard worker. She knew what it meant to have everything resting on her, and so she knew what it was to get up early. Ruth would often sleep in the kitchen. She had a cot that was brought in so she could sleep there in the kitchen of the restaurant. Ruth couldn't afford the nice fancy restaurant materials, so she took a saw and Wood saw the cuts of meat by hand, which if you've done that with frozen meat, you know what a chore that would be. She did that day after day after day. Why? Because she needed to support her family. So when it came time for Ruth's Chris Steak house to expand and to begin hiring more workers, Yasushi, she went out and hired. Come on, guess. Other single moms? Exactly. Other ladies who knew what it meant to work hard, other ladies who had had had this job and this is what they were depending on to make ends meet. And she knew that those ladies would be just as invested in their jobs as she was in hers. This is what we see in the virtuous woman. Not only is she providing for her family, but she's also providing a way for other ladies to provide for their families. Isn't that awesome? Now, this doesn't mean that Ruth just sat back, grabbed a glass of sweet iced tea and watched everybody else do the work. Because when you look at verse number 16, we see that Ruth is continuing Ruth, the virtuous woman is continuing to invest. She's continuing to pour that sweat equity back into her business. The Bible says that she consider it a field. And she goes and asks her husband if it's a good idea so she can buy it. It's not what it says that she consider it the field. And by it, it. Here's here's the virtuous woman, remember before she's looking for wool. She's looking for flax. But now her business has grown, and she said, You know what? I want to be able to control the supply chain. This lady is brilliant. She's a genius. She's walking circles around everybody else. And so she goes out. She finds a field, nice, big field. She's you know what? I got the money for it went to buy it, buys it up. And then she goes in. And the Bible says in verse from 16 that with the fruit of her hands, she. Playing at the vineyard. See? If she owns the field. She can grow whatever she wants, she can grow her own flax, raise her own sheep for wool or better yet, get some better materials. She's cunning in controlling the supply chain. She plants that vineyard. She manages it to the increase of her own work. You see, all that we're reading here was was was completely foreign, totally uncommon for the wider culture of their day. You see back then, especially in in the time that Proverbs was written, a wife, a woman was nothing more than a slave or a toy. And God is saying, no, no, no, no, no, this is not what I intended when I created women, this was not what I had in mind. This is what I foresee as a woman, a virtuous woman and how she is going to live her life. I don't believe anyone who tells you that the Bible is anti female empowerment. This is a picture of what God sees as virtuous womanhood. Christianity, as a matter of fact, does not weaken womanhood. Instead, if you look at verse number 17, the Bible says that the virtuous woman girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms. This is why I said the virtuous woman is not a good fit for a weak or insecure man. You ever met a man who's intimidated by a strong woman? You're not in Oklahoma, a lot of our women are strong, and so they tend to go to other places. A weak man will be intimidated by her success. You know, she is not successful at the expense of her family. She is successful for the advancement of her family. And if you look at her summer 18, she's. He's not exactly bashful about it. She recognizes her success. She understands where her strengths lie, and she leans into those areas, so she perceives that her merchandise is good. She's she's producing most likely, some kind of fabric, maybe some clothes. And she said, You know what? This is pretty good stuff. I mean, she's been going out and buying fabric for herself and for others her entire life. She was she was pretty knowledgeable at the experience of shoddy craftsmanship, you know, an inferior piece of material. And she looks at her material, says this is pretty good stuff. I know I've got a good product. And so verse number 18 per candle go with not out by nine. You see whether it's her ability to work longer than others or the skills that she possesses and her craftsmanship to produce a good product, a virtuous woman is aware of what she does well and she owns it. Well, there's. Well, intimidating. Yeah, but all of the success. It's not just so she can be comfortable. And it's not just so that she can have more money in advance in society first, No. 20, look what she does with her, her or her progress. Says she stretches out her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches forth her hands to the needy. She's active in charity. She shares what she has earned with the poor. She leverages her economic power to give others a leg up. Look at version of Twenty One, she is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household, her clothes with Scarlett. I like how the Bible says that she is not afraid of the snow because the Bible knows that kids are not afraid of the snow. Kids will run out in the snow with shorts and short sleeved shirts on. We'll go out, there are flip flops. I don't want to go play in the snow. It's mom that says, no, no, you can't put your coat on and you put your snow boots on. Where are your gloves? Put your hat on. Kids are just as run out there like a bunch of. Pagans, you know, with no clothes on. She's not afraid of the snow. You know, you think about things like know back there in the Revolutionary War, the at Valley Forge, where where the soldiers were dying because they didn't have the proper garments to wear to protect them from the cold. I mean, they were more afraid of what would happen to them, from frostbite and from the exposure to the elements than they were the British Bullets. It says she's not afraid of the snow because she knows that her family is going to be well provided for with the clothes, probably that she made herself. Her family was properly equipped. Even she herself. She values her own appearance and clothes herself in silk and purple, making herself coverings of tapestry. Her clothing is silk and purple. This isn't a picture of a man dressing his wife like a doll. Now, guys, if you buy your wife clothes and you have somewhat good taste and she likes the clothes you're buying are good for you. But this is not her husband saying, Ah, honey, this is what I want you to wear. This is how you're going to dress. So this is a successful woman that values herself and is not ashamed to to dress the part. You can tell that she has a high value, by the way she is dressing herself. And in speaking of her husband, he also benefits from his wife's success. The Bible says her husband is known in the gates when he said it among the elders of the land. The gates is where the leaders of the people would gather, the husband of the virtuous woman is known by his connection to his wife. Those of you that are parents, you remember probably the time where you ceased to be be known by who you were and you became known as so-and-so's dad. Or so and so's mom. All of a sudden your your identity was connected to that, that little bugger. Well, here's this man, and he's sitting in the gates of the city, and all of a sudden it's like, Hey, Joe. And so, oh, you're you're you're Ruth's husband. He's like, Yes, I am. Yes, I am Ruth's husband. Man, I tell you what, Ruth, she's got some of the best steaks in town. No, I'm sorry. She's got some of the best material in town. My wife went and bought some stuff from her. And let me tell you it just it is so strong. It never wears out is. It's great. I know she does an amazing job. Finally. We see the the grand success, remember, she started small. He's looking for for just common items is having to import things. But when you look at verse number twenty four, we see that everything has flipped because of her success. The Bible says that no longer is she working with wall and flax, but instead she make a fine linen. And you see that growth. The virtuous woman is not stagnant. She is moving forward. She is progressing, she is advancing in her life. She is gaining new skills and new abilities and and here we see producing better materials. She makes a fine linen and sells it. She's making a hefty profit from her work. Her items, then the Bible says verse. From twenty four. She says she delivers girdles under the merchant, whereas before she was having to import items for her family, she is now exporting items that she has made. She's far removed. From the secondary slavish status of other women of her day, the virtuous woman is characterized as strong and honorable. You look at in verse number twenty five strength and honor are her clothing. She shall rejoice in time to come. People come to her for counsel and verse number twenty six, she opened her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She is known for her counsel, she is known for her kindness. Verse number twenty eight, she is successful at home, but she is also busy at home, says her children to rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also. And he prays with her. Verse 27, she looked as well to the ways of her household, and it is not the bread of idleness. She's busy at home, and can I say this man, you should be busy at home to? If your if your standard mode of operation is to come home from work and plop yourself down. And expect your wife to wait on you, then you're doing it wrong. You're doing it wrong. Well, I've been at work all day. What do you think she's been doing all day? This is not. You know me versus you. This is us working together. And so she's busy at home, there's no room for idleness. How many of you guys would like to be called lazy or idle? None of us are going to be idle at home. She's successful at home, she has the respect of her children. She has the respect and praise of her husband. First number 29, the Bible says many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excelsis them all. Many other women are doing well, but she has exceeded them all. Are there other successful women out in society that are not Christians? Certainly. But I'm going to put this out here. Christian women. Should expel them all. Why? Or for this last point before we're done. First starting thirty one. Yes, there are other women who seem to have all of this stuff going for them. But there is something that they're missing. Policies favor is deceitful, success can trick you into thinking that somebody is something they're not right. Favor success. Those can be misleading. It says that beauty is vain. Beauty is a poor standard by which to judge a person. Right. Very well. What's the real metric? Well, according to her, some 30. But a woman that the Lord shall be praised. We ought to praise women that fear God. Women that fear God ought to be virtuous. Right. Women that fear God should be virtuous women. You see what we're looking at here, if you can take it back to the image of God. These are all things that God does. Just just just take this one idea of taking something mean something base, something common and turning it into something glorious. That's what God does. OK. You were mean and common and base. And God did something to you, then all of a sudden made you a recipient of glory. You saved your soul. He he he he and dwelt you with the Holy Spirit. God took you and and it was a costly investment, right, just like anyone that's been in business knows it's a costly investment. God made a costly investment into you. That you could be something much grander than you used to be. You were a slave to sin. You were in chains and bondage, but now you're a child of God. You are a a king or queen. And his kingdom. What a transformation. See, women, when you take something common and you invest in it to make it something amazing, like your husband, maybe coming to into OK. You're demonstrating what God does. It's a way of bearing his image. So let them give give her the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates. Christian womanhood is not a life of servitude. It's not a life of reclusiveness. It is a life of business. Is a life of ingenuity, creativity. Progress. All these things that we see here. Not exactly the archaic picture that our society paints for us. This is a very modern image of what God says is a virtuous woman. I'm not a woman, obviously. Ladies, I hope there's something here for you to take home and apply to your life. And so as men. Give attention to our role. Be a godly husband. Ladies. Take a passage like this. Give attention to it to see how you can be a virtuous one godly wife in your home. Or do we thank you for this day? Thank you for the good attention of your people, Lord. I hope that the things that have been said here tonight have been a help. I've tried to just share what it is that's here in your word. And so, Lord, I pray that you are blessed and God that you help all of us to give attention to our roles in our relationships and we would fulfill them for your glory in Jesus name. I ask these things amen.

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