God's Picture Of An Excellent Woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
May 10, 2015
Prov. 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find? Her worth is far above rubies.
I. The writer declares the value of an excellent wife. (a virtuous wife, a woman of valor)
A. It is not easy to find an excellent wife.
B. No amount of wealth could match the value of an excellent wife.
Song of Solomon 8:7 If a man gave for love all the wealth of his house, it would
utterly be despised.
II. Four things that summarize the life of an excellent woman.
1. Prov. 31:25 "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future."
a. The writer is saying when you look at my wife, what is noteworthy about her
appearance is she is clothed with strength and dignity. Not one time in Proverbs
31 does the writer ever talk about her physical beauty.
b. When the writer talks about her outward appearance, he talks about her
character. I believe "strength" refers to strength of character, courage, not fearing
man, and the ability to bear up under pressure. The word for "dignity" in Hebrew
means poise, stateliness, reserved in manner and character.
Keith Green's Song "Pledge My Head To Heaven "As I told you when we wed,
I'd surely rather be found dead, than to love you more than the One who saved
my soul.
2. Prov. 31:26 "She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on
her tongue."
a. When she speaks, two things come out of her mouth: words of wisdom and
words of kindness.
Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such
a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it
will give grace to those who hear.
b. Is there anything else that is profitable to ever come out of our mouths than
these two things? (speaking wisdom into somebody's life or speaking kindness
into somebody's life)
3. Prov. 31:27 "She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the
bread of idleness."
a. The word for "looks well" means to lean into, lean forward, put into focus.
b. The word for "ways" means paths. Ie....the future plans for her family. So, an
excellent woman helps navigate her family around the potholes and keeps them
out of ditches.
c. She is a "watchman" on the walls of her family. She is proactive in praying for
the future of her husband and her children.
Wayne Watson wrote a song called "Somewhere In The World" that describes a
parent praying for the future spouse of his child.
4. Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the
LORD, she shall be praised."
a. She is a woman who fears the Lord. (reverences God, honors God with her
life, obeys God)
b. "Charm is deceitful"
c. "Beauty is vain". The word "vain" is the Hebrew word "wehebel" and it means
worthless, useless, a vapor. In the grand scheme of things, physical beauty is not
nearly as important as inner beauty or the beauty of God.
Ps 27:4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in
the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
Isa 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out
of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no
beauty that we should desire Him.
III. An excellent woman will be honored by her family.
Prov. 31:28-29 Her children rise up and call her blessed, Her husband also,
and he praises her, saying: 29 “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel
them all.”