The Virtuous Wife-Lesson Twenty-Three

"That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting

That there is none besides Me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness,

I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things."

Isaiah 45:6-7

Let's begin today by seeking the Lord....



Father, as we finished this study this week, I pray that You have been blessed here. I thank You for giving me all the verses and thoughts to share with my sisters-in-Christ. I am grateful for each lady you brought here this past month to learn more about You.



I thank You for the conviction of my sins and for moving me to confess that I have been less that a Virtuous Woman in Your sight. I thank You for the promise of forgiveness of sins and renewal. I pray for each lady here today reading this that You will renew a steadfast spirit within her as well.



We give all glory to You...in Jesus' name....Amen.



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Today's passage: Prov. 31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."





"Charm is deceitful.."



...let's look at this part of the verse first:



In scripture we find that a gentle and quiet spirit is "precious" to God.



Please read:



1 Pet. 3:1-4



But let's look at women in scripture who did not have that quiet and gentle spirit:



Judges 16:4-21



How would you describe Delilah?

Did she seek to do her husband good all the days of her life?





1 Kings 16:31

1 Kings 18:1-4



How would you describe Jezebel?





Esther 1:9-12



Queen Vashti was described as being beautiful to behold.

What was her attitude like?







Let's look at how God sees a woman who uses her charms to deceive:



Hosea 2:6-8



God compares the harlot Gomer to His people, Israel.



Hosea 2:9-13



See how God deals with the harlot:



He will take away the grain and new wine as well as the wool and the linen: His provisions

Next He will take away her deliverance from His hand: protection

Then He will take away the feasts, New moons, Sabbaths: His presence



In other words, God is warning His people that unless they return to Him, they will no longer have covenant with Him.



Now we see God's mercy on the harlot...and His people:



Hosea 2:16-23



Verse 16: Notice how God calls Himself the "Ishi" or Husband to His people as He takes away the title "Baali" or Master.



The book of Hosea is a fantastic read. It reveals to us how God commands Hosea to take a harlot for a wife. He commands Him to pay for her: 15 pieces of silver. Then she is restored to her beauty by her husband.



Compare this to Jesus: He was commanded to marry an ungrateful people, harlots who worship other gods besides the One True God. He was told to purchase the bride (1 Cor. 6: 19-20) with His blood and body as well as restore her to her beauty.



Please read:



Ez. 34:25



Is. 35:1



Jer. 31:33-34



Zech. 13:9



John 17:3



Ro. 9:25-26



Eph. 2:11-13



1 Pet. 2:10



Now, we see that even though we, God's people, were once harlots who betrayed Him, He has made a way for us to come back to Him.



Hosea 6:1-3



And the covenant returns:



Hosea 14:6-9



God gives fruit to the fruitless life:



Gen. 3:22

Rev 22:2



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Life Application



Now let's look at the next part:



"Beauty is passing...."



Please read:



Is. 3:10-12



Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for allowing the women to rule over them.



Is. 3:16-17



God's people were conformed with the world.



Notice their judgment:



Is. 3:18-26 The "outer garments, the purses, and the mirrors..." -ouch!



Remember how I described the women prison inmates? They had lost everything: all their material things. They could not wear any jewelry or color their hair. They had no nice clothes to wear any longer....and the stench! That is one thing I will never forget about entering prison. The stench is strong. Is that how we want to be? Put into bondage and have everything taken away before we listen to God and obey Him?



Verse 24:



"Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;

Instead of a sash, a rope;

Instead of well-set hair, baldness;

Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;

And a branding (burning scar) instead of beauty."



And what will happen to their reputation?



Verse 26:



"Her gates shall lament and mourn,

And she being desolate shall sit on the ground."



Yes, we see here that beauty is indeed passing.



Please read:



Esther 1:9 & 2:4



Contrast Queen Vashti, who was beautiful to behold, with Esther:



Esther 2:15



And our beloved Ruth:



Ruth 4:11-15



The people at the gates blessed her!



Ladies, we see here a sharp warning from the Lord: obey Him and live or disobey and suffer harsh consequences.



"But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."



1Pet 3:3-4 & 15



Prov. 1:1



Job 28:28



Ps. 111:10



Prov. 9:10



Prov. 15:33



Eccl. 12:13



God has given us His laws for our protection from Him:



Deut. 4:23-24

8:11

8:18-19

10:12-14



Micah 6:8



Ps. 33:6-9



These laws are for our own good. If we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly....we shall have presence with God Himself.



So, we read alot of scripture here today in which we learn that the Virtuous Wife was not praised because she was charming or beautiful.



She feared the Lord and that is why she was praised by those around her.



That is what we should strive for as Virtuous Women of God.







Until next time..............





"And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."



-2 Cor. 3:4-5









Blessings,

Ruth