Proverbs 31: A woman who fears the LORD
Begin in prayer
Before we hear a mother’s counsel and the praise of a woman who fears the LORD, let us seek His wisdom. Ask Him to teach us justice, faithful work and honor for godly care.
Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
1 Kings 10:9
Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Teach us to value the fear of Your name above charm, beauty or wealth. Open our eyes to Jesus and shape our family’s words, work and care by Your wisdom. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.
See where we're going
King Lemuel’s mother warns him against desires and drink that would destroy him and corrupt justice. She contrasts drink given to the perishing with the ruler’s duty to speak for those unable to defend themselves. The worthy woman does her husband good, provides for her household and works with willing, skillful hands. She considers and buys a field, plants a vineyard, sells goods and opens her hands to the poor. Her speech brings wisdom and faithful instruction, while her children and husband rise to praise her. Charm deceives and beauty fades, yet the woman who fears the LORD deserves praise and the fruit of her work.
As you read Proverbs 31, look for the answers:
- For whom must the king speak and judge? (verses 8 and 9)
- What gives the woman lasting reason for praise? (verse 30)
Reflect together
Key truth
The LORD values reverence for Him above beauty and teaches justice, wisdom and faithful care.
The heading names Lemuel and his mother, without identifying them as people named elsewhere. She warns that sexual sin drains a king’s strength, and drunkenness makes him forget the law and corrupt justice. The drink sayings contrast the relief of desperate misery with the alert judgment required of kings. The worthy woman then displays wisdom through deliberate work, buying, selling, providing and giving. The gate is a place of public judgment, where her husband sits among the elders. Her labor sustains the household, and her open hands extend that care to the poor. The final measure of her worth is the fear of the LORD, which beauty and charm cannot supply. Her price is “far above rubies,” the same picture Proverbs uses for wisdom (Proverbs 8 verse 11). The book opened with the fear of the LORD as the beginning of knowledge, and it closes by praising it (Proverbs 1 verse 7).
How does Proverbs 31 show us that the LORD values reverence for Him above beauty and teaches justice, wisdom and faithful care?
The LORD teaches justice and mercy.
The king must restrain desires that would make him forget the law. His mouth must defend the poor and those unable to speak for themselves. The worthy woman also opens her hands to people in need.
The LORD values reverence above outward beauty.
The woman works willingly and watches over her household. Wisdom and faithful instruction shape her speech. Her family praises her because reverence for God bears fruit beyond the fading appearance of beauty.
Memorise
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Looking to Jesus in my life
Ask yourself in your heart, where am I seeking outward praise instead of the mercy and wisdom of Jesus?
“A woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.” Reverence for God gives a worth that outward beauty cannot supply. Our need for mercy reaches beneath both appearance and accomplishment.
Jesus came to redeem His people from sin. At the cross He bore their punishment and gave His life for them. He rose victorious from death. His obedience and finished sacrifice supply all His people need for peace with God.
Turn from sin and believe in Jesus Christ. Everyone who comes to Him has forgiveness through His blood. Do not rest your hope in work, praise or a respectable family. Seek His mercy and ask for wisdom that serves others with faithful love.
Parent's note
Tell your children that the LORD values the fear of His name above beauty and charm. Where a home has no mother or wife, say gently that this poem points every family to the fear of the LORD. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.
Pray together
Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for wisdom that produces justice and faithful care, and for those who serve our family. Bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Lord, thank You for teaching us the worth of fearing Your name. Please lead us to Jesus for pardon and a changed heart. Help us serve the needy, speak wisely and work faithfully. Teach our family to honor patient care and show gratitude to those who provide for us. Amen.