A Virtuous Woman In the Eyes of God

A Virtuous Woman In the Eyes of God by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Sermon Summary: Many Christians’ definition of a “virtuous woman” would center on prayer, Bible study, and spirituality. But God’s Scriptural portrait of the virtuous woman is surprisingly different.

The Bible speaks of the “virtuous woman”. Who is she? How does God in His Word describe her? Does she pray faithfully each day? Is she used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Does she consistently do daily Bible study and have regular devotional times? The answer? — None of these traits is listed in God’s most extensive Scriptural description of the virtuous woman.

Now please understand me, there is no doubt that the excellent attributes listed above are valuable aspects of the lives of every Christian woman (and man). However, God devotes almost an entire chapter of the Bible to His description of the “virtuous woman”. And the favorable traits that He lists are, surprisingly to some readers, of a substantially different nature. Please go with me to the Bible’s grand description of the virtuous woman in the eyes of God — that is, Proverbs 31:10-31, quoted from the NIV and, where so noted, from the King James Version (KJV).

Proverbs 31:10, KJV Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

•• Thanks to the Lord, I found my virtuous woman in 1968 in Anchorage, Alaska. She witnessed to me and led me to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Four years later we were married and have now celebrated our 35th anniversary.

• Her worth has consistently proven to be “far above rubies”. I would describe my wife as “priceless!” I would readily suggest her as an illustration of the admirable traits that God lists in the following verses.

Vs. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

•• A virtuous woman inspires absolute confidence in her husband. He can “safely trust in her” (KJV). She is not impetuous, scatterbrained, or unpredictable. Rather, she can be trusted. Her husband can be confident in her. She will never deliberately let him down.

•• The husband of a biblical, virtuous woman “lacks nothing of value”. That is illustrated by some of her remarkable traits in the succeeding verses.

Vs. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

•• The virtuous woman “brings him good” — that is, her husband. She is not a “liberated” woman as defined by modern feminists. She is God-fearing (vs. 31) and husband- and family-oriented. And these are seen throughout this chapter as positive traits.

• Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.

•• She brings him good. There does seem to be biblical wisdom in the modern-day axiom that “behind every good man stands a good woman”. She is an asset to her husband. She will never intentionally bring harm his way.

Vs. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

•• She is skilled and capable in working with fabric. The modern counterpart would be skill in things like quilting and sewing.

•• And notice that “she works”. There is no hint of laziness in this woman who is praised by God.

•• And she “worketh willingly with her hands” (KJV). She is “willing to get her hands dirty”, as the old saying goes. She is no prima donna! She is not “above” manual work.

Vs. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

•• She understands that the duties of a wife and mother include ensuring that her family is well fed.

• A virtuous woman, may I suggest, will excel in this area. She will not only go about to learn the necessary cooking skills, but she will study sound nutrition and will ensure that her family is fed nutritiously, not with a high proportion of out-of-the-box junk food.

Vs. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

•• This virtuous woman is not given to “sleeping in” in the mornings. No! Rather, she is up before dawn to make sure that her household is well fed.

• I cannot recall a single instance during our child-raising years when my wife left me and our four children to fend for ourselves at breakfast. She was always up early enough to send us off with a nutritious breakfast.

Vs. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

•• Amazing! This woman is no wimp! She has the intelligence and business sense to evaluate a piece of property and to buy it. She has her own “earnings”, with which she buys the field and plants a vineyard.

• In 1989 my wife was driving down a road near our rented home in Oregon. She spotted a vacant field for sale and came home and told me about it, recommending that we buy it. We went back together, looked it over, and did buy it. We then built on it the house in which we raised our four children.

Vs. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

•• The virtuous woman is not afraid of physical work. I recall one day in Alaska when we had 30 cubic yards of good topsoil dumped in our backyard. Our task was to spread it by wheelbarrow before planting our lawn. After some time I took a break to lie down exhausted, and my wife and a friend were still out there shoveling dirt!

Vs. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

•• Like the bible’s virtuous woman, many modern women have their own home-based businesses. The woman in Proverbs 31 seems to have been a seamstress who sold garments and sashes (vss. 19, 24).

•• She apparently did her business well, working well into the evening, because “her trading [was] profitable”.

Vs. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

•• The virtuous woman learns domestic skills. My beloved maternal grandmother was an excellent seamstress. Widowed with seven children at home, her skills at making clothing were essential to keeping her children well clothed.

• My wife is an exceptionally gifted quilter. Our home is decorated in just about every room with the products of her skills. She made me personally a warm flannel quilt in a manly pattern that I treasure.

Vs. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

•• Her home-based skills have earned her a profitable income. She is ever willing to share this blessing with the poor and needy.

• I am reminded of stories told about America’s Great Depression of the early 20th century, when millions were jobless, hungry, and sometimes homeless. Virtuous women by the thousands were known for their unflinching decision: “I will never turn a hungry person away from my door!”

Vs. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

•• She is fully aware of the priority of her family in her life over other things that might sidetrack her from her domestic responsibilities. She is an excellent illustration of the charge to younger women in Titus 2:5 to be “busy at home”.

Vs. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

•• Not only do her skills earn her an income from the merchants, she also makes sure that her own home’s needs are well cared for. The bed coverings referred to here could be similar to the quilts that my wife and many other virtuous women so painstakingly create.

•• This woman does not neglect her own appearance. She uses her skills to provide attractive clothing for herself.

Vs. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

•• When I served in the United States Air Force, I noticed that almost all the high-ranking officers’ wives were women of noteworthy character. The admirable traits of a good wife can deflect respect towards her husband.

•• Notice the God-approved division of responsibilities. She was at home, caring for her home and family. He was in a place of respect at the city gates among the elders of the land. The city gates are where much ancient commerce was conducted. So it is not unreasonable to surmise that the husband was conducting his business affairs there.

Vs. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

•• Already mentioned earlier, she seems to have had a home-based business. The surrounding verses make it clear, though, that she did not do this at the expense of the well-being of her household.

Vs. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

•• The virtuous woman has a sense of dignity. She is not frivolous or embarrassing in her conduct.

•• She looks to the future and makes sure that her household is well supplied, so that she can “laugh at the days to come”.

Vs. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

•• This godly woman speaks with wisdom. Virtually daily I listen to the wisdom that proceeds from my wife’s words. In fact, as I write this bible study, I fully intend to present a rough draft copy to her, so that I can mine the jewels of wisdom and experience that she can add to my understanding of this womanly topic.

•• The virtuous woman will offer faithful instruction. The context of the surrounding verses places the location of this instruction in her home. My wife faithfully instructed our four children in character issues, domestic responsibilities, social graces, and much, much more. I was an involved father, but I must sincerely attribute to my wife the credit for the majority of the training that our children received. She was their at-home “mom”, and she made the home a place of both love and learning.

Vs. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

•• The husband is defined biblically as the head of the home (1 Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Corinthians 11:3). However, his daytime responsibilities are outside the home, at “the city gates” (vs. 23). The wife-and-mother is at home, as this chapter clearly indicates. So it is her daily responsibility (not his) to “watch over the affairs of her household” (vs. 27). This is consistent with the apostle Paul’s counsel to the younger widows to “marry, to have children, to manage their homes…” (1 Timothy  5:14).

•• The virtuous woman “does not eat the bread of idleness”. To this day I marvel at my wife’s energy and drive to maintain a nice, orderly home. “Idleness” is a word that is alien to her!

Vs. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

•• Children raised by an involved, dedicated, loving, at-home mom rarely grow up feeling estranged from her. Rather, they bless her!

•• Likewise, the husband of such a virtuous woman will overflow with praise for her from his heart.

• I cannot adequately communicate in words how thankful I am for my wife. She has been an extraordinary mother to our children and a matchless wife to me.

Vs. 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

•• That is the sentiment that a biblical, virtuous woman as described in this chapter will evoke in her husband’s heart — “You are the best!”

Vs. 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

•• God is reminding us that beauty and charm are fleeting, temporal things. But that which earns genuine praise for a woman is that she is a God-fearing woman.

• I have mentioned a number of commendable traits in the virtuous woman I am married to. But the thing which surpasses them all is that she loves and serves the Lord with all her heart. She continues to inspire me with that dedication and faith. And her spiritual fervor has been an ever-visible example for our four children. I have certainly labored to train my children and be a godly example to them. But due in great measure to my wife’s input in their lives, all four children as adults are actively serving the Lord on their own.

Vs. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

•• A virtuous woman has a great reward coming from the Lord in eternity, along with the great fulfillment she will experience in this life for a “job well done”.

•• And her virtues will not only be known and blessed by her husband and children (vs. 28), but also her reputation will precede her to the “city gates”. The godly woman, whose life is patterned after Proverbs 31:10-31, will be well known and highly respected in her community.

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Some concluding thoughts — Is Proverbs 31 the only place in the bible that describes the desirable traits of a believing woman? Of course not. There are other Scriptures that speak of women of prayer, women manifesting spiritual gifts, women sharing their testimonies, and much more.

However, there is no other Scripture portion that even remotely gives such a detailed description of the “virtuous woman” as does Proverbs 31:10-31. Repeating some of the highlights, the woman that God’s Word describes as praiseworthy:

• is of noble character

• is fully trustworthy

• is an asset to her husband

• is domestically skilled

• is concerned that her household be well and nutritiously fed

• is diligent, arising before dawn and busy until after dark

• is endowed with a good business sense, even to the point of buying a field and planting a vineyard

• may have her own profitable home-based business

• is a hard worker

• is generous to and aware of the poor and needy

• is wise in preparing her household for the needs of the days to come

• is wise in ensuring that she and her family are well and appropriately clothed

• is in proper relationship to her husband, who is out conducting his business affairs at the city gates

• is a woman of wisdom

• shows dignity and strength

• is a faithful instructor to her children

• is diligent to watch over her household

• is the recipient of blessing and praise from her children and her husband

• is above all a God-fearing, godly woman!

Such a woman has been enshrined in the Scriptures for several thousand years as God’s role model for the godly, virtuous woman. To the older women I say, teach these things to the younger women. To the younger women, I exhort you to resist the enticements of the antifamily feminist teachings of our day. Reach out, rather, to embrace God’s vision for you, His “virtuous women”. To such a woman God says (vs. 31), “Let her works praise her at the city gates.”

Postscript: This study is written with much deference and respect to those single women and widows who serve the Lord. They too may be deemed to be “virtuous women” in the light of the verses that apply to them in their unmarried state, both in Proverbs 31 and elsewhere in the Scriptures. In this bible study I have simply attempted to focus on the Proverbs 31 expression of God’s “virtuous woman” without trying to cover every possible marital situation. I extend my deepest respect to you virtuous ladies among the godly single women and widows!

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If you wish to study further the bible’s teachings about godly women, we suggest:

• Christian Women’s Ministry — a bible study revealing the multifaceted ministries of Christian women in the New Testament.

• Forbidden Fruit Is Still Tempting Eve — offering Scriptural responses to current arguments for the nonbiblical practice of ordaining women.

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