Proverbs 31 Woman (P31W) - Part II (OR) I Have Work to Do. (Proverbs 31:11-15).

11 Her husband depends on her,
  and she never
  lets him down.

           Oh boy. I don’t have a husband and I can already tell you, he’s in for a lot of disappointment. That’s just life and that’s just Shaina being Shaina. The whole idea of the perfect soulmate and “THE ONE” is irrational and not what this verse means. But there is a lot of weight in this verse. To never let your mate, spouse, God-given-partner down. This author didn’t give you any loopholes in what our goal should be.
           Depends means “to rely; place trust in”.
          Are we women trustworthy? Sometimes. If anyone in a woman’s life should have confidence in their absolute resolution, it should be that life-mate, right? But regardless of your  marital status, no one is exempt from developing a character of dependability. The goal would be to be as dependable as possible in a variety of situations. Single females, our allegiance and dependability is to Jesus and those in spiritual authority. When it comes to making choices about that reliance and who to stand by though, it falls with the husband for married women, as this verse confirms. Children will forgive, true friends will understand your allegiance, and as long as all things are in line with God’s word, He’ll bless you for faithfully standing with your man. The hard part here is the “NEVER lets him down,” part. In other words, we will work on this for a lifetime.
          Example: Marmee March from Little Women seems ever dependable to me. Marmee is always superb and a pillar for her daughters. A strong woman, with four daughters she guides with this unbelieveable dependability and strength, even when her husband is away at war. When her daughters are struggling or when her husband returns wounded from the war, Marmee is still a great example of dependability, strength and “getting ‘er done!”

12 She is good to him
  every day of her life,

           Dang, there is that four letter word again. To be righteous and morally correct toward that man in her life, every day of her life!!!!  Every woman alive should feel overwhelmed by that statement. Ladies, start training your character to be “good” in all aspects and areas of life, start training your daughters and give them a leg up. Help and encourage your “sisters” to be “good”, be an example of a “good” woman everywhere.  At work, at church, at school, at home, with friends, at the gym, in rehearsals, at Walmart and everywhere in between.
           This verse is short, but it also has the command of forever in it. Not only do you have to be “good” to him... but you have to do it until you die! Not the days you feel like it, not for the number of days the marriage lasts, but for always. A strange concept in today’s society. Our lives in 2013 are bent on the here and now. The immediate and unlimited instantaneous. This would probably be a good time to mention, no one expects you to become a P31W by tomorrow. You have time to learn and you have God’s grace to fail. I honestly think God is smiling when we fail at learning something like this. To fail trying to be a “good woman” must please him. Just like watching a child fail while learning to walk, because you know they’ll get back up and keep going, even if the coffee table knocks their teeth out.
            Example: My mama is a good example of  “good to him” all the days I’ve seen her and my father together. They’re not perfect and she’s human, but she is exactly what my dad needs. They are the ultimate in united parents, you don’t get one without the other. Rarely, have I seen her be anything other than good to him. Yes, they’ve had 30-some years working at it, but that’s a good goal ladies, to be “good” toward your husband after 30 years of marriage. I’m sure God is pleased with that kind of progress!

13     and with her own hands
  she gladly makes clothes.

            Okay, my mom sews, but I don’t. I hate patterns. They never come out right and never fit right. No one today sews their own jeans. Seriously.
            So this may be a leap of interpretation, but maybe the the emphasis should be on “her hands” and the word “gladly”. To use one’s own hands for the purpose of providing, is something to consider. The “work of hands”, the skill, the craft, the time, the the attitude of doing it gladly are not always put together. Gladly means “in a willing manner”.  Maybe we’re not literally making clothes and maybe clothes is just an example rather than a context here, but do we use our hands to provide for others in a willing manner? Do we willingly do laundry? Willingly make dinner for others? Willingly take time out to organize that thing that got dumped on us last minute? Willingly pick up the living room of the carpet of toys so no one breaks an ankle in the morning? Willingly create the powerpoint for that project? Willing serve others?? Willingly help out in general?

            How often do we do anything not for ourselves in a willing manner? Is this maybe a reminder to be unselfish and to serve others joyfully? I’m not positive. It may be a literal moment where women are to remember to dress their family and not let them run around naked. I’m not that much of a biblical scholar. Yet.
            Example: If anyone has read all of Louisa May Alcott books like I have, you’ve read Little Men (the movies are terrible!!!), but in between the pages, one witnesses Jo provide for her “boys”, all the kids needing teaching, education, love and training. Her hands are always busy and she’s always glad to serve them in whatever capacity, as a mother figure, mentor or seamstress ready to patch their clothes.  She makes up lessons to teach them things via experience and nothing is too much for her boys, her family, her husband. She is willingly doing.

14 She is like a sailing ship
  that brings food
  from across the sea.

            I doubt the author is calling her a ship or fat. I have hips like battleships, but I doubt that is the intent here.
Instead, consider the beauty of a sailing ship. The ships of ancient Israel, would be the pictures one sees in children’s animated bible stories, where Peter is fishing. The large single sail over a sleek hull, simple and effective. If one wants to modernize their thinking, the sailing ships of the 18th century are extremely beautiful and powerful. I have no thought of God insulting women here, that’s our cultural habit of taking insult at everything.
            Instead, I think this verse is saying how well women of mature godliness provide for others. I love the image of a ship. Women have power they don’t understand, much like antiquated ships unsure of its purpose anymore. Our real super powers are rarely allowed much action because we refuse to acknowledge them. A lot of women are like forgotten ships sitting in the harbor, powerful, strong, with big cannons ready for battle and no idea how to use them.
            Just think of how “church ladies”, scary as they are, provide for events, organize meals, band together and “get ‘er done” in so many different settings and areas. Wise mothers, wives, women, sisters and daughters with different skill sets all bringing pieces together and accomplishing great things when they get a bee in their bonnet. It’s not meant as a disrespect or a sexist comment, but a nod to an ability. Women have the ability to provide, organize and execute a plan with speed and precision. Talk to or just watch a church lady sometime and you’ll understand if you don’t already.
            Example: I’ve seen people wonder at my mother’s ability to provide for her 11 children over the years, currently feeding the three bottomless teenage boys still at home. Especially when Courtney-with-the-Hollow-Leg is home too. My mom can at times appear to be a battleship, and strike fear in the hearts of those in her war path. But a visit home over Christmas allowed me to again witnessed her ability to provide like an elegant ship of old for her beloved children. There is no insult in that to any woman.


15 She gets up before daylight
to prepare food
  for her family
  and for her servants.


            I don’t like this verse. There is so much here that is out of date. Few people still get up early to make food for their family, once and awhile yes. But if we had servants, we’d have them making OUR breakfast. Not the other way around!!
            Translation? How about a story instead?
I visited a dear friend when I was in Minnesota last Christmas. Her beautiful family allowed me to invade their lives for a day and play with her and their kids. After dinner, just the two of us went shopping, leaving dad with the kids. We got back rather late for a woman with two very small boys and she mentally made a list of the things she’d have to do in the morning to compensate for being out late with me. The list included getting up early to grind fresh coffee beans, make coffee, and make a lunch for her husband to take to work so he’d have a good meal at midday. Despite the kids still being awake and talking in their cribs upstairs, despite the fact they would be up early, her thoughts were of preparing for the next day without any griping or grumbling. Maybe inwardly, she had trouble “getting up before daylight”, but when she spoke of it to me, it was all a service of love. Of things she was willing to do. Maybe that’s what this verse means...

More to come NEXT TIME in P31W Part III!!!!


DISCLAIMER: I am not a trained biblical scholar. I am just curious, bible hungry and care for my gender and our crazy methods of learning and growing as Christian women in a world that has a pretty skewed image of what women are or should be. If at any point you see a huge flaw in my  logic or addition that needs to be added to the interpretation, please  contact me and help me to correct or add to my expounding on this chapter.
I do not claim to have all the answers or have the CORRECT translation and meaning of all the verses in this series. I am just digging and sharing my findings and research concerning this chapter.

3/2013