Bathsheba.
What do you think of when you hear her name?
In all my years of attending women's meetings and mothers groups I’ve never once heard her lifted up as an example of virtue.
Bathing on a roof top for goodness sake!
Seduction.
Adultery.
Murder.
Lies.
A member of the King’s harem.
Victim, perpetrator, willing participant?
Not much of a role model.
Widowed by murder. Grief? Guilt?
Marriage to the King.
A first born son dies.
Guilt. Grief.
Another is born.
Her lover’s desire shared among others… other women enter the harem on Bathsheba’s heels.
---------------------------
What would be the most well known piece of Scripture taught to Christian women? Among a couple of strong contenders, Proverbs 31 is among those at the front of the pack.
The woman of Proverbs 31 is often referred to as “The Virtuous Woman” and I for one have spent many years struggling and failing at being like her. Till a few years ago. Then I heard the soul-freeing suggestion of making her my goal rather than my expectation.
Still more recently another soul freeing realisation hit home. The key lay for me in the very first verse. So incidental it seemed that I had passed it over for possibly hundreds of readings before noticing.
PR 31:1 The sayings of King Lemuel--an oracle his mother taught him
These sayings were remembered and recorded after many years… a young boy (possibly as young as 5 or 6) a his mother’s knee, being versed in a lengthy acrostic (Hebrew alphabet) his mother considered important enough to teach.
If the author is Solomon, his mother is Bathsheba and the origin or conduit (as the acrostic was likely handed to her from some other source) is a woman of little esteem but high influence.
The authorship of this portion of Proverbs is not clear, but if the woman was Bathsheba there is a special poignancy in the intensity of these verses.
Who better to instruct a young King in that which can be his ruin than the woman who was such - willingly or not - to her own King, and husband and firstborn son?
Who better to instruct in virtue than one whose life was shaped by the lack? One who saw pain and sorrow… unyielding consequence - but - who grew?
Who of our lives are untouched by such life experience?
Perhaps not the murder and marriage to a King bit, but that of sin, consequence, sorrow.
Victim,?
Perpetrator,?
Willing participant,?
Offspring?
Loving helpless observer?
Few.
The woman described of Proverbs 31 is not a real person – she is a poem! (Some versions say oracle or prophecy or strong advice). We as women can use these verses to inspire ourselves but she is a description or characterization of what to look for… of how to recognize a good wife. This chapter of Proverbs is an adults recollection of the words a mother taught her son to help prepare him for the future.
A Scientist I like to listen to mentioned his mother taught him what to look for in a wife at the age of four! When he enquired as to why he needed to know this just then, she replied “because you wont listen to me later”.
Wise words!
He attributes his happy marriage to his mother who taught him to wait and to watch.
-------------------------------
Very little else incites such passion in a parent as an endangered child. What if we took our sin, pain, mistakes, and sorrows and used them as fuel. What if we instructed our kids...with the same faithfulness...from the same age...
...with the same passion...
...with the same foresightedness...
as the mother of the King in Proverbs 31?
--------------------------------
The acrostic that follows is an English one that follows the pattern from Proverbs 31 ...drawing from each of the verses a character quality that can apply to male or female.
(This is available as a laminated poster for $5.00 including postage. Send me your details if interested in this - or DOWNLOAD HERE FOR FREE)
-------------------------------
PROVERBS 31 - an English acrostic
PR 31:10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
A A treasure
PR 31:11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
B Brings confidence
PR 31:12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
C Causes good
PR 31:13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
D Does careful work
PR 31:14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
E Eager to provide
PR 31:15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for er servant girls.
F Foresighted
PR 31:16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
G Great initiative
PR 31:17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
H Hearty
PR 31:18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
I Industrious and thorough
PR 31:19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
J Job skilled and trained
PR 31:20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
K Keeps giving to others
PR 31:21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
L Looks ahead prepared and faithful
PR 31:22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
M Makes private preparations too
PR 31:23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
N Never harms a reputation
PR 31:24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
O Organized and conscientious
PR 31:25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
P Poise and perseverance
Q (QQueen to son is nearly done…)
PR 31:26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
R Really wise and kindly spoken
PR 31:27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
S Servant-hearted
PR 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
T Thanks deserved
PR 31:29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
U Unsurpassed excellence
V Virtues here and in “2 Peter 1”
PR 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
W Wisdom is the fear of God
X XP for Christ- Gods precious son (XP = CH for Christ in Greek)
Y Yes now we are nearly done…
PR 31:31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Z Zesty Praise well earned!
THAT'S WISDOM FOR KIDS AND KINGS
