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Perhaps no man has ever lived who understood women as did Solomon. He certainly had
enough women in his life to consider their strengths and weaknesses. Remember that he had 700
wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). It is also noticeable from this verse that these women
had considerable influence on him. He actually lost the smile and favor of God, because of some
of them.
These 1000 women were in addition to other women who are naturally a part of our lives;
such as mother, grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters and other relatives and friends. We have
no way of knowing exactly how many women played a part in the life of Solomon, but we do know
that his contacts with so many women enabled him to understand qualities that were not found in
all women, but were certainly desirable qualities in women who have a positive and beneficial
impact on the lives of others around them. It is impossible for Solomon or us to measure the
priceless value of such women.
So he wrote about many nameless virtuous women. The passage speaks as if there were only
one such woman, but our experiences have taught us that there have been and are many in the world,
churches and homes today. Let us examine the notable qualities that he perceived marked a virtuous
woman as recorded in Proverbs 31:10-31.
1. The virtuous woman is of priceless value. Verse 10.
2. The virtuous woman is trustworthy and dependable. Verse 11.
3. The virtuous woman will enhance the lives of others around her. Verse 12.
4. The virtuous woman is industrious and hard working. Verse 13.
5. The virtuous woman reaches out to supply the needs of her family. Verse 14.
6. The virtuous woman provides food for the strength of loved ones. Verse 15.
7. The virtuous woman has a sound mind to go with her hard work. Verse 16.
8. The virtuous woman seeks ways to keep herself strong and able-bodied. Verse 17.
9. The virtuous woman understands her skills and tirelessly uses them. Verse 18.
10. The virtuous woman is willing to work laboriously with her hands. Verse 19.
11. The virtuous woman wants to help the poor and needy around her. Verse 20.
12. The virtuous woman plans ahead to provide appropriate clothing. Verse 21.
13. The virtuous woman also dresses herself appropriately and presentably. Verse 22.
14. The virtuous woman promotes the respect and high esteem of her husband. Verse 23.
15. The virtuous woman provides for her family through all her diverse skills. Verse 24.
16. The virtuous woman radiates beauty from within, and joy from her heart. Verse 25.
17. The virtuous woman is both wise and kind, her speech reveals it. Verse 26.
18. The virtuous woman is a homemaker who works hard at this noble task. Verse 27.
19. The virtuous woman endears herself to both her children and husband. Verse 28.
20. The virtuous woman rises above the normal women of society. Verse 29.
21. The virtuous woman is praised because of beauty that does not fade. Verse 30.
22. The virtuous woman is worthy of recognition for her outstanding deeds. Verse 31.
Solomon recorded these words in the Book of Proverbs, because God inspired him to do so.
Since Proverbs is a book for daily living, we may conclude that such a virtuous woman was being
held up as a standard by which all women may measure themselves. Such a woman pleases God and
blesses all whose lives touch hers. A virtuous woman is of such immense value that none could
possibly calculate her worth, thus the estimation "...her price is far above rubies." When you think
of a virtuous wife or mother, you understand completely.
However, another objective of this passage is to encourage women throughout the ages, to
aspire to become a virtuous woman. How the world needs more such women! A great part of the
problems of our society have resulted from the lack of such godly women. May every woman here
be encouraged to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in becoming a virtuous woman. It will take
a lifetime commitment, but God's grace is sufficient to enable you to achieve this goal. Let us pray
for more women, who can be described as "The Virtuous Woman."
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