Monthly Archives: September 2014

The Virtuous Woman – Do Good and Not Evil

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Continuing our study in Proverbs 31, we look at the next verse.

Photo Credit: charamelody via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: charamelody via Compfight cc

She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:12

This verse stumped me a little bit. How could I apply something so obviously for a married woman to a single woman? Then I remembered that an earthly marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. In the last post I talked about how Jesus Christ has entrusted to us His reputation and work. If we look at this verse remembering that Jesus Christ is in the role of our husband, we as single ladies will do Him good and not evil all the days of our lives. Ok. What is good and what is evil? To the dictionary!

When I looked up the word good, I found 40 definitions for good being used as an adjective. So I am only presenting a few here.

GOOD, a.

3. Complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind; having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use; opposed to bad, imperfect, corrupted, impaired. We say, good timber, good cloth, a good soil, a good color.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Gen.1.

4. Having moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God’s law requires; virtuous; pious; religious; applied to persons, and opposed to bad, vitious, wicked, evil.

Yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Rom.5.

5. Conformable to the moral law; virtuous; applied to actions.

In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works.Tit.2.

18. Well qualified; able; skillful; or performing duties with skill and fidelity; as a good prince; a good commander; a good officer; a good physician.

22. Promotive of happiness; pleasant; agreeable; cheering; gratifying.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Ps.133.

E”VIL, a. e”vl. [Heb. to be unjust or injurious, to defraud.]

1. Having bad qualities of a natural kind; mischievous; having qualities which tend to injury, or to produce mischief.

Some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen.37.

2. Having bad qualities of a moral kind; wicked; corrupt; perverse; wrong; as evil thoughts; evil deeds; evil speaking; an evil generation.

3. Unfortunate; unhappy; producing sorrow, distress, injury or calamity; as evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days.

GoodvsEvilThis verse puts two qualities in contrast, the action done will be either good or evil. If it is good, it conforms to the moral law and is virtuous. (See first blog post on Virtuous Woman) If the action is evil, the intent is to injure and it breaks the moral law. So this verse states that the actions the virtuous woman takes toward her husband, conform to the moral law and will not injure him or cause him mischief.

Just as a side note, here is the definition for mischief (as long as we are looking at the dictionary.)

MIS”CHIEF, n.

1. Harm; hurt; injury; damage; evil, whether intended or not. A new law is made to remedy the mischief.

2. Intentional injury; harm or damage done by design.

Thy tongue deviseth mischief. Ps.52.

3. Ill consequence; evil; vexatious affair.

The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.

MIS”CHIEF, v.t. To hurt; to harm; to injure.

So what about us single people?!? We, in our relationship with Christ, will do good actions and will not do anything that will bring injury to Jesus.

So let us look at our actions. Do they line up with the moral law? Do they prevent injury being done to the name and person of Jesus Christ? Am I doing good and not evil?

*Definitions from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Online

The Virtuous Woman – The Trustworthy Woman

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The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Proverbs 31:11

Photo Credit: charamelody via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: charamelody via Compfight cc

This is the next verse in the Proverbs 31 Chapter we are studying. This verse is obviously written about a married woman, so what can I as a single woman glean from it? Well first I see a word or two that need defining. The first word is trust:

TRUST, v.t. To place confidence in; to rely on. We cannot trust those who have deceived us.

He that trusts every one without reserve, will at last be deceived.

1. To believe; to credit.

Trust me, you look well.

2. To commit to the care of, in confidence. Trust your Maker with yourself and all your concerns.

3. To venture confidently.

Fool”d by thee, to trust thee from my side.

4. To give credit to; to sell to upon credit, or in confidence of future payment. The merchants and manufacturers trust their customers annually with goods to the value of millions.

It is happier to be sometimes cheated, than not to trust.

If we look at this definition, we find that a woman of virtue is trustworthy. For a married woman, it means that what her husband had entrusted to her (namely his heart, reputation, life and future) are safe in her care. Since trust is a two way street this also means she trusts him to care for what she had entrusted to him. Next we look at the word spoil.

SPOIL, n. [L.]

1. That which is taken from others by violence; particularly in war, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.

2. That which is gained by strength or effort.

Each science and each art his spoil.

3. That which is taken from another without license.

Gentle gales fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole their balmy spoils.

4. The act or practice of plundering; robbery; waste.

The man that hath not music in himself, nor is not movd with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treason, stratagems and spoils.

5. Corruption; cause of corruption.

Villainous company hath been the spoil of me.

6. The slough or cast skin of a serpent or other animal.

From the definitions of these two words, the verse becomes clearer. Because he can trust his wife in all things, he does not need the riches that spoil brings. A virtuous wife will protect her husband’s interests, whether that be business or personal. She will be always on the lookout for his best.

OK, but what about me? What can I get from this verse?

A married, virtuous woman did not become trustworthy overnight. Trust is an earned commodity. It is given when trust given has been returned with fidelity.

Photo Credit: birgerking via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: birgerking via Compfight cc

As a single woman, I need to cultivate the characteristic of trustworthiness or faithfulness. It is one of many virtues that a Christian should exhibit. We are to be trustworthy in the trust that Christ had given us to reach others with His Word. If we look at the verse in the light of Christ the husband of the church, He has given into our keeping His Name, His Reputation, His Life and His Future. His Name is our name now, His Reputation rests on our trustworthiness, His Life is an eternal gift, and His Future is the King of Kings. We have been given the task of spreading His Name and Reputation. What a sacred trust! Are we practicing trustworthiness? Are we as women of virtue developing the faithfulness that will result in Our Savior´s trust?