I have read and heard about the Proverbs 31 woman for years. She's faithful and humble, yet fierce and strong. She is fully committed to her work and her family. She's the Pinterest master, homemaker extraordinaire, perfect friend, full of wisdom, fun to be around, wife and mom of the year type of gal. Whew. This is intimidating.
Well, she was intimidating until I learned who Solomon used as his model when he wrote Proverbs 31: his mother.
If you don't know, King Solomon is the son of King David and Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba have a shady past together. To give you a little history, David saw Bathsheba sun-bathing on the roof. He was completely enamored by her. He had to have her and have her he did. He took Bathsheba in and they slept together. For all those who think the Bible is uptight and boring, you need to pick it up and start reading. It is the raciest romance and action-packed book you will ever read. Anyway, I digress.
So, Bathsheba and David have this "relationship." The problem was, Bathsheba was married. Her husband was off fighting in war: David's war. Instead of fessing up to his wrong, David killed Bathsheba's husband. Before killing Uriah, David tried to get him to sleep with his wife, Bathsheba. You see, David had impregnated Bathsheba when they had their fling. Uriah, however, was so committed to David that when David brought him home from war to get him to sleep with his wife so everyone would assume the baby was Uriah's and not question anything, Uriah refused and served David instead. David sends Uriah back into battle and purposefully puts him on the front lines alone and has him killed. To make a long complicated story short, Bathsheba and David end up together after all this craziness.
Why do I tell this story? I tell it because it gives a whole new light and perspective to the Proverbs 31 woman. The Lord allowed David and Bathsheba's first child to die (2 Samuel 12:14). He became ill in infancy and perished. Because of this, Bathsheba committed her life whole-heartedly to the Lord. She was focused on God and did everything in light of this. As Bathsheba lived for the Lord with everything in her being, her son, Solomon watched. He witnessed his mother fully devoted to God. He saw a redemption story play out in life. And we all got the result of this in Proverbs 31.
I write this because I know that I can read about the Proverbs 31 woman and feel completely inadequate and overwhelmed. I am lucky to have the kids fed and in clothes that match some days, let alone being this perfect wife, mom, friend, homemaker, Christ-follower extraordinaire. Knowing that Solomon's example for the woman described in Proverbs 31 enables me to feel like I can attain that type of life for myself. Bathsheba wasn't perfect but she lived for the Lord and her life fell into place. This doesn't mean she never messed up again or that her home was never a wreck. What it does mean, is that when we are redeemed by our Savior and choose to live fully abandoned for Him, anything is possible.
I am the Proverbs 31 woman and so are you. We are perfectly knitted together by the Creator and purposed with a unique design to do great things. If Bathsheba can overcome her past and be written about in the Word of God with such eloquence, then so can you and I. We are the Proverbs 31 woman.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Well, she was intimidating until I learned who Solomon used as his model when he wrote Proverbs 31: his mother.
If you don't know, King Solomon is the son of King David and Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba have a shady past together. To give you a little history, David saw Bathsheba sun-bathing on the roof. He was completely enamored by her. He had to have her and have her he did. He took Bathsheba in and they slept together. For all those who think the Bible is uptight and boring, you need to pick it up and start reading. It is the raciest romance and action-packed book you will ever read. Anyway, I digress.
So, Bathsheba and David have this "relationship." The problem was, Bathsheba was married. Her husband was off fighting in war: David's war. Instead of fessing up to his wrong, David killed Bathsheba's husband. Before killing Uriah, David tried to get him to sleep with his wife, Bathsheba. You see, David had impregnated Bathsheba when they had their fling. Uriah, however, was so committed to David that when David brought him home from war to get him to sleep with his wife so everyone would assume the baby was Uriah's and not question anything, Uriah refused and served David instead. David sends Uriah back into battle and purposefully puts him on the front lines alone and has him killed. To make a long complicated story short, Bathsheba and David end up together after all this craziness.
Why do I tell this story? I tell it because it gives a whole new light and perspective to the Proverbs 31 woman. The Lord allowed David and Bathsheba's first child to die (2 Samuel 12:14). He became ill in infancy and perished. Because of this, Bathsheba committed her life whole-heartedly to the Lord. She was focused on God and did everything in light of this. As Bathsheba lived for the Lord with everything in her being, her son, Solomon watched. He witnessed his mother fully devoted to God. He saw a redemption story play out in life. And we all got the result of this in Proverbs 31.
I write this because I know that I can read about the Proverbs 31 woman and feel completely inadequate and overwhelmed. I am lucky to have the kids fed and in clothes that match some days, let alone being this perfect wife, mom, friend, homemaker, Christ-follower extraordinaire. Knowing that Solomon's example for the woman described in Proverbs 31 enables me to feel like I can attain that type of life for myself. Bathsheba wasn't perfect but she lived for the Lord and her life fell into place. This doesn't mean she never messed up again or that her home was never a wreck. What it does mean, is that when we are redeemed by our Savior and choose to live fully abandoned for Him, anything is possible.
I am the Proverbs 31 woman and so are you. We are perfectly knitted together by the Creator and purposed with a unique design to do great things. If Bathsheba can overcome her past and be written about in the Word of God with such eloquence, then so can you and I. We are the Proverbs 31 woman.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Comments