“THE RIGHT STUFF:” THE GREATER PATH OF CHARACTER
“GREATER PATHS” Session #11 Lifeway Explore the Bible Quarterly
Proverbs 31:10-16, 23-31
“I thank God I live in a Country where the best and finest in a man (a person) can be brought out!” John Glenn- Astronaut, Leader, and American Statesman.
Philip Kaufman’s film, The Right Stuff chronicles the early days of the “Space Race” and the Mercury Space Program established by NASA. In the early days of the program, the Soviet Union was far ahead of the United States in technology manpower and equipment, and the U.S. desperately needed pilots, and scientists with “the Right Stuff” the best, finest, and sharpest our Country had to offer if we were to make it to the moon. Many of us might look at that time in U.S. History and say “those were the days!” We might think that our Country and community is at a place now where the best and finest in us can no longer be brought out. We live in a world that increasingly seems to be filled with “characters” rather than “Character”. Is our opportunity to spread the Gospel, is the impact of our message of Salvation in Christ Jesus, and the salt and light of godly character unable to penetrate the hardened hearts around us? Some might say “yes” but the Bible says “NO!” It is not in a godly society that the light of Christ’s radical transforming power shines brightest but in the darkest. There is no better time than the present for the “Right Stuff” of godly character of the greater path of wisdom in its development at work in us to shine brightly! The end of Solomon’s Proverbs define the Wife of Noble Character but her characteristics are not meant just for her alone, but for all people who are wise and growing in Spiritual Maturity. Our lesson today will examine those godly character traits and the importance of the SOURCE behind them…
Verses 10-12: The Value of Noble Character
As we begin a verse by verse look at this passage (one of the few places in Proverbs where we can do that) we need to remember that the “Noble Character” Solomon describes is not a reminder of our failed achievements but a standard to strive towards; a discussion of what composes (the “Right Stuff” of) a godly woman over an ideal figure. It is meant to encourage us not discourage us in walking the greater paths of wisdom and godly character. Verse 10 starts a whole section that is based on what scholars call “synthetic parallelism” where the second part of the verse completes or describes the first and is organized as a “Hebrew acrostic” where each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (for acrostic think “a is for apple, b is for ball, c is for cat.”).
Verse 10 tells us that “noble” character is hard to find, it is rare and valuable. Do you ever get discouraged by the lack of character that we see around us, and in films and media? This is not a current problem, good character was as hard to find in Solomon’s day as it is in ours… and it is just as valuable; and something to be greatly desired in ourselves and in our spouse and family, like heirloom jewelry, its value is determined by the eye of the beholder, and the impact of goodness that the wife has upon her family not any standardized or scientific measurement. Verse 11 elaborates on that, the noble woman has her family’s complete trust- it’s been earned not given by the way her family lacks nothing good (physically and holistically) in their lives because of her efforts. She is more than adequate in goodness and devoid of evil in her dealings and living and is consistent with it over her entire lifespan (in other words she is a woman of integrity). Where does such adequacy and integrity come from? It comes from God… David tells us in Psalm 23 that “the LORD is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” David did not want because God was more than adequate to meet ALL of his needs and in turn David became adequate in meeting the needs of Israel because he depended upon God. In the same way this woman is adequate in meeting the needs of her family because she depends upon God. When we face times in life where we feel “inadequate” to the challenges and the needs of others who depend upon us where will we turn? We can depend upon our own depleted storehouses or we can depend upon God and the heavenly treasures of Christ who “does not give as the world gives” (John 14:27). When we depend upon God He meets our needs and can provide for others’ needs through us.
Verses 13-20: The Discipline and Joy of Noble Character
Solomon spends the next three verses discussing how hard working the noble character woman is… She provides food, manages the household, gets up early, and makes shrewd and skilled business decisions, buying and selling accordingly always going where she is needed (the job of merchants). But her noble character is not just defined by her hard work or even the object of her hard work (the welfare of her family) but also by her attitude and spirit in carrying out her duties- she is “happy in her work”. In the 1930’s Walt Disney filmed and directed the movie, Snow White, in it he placed a song: “Whistle while you work- hum a happy tune!” This movie was produced at the height of the Great Depression with people starving in the streets, and men and women taking any kind of labor they could find and a lot of it was hard “stoop” labor (picking cotton down South, harvesting fruits and vegetables in California, canneries by the sea, and wheat in the Midwest) but the song was there to remind them to count their blessings, and search for joy in the midst of difficult days. Many people have the noble character of being hard working and providing for their family but they will never let you forget it! They have no joy. Bill Cosby once commented about his Dad: “Here was a man, where if you asked for a dime for a root beer would give you his whole life story!” The “willing hands” of verse 13 is a picture of the woman’s “delight” in her work. All of us have had to do work we didn’t “want” to do, but understanding that work is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:10), and a purpose of His heart for His people can remind us that what we do is significant, helpful, and can make a difference to those we care about and our community (especially the poor); that should fill us with joy instead of complaint and drudgery. When we discuss our burdens in work and retirement let us not forget our joys we discovered in the midst of them. People can stand only so much of hearing how we had to walk uphill 5 miles to school both ways in the snow with school books and the horse on our back or the terrifying frantic energy of seven “sugared-up” grandchildren in our home! That is unless we share the delights we discovered along the way- noble character is intriguing as a witness to others over being “off-putting”.
Verses 21-25a: The Honor of Noble Character
Verses 21 through 24 seem to be a continuation of Solomon’s description of the deeds and benefits of the hard working wife of noble character but the difference between these verses and the previous is what they describe: scarlet clothes, bed coverings, fine purple linen, seats at the city gate among the elders, sashes (belts), clothed with strength and dignity…” These are all items and descriptions of ancient royalty. In the ancient world people wore “sackcloth” (like a burlap material) and were lucky if they had a strand of rope or cord to tie around their waist. Purple, scarlet, fine linen, bed coverings, and belts were reserved for royalty and people of great honor. Solomon is saying that this woman’s family is well honored and respected and has great community influence as a result of her noble character (and in the last set of verses) because of the noble character she is instilling in her children and the noble character she is supporting in her husband.
Verses 25b-31: The Benefits of Noble Character
EVERY church must have at least one if they are to survive and thrive; an honorable family of Christian Character! I think of my old church in Buffalo, New York and the Richbart family; 5 generations of active faithfulness. Every Thursday night ALL the Richbart clan, all generations were involved and serving in the church from Great Granddad at 92, Granddad at 72, Grandsons, cousins, nephews, children (about 25 in all) they were all there and touching every ministry that church had! Hannah at age 7 was the youngest. She was a bit “feral” and always getting into trouble never being in the place she was supposed to be. She broke the Pipe Organ one Thursday night and on Friday morning I could hear her Father Sam, in the pastor’s office lamenting his sorrows, and his “feelings” of failure as a parent (remember this is a man and family of noble character- even excellent character doesn’t mean we won’t feel inadequate, fail, or not have troubles).
Fast forward 18 years, and in my office I get a wedding announcement for Hannah. Inside was a picture of a lovely young woman dressed in white, and a handsome dark haired young man with a note on how they were excited for Hannah to begin teaching elementary school in Illinois, and her new husband pastoring his first church outside of Wheaton! Sam and that family never gave up on God, or on each other, and that made a world of difference in Hannah’s life! And they never gave up on the church. The benefit of noble character is not only noticeable but persistent! Godly Churches persist when noble character families pour their lives into her ministries and her ministers… On the other hand, churches wilt and slowly die not from “bad” outside influences but when people of noble character stop persisting in pursuing the excellence of God’s Kingdom in their homes, communities, and places of ministry to others (apostasy) especially in the church. That is why the next BIGGEST volume of material in the Bible to the TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL IS THE ADMONITION TO THE PERSISTENCE OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH HER PEOPLE (people of noble godly character).
Many of us might feel like we have outlived our “usefulness” that in our later years we have nothing left to contribute to our churches, to our homes, to our communities and even if we do, no one seems to notice or care. We might feel useless, and despair like we are just waiting for God to take us home. Nothing could be further from the Truth! I could go “on and on” but I won’t except to say that this is the only passage in the book of Proverbs that is “hindsight” addressed specifically to OLDER ADULTS!!! The older woman in the passage is godly royalty; y’all are “royalty!” She began in personal humility and with trust “fearing the LORD.” God’s presence with her inspired, motivated, shaped, and led her from the inside out to develop noble character to the point now where her deeds and actions are no longer seen by others as a separate entity based on scriptural instruction like they are in a young child or young person who obeys because they’re told to, but are a part of who she is (her shaped character) and it is reaping great benefits for everyone around her and a rich and heavenly reward awaits her when she is done!!! A life of loving obedience, discipline, joy, learned wisdom, hard work, experience, and example has made the instructions and witness of her mouth more choice than “apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov 25:11) to those around her. Her deeds actions and attitude of the heart, the wisdom she displays no longer speak for themselves but speak of and from the proven righteousness, power, and glory of God who has created her, and formed her for His good purposes; this is what it means to be a Woman or Man of God, this is what it means to be “spiritually mature.” In a young person the “fear of the LORD” is the beginning of the path of Wisdom; in an older person the “fear of the LORD” is a proven fact and legacy of their character. The personal blessings of wisdom have now become and expanded to communal blessings through her or him.
“Strength and honor” (from heaven) are her clothing.”Are they ours, have we claimed them from God’s hand?Noble character’s influence grows and grows and grows!The harder the later seasons of life gets for her and us (and I know they are hard!) the louder God’s praise gets from an established life of noble character.Many of y’all are “near there”.The end of the journey is much closer than the beginning, but finish well- it’s crucial. God has made you a strong witness for Him through established noble character and where He has strengthened you at the broken places of your sorrows and hurts.Don’t give up now, the last miles are always hardest but they pale in comparison to the reward of heaven, and the power of what God can do through your character and your current facings of your weaknesses and struggles as He has equipped you with a lifetime of HIS FAITHFULNESS behind you and in you!I am honored and humbled to walk this road with you!Know I am praying for you.Let us remember the greater paths of a wise life and continue on the greatest path- The road to Heaven in and through Faith in Jesus Christ our LORD together till we all come home!Love in Christ, Darrin.