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"Contrary
to how 'religion' has mostly viewed women throughout the centuries,
the verses in
Proverbs 31 (in the Amplified translation) describe women as capable,
intelligent and virtuous." |
|
| thoroughly
modern |
God
spoke to the devil in Eden. God said how the woman's seed would
bruise satan's head (Genesis 3:15). I think this is the reason
that ever since that time the devil seemed to go all out especially,
to attack the place of women in our culture. However God's will
for women has always been a startlingly 'liberated' life. The
description of a woman's life, quoted from a woman has been there
in Proverbs 31 for almost 3,000 years: |
|
"She
goes to inspect a field and buys it…"
(verse 16, NLT);
"She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them;
she delivers to the merchants…"
(verse 24, AMP);
"She makes sure her dealings are profitable…"
(verse 18, NLT).
|
| with
added super-strength |
| I
based this series upon traditional Jewish artwork on these writings
in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) book of Misheli (Proverbs) called Eshet
Chayil (translated 'Woman of Valor'). The word 'chayil' in Hebrew
(in verses 10 and 29) means 'strength, might, efficiency, wealth,
army' and is a masculine noun often appearing elsewhere relating
to warfare and oftentimes describing… men! Verse 17 does describe
a strong human being in every sense: |
She
girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness
for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.
(AMP) |
| supernatural
|
| A
woman's role in the realm of the spirit too, is given prominence.
"She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food
for her household…" (verse 15, AMP). I know of several
ladies who were the only born-again believer in a family and had
to do that for many years. |
"equality!"
An orthodox Jewish friend told me their understanding is that the
woman protects the family just as ribs protect the heart and lungs
in the body. God did form Eve differently than He did Adam (from
Adam's rib). Although different, she evidently had equality considering
how Adam seemed to just go along with her eating the forbidden fruit,
(Genesis 3:6,12).
a
piece of work
I had ventured onto a rather bleak Hampstead Heath one Spring day
looking for visual inspiration and instead of hedgerows of flowers,
all I found were wintry, linear-looking trees covered in blossom.
I realized these beautiful yet solidly strong branches would reflect
the verses perfectly. |
|
| not
to give anyone a hard time |
| I
wanted to ensure I found out how Christian women today view these
verses. I discovered that Proverbs 31 might be misinterpreted as
overwhelming but I knew that the Word does not condemn any of us.
Sure enough, on the March 14th-18th and 21st-25th, 2005 'Believer's
Voice of Victory' broadcasts, I found some teaching which seems
to put 'The Proverbs 31 Woman' in perspective. |
|
|
women
have their say
In the broadcasts, Kellie Copeland said "This is not the
'week in a life of an awesome woman', this is a lifetime"
and talked about how doing these things may be for different seasons
of a woman's life, during which time it's necessary to let some
of them go. And Terri Pearsons quoted a friend who had said the
only thing she had in common with the Proverbs 31 Woman was that
neither of them were afraid of snow and that they both liked purple
[verse 21], but shared how the power in Proverbs 31 is actually
in the self-fulfilling Word of God itself. |
| one
at a time |
|
Some
Eshet Chayil artwork includes all 22 verses, but I'm glad that
I'm emphasizing individual ones. They could perhaps be displayed
around a home or one might be a specific verse that is 'just the
thing' about a woman walking in the will of God for her life right
now. |
Douglas Rickard |
|
| |
Scripture
quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
| Scripture
quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman
Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) |
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