Proverbs 31:10-31 - Wisdom that Works
- Chad Werkhoven
- Jul 7, 2022
- 2 min read
The concluding passage of Proverbs shows what wisdom looks like when it's put to work.
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Read the chapter in an outlined format
Proverbs 31:10-31 Summary
This final passage of Proverbs paints a picture of perfection that few can truly achieve. While it showcases an ideal woman who excels in every realm of life, this passage is much deeper than a guide on how to be a good wife.
First of all, this passage is a work of art in and of itself. Although it's impossible to notice in English, this passage is an acrostic poem, with each line beginning with subsequent letters of the Hebrew alphabet (or more literally, the alefbet).
But most of all, this passage is a picture of Lady Wisdom, the woman the wise father encouraged his young son to seek in the opening chapters of Proverbs. When read in this context, the characteristics described become something that all people - both men and women - must seek to emulate in our own lives.
Dig Deeper
Wisdom is much more than a detached understanding of how the world ought to work, such as the theoretical musings of a philosopher or an isolated monk at the top of a mountain.
Notice the industriousness of Lady Wisdom. She is constantly at work producing, providing, and profiting. She makes sure the needs of all those around her - her family as well as the poor & needy - have what they stand in need of.
True wisdom certainly involves understanding the truth, but true wisdom is a wisdom that works.
The book of Proverbs is full of good advice, but this advice quickly falls flat if it's taken apart from the rest of the Bible. The Proverbs are not a set of instructions to follow in order to keep God happy and off your back, rather, the full benefits of its wisdom are for those who realize their righteousness is in Christ alone and who seek to live life to its fullest as a way to express gratitude to God.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is the creator of all wisdom
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your life would reflect God's true wisdom.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
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