October 31

Oct 31 - Today from Proverbs 31 we look at verse 15
"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

Before commenting on this verse, I would like to preface it with the text of Ephesians 5:31& 32 and from that truth, change one word from verse 10 of Proverbs 31:
"'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. A church of noble character who can find?"
From verse twelve on, the Teacher describes what a church (wife) of noble character looks and acts like. Being that the 'wife' is an illustration of a spiritual truth, we are left to work out the spiritual concepts of nobility and virtue for the church. The Teacher points to a woman of high moral character. We then must seek to be a church with high standards of moral behavior if we are to honor our Lord (husband). Morality goes far beyond it's most common perception of dealing only with sexual behavior. It covers the entire range of virtue - how we are to behave toward our fellow man. Because we are working from the Word of God, and we are speaking of His Church, we are constrained to use only one standard of 'good' when we define good behavior. That standard is the moral code given us in God's Word.
The church of noble character then 'gets up while it is still dark'. What is the concept here? I believe it is related to time and not to darkness. The noble church is not to be idle. She knows that time is a gift from God, and that she must be a very good steward of the time allotted her. She does not waste time by being idle, waiting for a more proper time to begin to 'fulfill her purpose'. Now is the time. "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here." (Romans 13:11, 12). The virtuous church does not wait until she feels like being a virtuous wife - she knows that she is the virtuous wife, and the time for serving her Husband is now. Woe to the church who is waiting for the right opportunity and time to serve when suddenly the Husband returns and finds her idle.
The church of noble character 'provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.' What is the concept here? I believe the issue is priorities of provision. The church is to care for her own first, not neglecting those outside (verse 20). Jesus says the world will know that the church is made up of His disciples by their unconditional love for one another. That's a bit of a paraphrase of John 13:35, but it is accurate. Sin has made individuals in the world self-serving. That is our state when we are born in the flesh. Grace through Christ Jesus has restored the church to God's original purpose of others-serving. The evidence of God's original purpose for man is to be manifested in the church. Jesus was the example for the Church (his wife), she is to be the example to the world. That is how we glorify Him, by reflecting His character. If the church does not care for her own first, how can we bear witness to the world our love for one another? "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:10). When the church treats its fellow believers with contempt and withholds her blessings from them, she dishonors her Husband. When the church fails to make adequate provision for her servants (Pastors and staff personnel), she dishonors her husband. The church of noble character makes sure her own are cared for first, and then she looks for ways and opportunities to serve those outside of her household.
"A church of noble character who can find?" YOU are the church.