One thing I loved about The Chosen was that it helped me to become more appreciative of the beauty of Jewish culture. It is often complained by non-Christians how sexist the Jewish Bible is. But every Sabbath meal begins with someone who would quote Proverbs 31 from the Old Testament “A woman of valor, who can find?” It is difficult to find such a woman. I’m lucky to have known many such women who inspire me.
Sadly, this verse from Proverbs is often translated as ‘a good wife.’ But ‘a noble wife’ or ‘a woman of valor’ would be a much better translation, evoking the image of someone who should be respected and reverenced for her dignity, her virtue, and her fear of the Lord. And that is precisely what we see in chapter 31 of Proverbs. “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” (Prov. 31:28)
When I think of certain women in my life, I’m even more moved by this entire chapter. The most significant verse to me seems to be, “The heart of her husband trusts in her.” This is a key element of being this ‘woman of valor.’ She is worthy of trust.
But how does such a woman become worthy of trust? The answer may surprise you. When God says “I will make a helper fit for [Adam],” the word for helper doesn’t mean ‘servant,’ but ‘life-saver’ or ‘hero.’ Eve is meant to be someone upon whom Adam can depend to save his life. She has his back. She’s a warrior who stands next to him in battle to help save him, even as he saves her.
The women I know who live this truth are a living image of this woman from Proverbs 31. They “work with willing hands” (Prov. 31:13), when they support, care for, and love the men in their lives. They “opens their hands to the poor” (Prov. 31:20), when they love others and challenge the men in their lives to love others as well. “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come” (Prov. 31:25), when these women stand strong against the difficulties of life. Their virtues inspire men to virtue. Their trust inspires men to trust.
All this comes from their love of Jesus. I have found that these women (while they often look very beautiful) do not spend too much time on their beauty. For “charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Prov. 31:30) It is the virtue and valor of these women that most draws men to them.
“A woman of valor, who can find?” It is the echo of every good man who is secure in his own heart. As a man seeks out a wife, his heart echoes those words. And every man who finds such a treasure echoes those same words in disbelief.
This blog and all content on this website is copyrighted, all rights reserved. © 2024 Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, Inc. (TOBET)