Proverbs 31:10b
"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies."
She is more precious than rubies."
Another translation of verse 10b is "her worth (or price) is far above rubies (or jewels)".
In Ancient Near East, jewelry was a symbol of many things: wealth, status, and authority to name a few. So King Lemuel's mom was basically saying that a woman of noble character is far more precious than wealth, social status, and authority! That really does say a lot about this woman! Back in those days, families paid a bride price to the husband to be. And for someone like a prince, who probably has more than one suitor bidding to be princes, this verse is really saying something. Don't look at what the families can offer you, because a woman of worth, valor, strength, has a price higher than any jewels that can be offered! Also, I researched this verse as well and the only other time that the Bible mentions something being worth more than jewels (or rubies) is in Job 28:18. Job stated that the price of wisdom was far above rubies.
So as a Proverbs 31 woman, my worth should be far above any symbol in our times that means wealth, status, or authority. My very being, who I am, should be so worthy that my husband is better off having me as a wife than he is having the best job, the best title, the best car, the biggest home! What would make a man pick a wife over wealth and status? Men live on being respected and honored. And if he knows that he has a wife at home that respects and honors him, then he knows he can trust her with all that is his. This is a strong woman of courage who will be by his side through it all, someone who will never leave him or forsake him, someone whose very purpose in life is to help him be all he can be, and do it all with wisdom, grace, and love. That is what makes a woman more precious than rubies.
A woman like that is someone her husband can trust! Well, funny that I mention that, because Proverbs 31:11 talks about that! It is absolutely my favorite verse in this chapter and I can't wait to dig into it next week and see what that trust looks like in our generation today.
Until next time, my prayer is that we would all know that through Jesus (and only through Jesus) we can be worth far more precious than rubies to our husbands!
In Christ,
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