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Prov. 31:10-12, 28-30
Rev. George F. Borghardt III
Christ on Campus Retreat - 2006
In the name of Jesus. Amen. “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.” (Prov. 31:10-11)
This wife is a busy little lady. She's up early, arising while it's still night and provides food for her whole household. She's off to work – considering and buying a field, with her profits she buys a vineyard, working with her hands, extends her hand to the poor, girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. Then, she perceives that her merchandise is good and then her lamp does not go out by night.
Just how does she get all that work done? Like merchant ships show up from afar, so the food just seems to arrive. Everything just appears. Poof, there's dinner.
Snow comes, she's ok. Her house is clothed. Clothed with good stuff – Scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. You don't get any better than purple.
Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Prov. 31:29-31)
Praised. She is to be praised. That's the way a husband speaks to his wife. No, pointing out of faults. No, picking apart. No, tearing up. That's not what husbands and wives do.
Often times, someone has a bit of beauty that's greater and catches our eyes. But, such beauty is fleeting – here today and tomorrow it is gone.
But her beauty, the wife's beauty, is found not in her, but outside her – in the Lord.
Wisdom is described as being more precious than rubies. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And a wife that fears the Lord – oh my – rubies and then some.
He has nothing but good things to say about his Bride. He builds her up. He speaks of her beauty. He praises her.
That's the way the Bridegroom speaks of the Bride too. No tearing her up. No bringing her down. No beating her up. No pointing out wrinkles and faults. Only forgiveness. Only praise.
He says of her, “My bride.” He says, “My Church. Glorious. Holy. Without spot.”
The surest way to destroy a relationship is to start tearing up – for a husband to treat his wife like poop rather than rubies. Finding faults, tearing up, picking apart.
Then comes the distrust. Protecting one another. Hiding things. Covering up. The instant that one protects oneself from the other, the marriage is real trouble. Like hiding in the garden, eh? When it goes wrong, it goes wrong.
Not with Jesus. He looks at His bride. Her worth is far greater than rubies. He worth is the Blood of the only begotten of the Father. He sheds His blood for her. He gives His life for her. He makes her holy. She is worth what she is worth because He did what He did. (Nagel)
Charm deceives. He doesn't go for the charm of adultery. Beauty is fleeting. He makes her beautiful with His Words, His Washing, and His Body and Blood. Her beauty lasts even unto eternal life.
Then, He acts as if it was a shocker that He found her. “Check her out, Dad.” He present her to Himself – a glorious Church. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
You won't find such a bride, young men. Such women are not found, they are given – from the Lord who was given His Bride, the Church.
Then, there isn't enough time in the day for His Bride the Church to do, and work, and care for those around her. Early she rises, late she goes to bed. Clothing, feeding, caring for her own. Her children praise her – Her Bridegroom too.
And you won't find such a husband, young ladies. Such a husband is given from above. God does the giving. That's the way He is – always good all the time. Man to woman and woman to man. And what He joins together, no one puts asunder.
“There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a maiden.” (Prov. 30:18-19)
How does that bird stay in the air? How does that snake move across the ground. How does that ship move on all those waves? I don't know. Do you?
Too wonderful for me – like the way a husband with his wife.
“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies..” (Prov. 31:10-11)
Who can find such a bride? Jesus did and He died for her. He died for the bride He gives you. He died for the groom He gives you too.
Worth rubies? Probably not. But He says so, so it is so. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Edited on: June 01st, 2006 12:39 am
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