The Truth About Proverbs 31 | What Every Woman (And Man) Should Know | Proverbs 31:1-31

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a

couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in

practical ways. Well, good morning, everybody. My name is Chris

and I'm Kyle, and we today are the Bible Guys.

That's right, Kyle, you are a veteran of the Bible Guys.

You've been here several times, at least one, at least three,

at least three if you listen yesterday. I put my

foot in the off because I didn't know how many

times Quinn had been on a Bible Guy. But you

have certainly been. I would say, besides Jeff and I,

you're definitely the most frequent guest.

All right, son, good? I take that part three.

When I was when I was, when I was a

pastor at a church and I wasn't the lead pastor,

they used to say, hey, you're a junior pastor. That fun, right,

You're a junior Binal guy.

Dude, I've had it said to me before. We're like,

like even when they becoming a campus pastor, people like,

oh my gosh, you're finally a real pastor now. And

I'm like, and you're like, when did that happen?

Thanks? That i'd like you know this or not, but

I've been a pastor. It's it's quite a while. Well, hey,

so today a couple of things. Number One, Jeff's out

of the country, so we're having a different Bible Guy's

guest every day.

It's gonna be great, man. I love this idea.

Yeah, it's cool. And then secondly, I've got to throw

this announcement. If you feel like it, join us for

our very first invitational, this first time we've ever promoted this.

But on April twenty fourth in the Inlay City campus

at Heritage Church, we are doing a live Bible Guys event.

So April twenty fourth, it starts at six o'clock. Just

show up at the church, walk in and we're doing

an actual recording of the Bible Guys in La City,

which is a little bit north of where we are,

about forty five minutes and it's gonna be cool event.

And so if you want to, if you're in the

area and you know us, and maybe you don't even

go to Heritage Church, that's really cool, right, just show up.

Yeah, it's kind of cool. Worth it. Oh, absolutely, that's greata.

I think it'd be neat. So there you go buddy.

And so we're gonna start with a segment. In fact,

I call this the crazy Question segment all week. Gotcha?

Gotcha?

Okay, So here it is one of our regular Bible guys.

Kyle is back today.

Hi Kyle.

Since he's been with us last he's become the pastor

at our newest campus, which is our Stony Creek campus

that meets in Stony Creek High School. So here's today's question.

You're in charge of creating a new sport. What's the

most bizarre combination of sports you throw together? What a

crazy question? It seems kind of randomness.

It is, it is, but honestly it's funny. I don't

know if you've ever thought about this yourself. I don't

know if i'd say combination wise. Something I think is

so cool is my kids are big fans of Dude

Perfect and Dude Perfect. They do this thing. It's called

the Extreme Sports Golf Challenge. Oh yeah, you like this

because you're a golfer as well. And what they end

up doing is they'll so they like they like spin

a wheel, and they for every every hit of a

golf ball, the way they count the score, they're counting

how many strokes they have. It's a different club, it's

a different or sporting thing. So like they may draw

and it's like a frisbee, So they throw a frisbee

down the green. The next one they draw it into

a soccer ball or it's a hockey shot, and so

they're trying to go along.

It's replacing the golf ball exactly. So it's not necessarily

like a five iron.

No no, no, no no, it's it's literally replacing using a

different sport. So they've had different celebrity. They've had Baker Mayfield,

they've had Tom Brady, They've had different people on there.

I think Drew Brees was on one of them. And

they do this I think they call it All Sports

Golf Battle and where they combined different sports. I think

that'd be actually fun to watch on TV.

Oh I mean, but instead a new sport that's an

existing sport.

It's not well it's it's not a YouTube channel. Yeah,

I would definitely steal it. How do we make that famous?

And then the only other one I thought of before

because I would love to watch is I think when

you were growing up there you were watch like pros

versus Joe's It was like it was like professional athletes playing.

I'm watching Battle of the Network Stars prettybody fifty over.

They're gonna love that joke.

Yeah, I don't even know what that is, all right, exactly,

but there's pros versus jos. They would have random people

go compete against pros and sports. I would love to

see a new version of that. Or I would love

to see a crossover where, like you have professional athletes,

current professional athletes playing other professional sports. I would love

to see Lebron James play football or something like that,

or or like Michael Jordan play baseball exactly. You should

try that, you know what. That would be a good idea. Yeah,

get him to play hockey. That'd be good. But it

wouldn't be kind of fun to see that different different

crossover sports. So yeah, anyways, that's very very cool. I'd

pay money to watch that for sure.

Yeah. Well, you know what, speaking of extreme things, okay,

I think Solomon has written one of the most extremely

famous passages for godly women and Proverbs thirty one. Wow,

that's terrible, terrible.

Speaking of sports, we can argue about who has the

better wife today?

What did you say better?

I don't know, it's a bad You said, these are

bad transitions to they were talking about a wife of

noble character? Brother, okay, okay, yes, yes.

I was like, I was like, where they where are

we going with?

Yes, hey man, better wife? You said, I know, you said, hey,

let's have a bad transition.

I'm like, all right, I'll let you know this about Jeff,

But did you know that every time he wants to

disassociate himself with a comment, he always says, oh no,

did you know that?

Oh yeah, yeah, and he looks at tv ye.

So if I'll say something, he goes, oh no, oh no,

and I'm like, I'm like, so I know I've said

something bad, right because he doesn't want to be a

part of it. So he says, oh no, So that's

what I almost wanted to say.

He said, why you're saying this guy.

Is the better wife.

I'm like, uh, oh no, where are we going with

this guyle? No, but we're actually reading about that actually

a wife of noble character. And I think that this

was chosen in particular for you and I to read

it together because I think there's some the person who

planned this desert. I think she has a lot of

respect for both of our wives.

So that's it. That's a good thing, right, Oh, for sure,

great thing. Or it could be that maybe you just

happened to land on the day that we're right at

probably thirty one.

I like to assume that it was chosen, it has written.

It's like the Claw the Toy story. I'm chosen.

Yes, for sure.

I had all sorts of you know, I have a

thousand movie references, Like in every conversation. I mean, you

said combining sports. I'm like, I almost said, you know,

there's a movie about that. Oh Wilson and Jenny McCarthy

and they called it basketball and they combined different sports

and it was really a terrible, terrible, terrible movie. Not good,

but it was terrible, which I just said four times.

But yet that came to my mind because you say

combining sports. I'm like, that's been done.

Actually, yeah, said, I've never heard of it with those

two actors in it.

It's probably like nineteen ninety seven, ninety six.

So it wasn't it wasn't memorable enough.

Yeah, that's why I see how good I am. On

the year I turned off my thing, we have to

go about, hang onaball, what year did the movie Basketball

come out with Jenny McCarthy. It's got me mid nineties,

nineteen ninety seven.

Look at that.

Look at that?

What it pro everybody wherever you're I give it up

for Chris Oball movie buff All. Right, buddy, should we

start reading here Proverbs?

I think so?

Yeah, thirty one Okay, time, So this is the sayings

of how would you say this, King Lemuel?

Yeah, so I've always read it Lemuele Lemule.

Okay, but we can.

Talk about that later because there's probably a good note

on here. Yeah, because I grew up finding out about Lemuele.

But you're probably right it's probably le Mule.

Yeah. Well, there you go. We'll start in the Proverbs

thirty one, verse one. The sayings of King Lemule contains

this message which his mother taught him. Oh my son, O,

son of my womb, Oh, son of my vows, do

not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

It is not for kings old Lemuel to get to

guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol, but if they drink,

they may forget the law and not give justice to

the oppressed. Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for

those in bitter distress. Let them drink to forget their

poverty and remember their troubles. Speak up for those who

cannot speak for themselves, and sure justice for those being crushed. Yes,

speak up for the poor and helpless and see that

they get justice. And this next section is what I

was referring to earlier with the sport about our wives

bad joke. I apologize, yay, but.

No, none of that. But oh no, I'm gonna wait

you're done to talk about it, because I'm really excited

to actually about the first.

Couple of verses. But this next section is titled a

wife of noble character as who can find a virtuous

and capable wife. She is more precious than Rubi's. Her

husband can trust her and she will get greatly enrich

his life. She brings him good, not harm. All the

days of her life. She finds woolen flax and busily

spins it. She is like a merchant's ship. Bring her

food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare

breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for

her servant girls.

I bet you that's Liz way more than Kristen.

The whole time, We're just going to tell you though.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it. With

her earnings, she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong,

a hard worker. She makes her dealings, Oh sorry, She

makes sure her dealings are profitable. Her lamp burns late

into the night. Does lit's stay up late at night?

No Kristen neither, so no zero zero on that one.

Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

She extends a helping hand of the poor and opens

her arms to the needy. She has no fear of

winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. She

makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and

purple gowns. Her husband is well known at the city gates,

where he sits with the other civic leaders. She makes

belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs

without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words

are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully

watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.

There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,

but you surpass them all. I love this ending here

it says charm is deceptive and beauty does not last.

But a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds

publicly declare her praise.

Yeah, it's one of the coolest proverbs that there is, right, Yes,

And as we mentioned yesterday in the podcast, proverbs is

generally just a bunch of wise things, most of the

time thrown together, and you know, you know, written consecutively.

But a single chapter or section may have thirty verses,

and it may be twenty five different subjects, right, because

there's usually a you know, a couple verses on the

same subject, that kind of thing. But in this particular case,

this whole chapter seems to be about one topic. Right now,

different different characteristics of wives and a wonderful wife actually

it's a godly woman. It's not a godly wife, but

it does refer to her as a wife here, but

it could be applied to all women. Right, And let

me just say this before we even jump into this.

This this doesn't go against like you think about twenty

twenty five, people are so afraid to say that men

and women are different. And I'm not talking about Christians.

I'm talking about like the you know, in politics, you

know what's socially acceptable, but you know, God made us

very different. Yeah, And in the nineteen fifties, stigma of like,

you know, woman's in the kitchen, staying home, barefoot, pregnant,

raising kids. Well, that's not a good image. But if

you think about it, everything about this thing, written you know,

thousands of years ago has her as a good business

womans right, doesn't have her home in the nineteen fifties

with a blender.

Yeah right.

It just describes how unbelievably awesome a wife can be.

And it feels to me like it's both agree. It

feels like it feels like she's a woman and she's

different than a man, and at the same time she

has a role to play in the marriage, and at

the same time she takes on all the ambitious things

that women can and will do today.

Yeah. Well, I love how it says she is clothed

with strength and dignity, because a lot of times when

you think of strength, you know, of course we want

to think, oh, that must be describing a man. And

I love this with the first point I actually had

as well, agreeing with you, Chris, I think it's so

cool with a high view of women that God has

so many people. I talk to people a lot of

times who have issues with the Bible because they feel

like women are and I know you talk about this

in the Bible guys a lot, but how they believe

that the Bible is outdated and in its view of women.

And it's so interesting because you don't see that with Jesus.

Jesus had a very high view of women, the way

he appeared to women at the tomb, the way his

the first time he talked about being the son of

God was to a woman.

Well women, first first of the cross, first of the tomb.

Yeah, it's incredible. And then a culture when that would

just not was not socially acceptable in that culture has

nothing with God but just that culture. Then you throw

in something like this and you read it and this

is a like a girl like you're saying, like a

girl boss. Right here is who is respected, who is

out like I said, going and making her own food,

making her own you know, clothing, her family, her kids

love her, her husband respects her, and is respected by others.

And I just love that that. It's just this high

view of women right there.

So one of the things that I mentioned earlier was

I said that verse number one king Lemule. So there's

different theories on King Lemuele. In fact, there's a note

here in the Life Application and Study Bible that says

little is known about Lemule except the fact that he

was a king who received wise teachings from his mother.

His name means devoted to God. Some believe that Lemuel

and a Gore were both from the kingdom of Massa

and Northern Arabia. Now growing up, I also remember reading

that King le Mule could also be a nickname for

Solomon himself. Wow, and so and I remember, actually there's

a pretty good amount of scholars that I believe probably

lean toward that way as well. And but but again,

because there's not a lot of information, we can only guess, right,

we don't, We don't really know, that's the bottom line.

But however, when I heard that some people think it

could be Solomon, think about the lens in which Solomon

writes this, Because don't you remember who was Solomon's.

Mom was yeah, yeah, right.

So what is David and Beshida Basheba best known for

adultery in the scandal, So think about that through this lens. Oh,

my son, son of my wombs, son of my vows,

do not waste your strength on women who on those

he ruined kings. Right, So that could be because it

says the sayings of King the Mule contained this message

which his mother taught him. Think about it. If it

was Bestsheba, the mother of King the Mule, why would

that not be one of the lessons that she would say.

You know, hey, don't don't make the same mistakes we did, right,

don't learn the hard way like we did. And so

if you think about it that way, what a great

parenting moment for Solomon, because it is it is then

like it's not just wisdom, it's wisdom by experience exactly.

You know. Another thing I love about this too is

a lot of times I've heard people reference this verse

and talk about and it can be a tough one

to strive for, but I always use it as a

way for especially like my daughters. Even so, one thing

about I have a fourteen year old and a twelve

year old daughter. And I don't know if you know

you've known this or noticed this with the younger generation,

but there's this really cool revival happening with young people

that I think is a lot of people want to

hate on the next generation. I won't be I know,

you're not that way. I'm not that way. But I

have seen this huge revival and young people actually actually

reading their like reading their physical Bible like people walk.

I was in there on the airplane a couple weeks

ago and the some young seventeen year old bust I

was Bible reading Romans on the Bible or in the plane.

I'm like, wow, anyways, yeah, so we're just talking about Romans.

He's a seventeen year old. I'm with, this is so cool.

But so my daughters are in that same, you know,

that younger generation, and they they they then their friends

they'll buy like highlighters and highlight their Bibles. And so

a few months ago I remember mentioning to my oldest

I said, oh, you got to read Proverbs thirty one,

and she just thought it was so cool. You know,

the way God talks about women lifts them up. But

I would say one of the things that stands out here,

because sometimes you can read that and it can even

be discouraging for some people because it's all these descriptions

of these of a woman that maybe you feel like

you don't live up to you you know, you're not

quite there yet and whatnot. I just want to just

encourage peable by like the last statement on here where

it talks about about how charm is deceptive and beauty

does not last, It's is true, but a woman who

fears the Lord will be greatly praised. So basically just

a reminder, like as a summary of this whole thing,

is that all the things you're striving after, especially in

our culture, which is beauty a lot of times, and

power and fame and you know maybe money or love

even to be accepted, all those things are fleeting. But

it's a woman who fears the Lord. I think that's

such a beautiful goal, right.

Yeah, yeah, you know there's actually time and I'm talking

about like when I was very young, right, like you know,

when I before I was married, these kinds of things.

But it's probably still true today because you can say

a woman's attractive and not not have that not be

a negative thing, right, But but but it's always been

true for me in my life, where when you and

I think it's true for actually I think it's true

for everybody. But let's point out the fact that when

when you meet somebody and if they're not a nice person,

they become uglier. It doesn't matter how good looking they are, right,

we all know that. But then when you meet when you,

when you when you you know, you interact with somebody

and they're just a godly woman, it's like, it's almost

unbelievable how much more they become attractive. And I mean

even in the attractive sense, like when I was younger,

when I was sixteen or seventeen or something like this,

I would be like, oh, my goodness, she's way more

attractive because she's you know, godly, And it is true.

But you know, but respectfully, it's it's true no matter what.

I think all of us can agree with that. Yeah,

you know what, you know, I think it be fun.

So let's go through like verse number ten, through the

end of the chapter, and let's try to just sort

of use a adjective to summarize what Solomon is saying. Like,

for instance, so he says, who can find a virtuous

and capable wife, she's more precious than rubies. And so

I would just say, here's what Solomon is saying. She's valuable, right,

extremely valuable. Right. And then and then you know, you

go down. You know, she finds wool and flax busily

spinds it. I would just say, Okay, she's a hard

worker yep, yep, resourceful, yep, resourceful, right, that's good resourceful.

What else?

Yeah, So then let's go sixteen and she goes to

inspect to feel them buys it with her earning. She

plants a vineyard. That right there. I mean, shoot, that

is somebody who's independent.

Sure, independent, I would say that that means she's wise, right,

she's she's business savvy yep. Right, and she's entrepreneurial yep,

absolutely right. I mean that's that's crazy yep.

I like the eighteen em And she makes sure her

dealings are profitable. That's again going to resourceful. The lamp

burns late into the night, so kind of going hard

working again. But this is somebody who isn't idle. She's

not sitting around waiting for life to happen.

Yeah, she's diligent yep. She's faithful yep. And these are great, great,

great adjectives. Her hands are busy spinning thread her fingers. Yeah,

it's kind of thing.

She extends helping hand to the poor and opens her

arms in the needy. That's a great one right here.

That's passionate.

Yep, compassionate, that's great work.

Yeah. Yeah. She has no fear of winter in her household,

for everyone has warm clothes. Well, what does that mean.

It means she's, uh, she's a planner yep, right, yep,

so she is. She's a forward thinker. She is wisdom

beyond her years. Right, So she's not going to get,

you know, accused of not thinking ahead for caring for

her family.

I think twenty three is interesting. Her husband is well

known of the city gays, where sits with the other

civic leaders. So it's this idea that she, you know,

in a way, she's taking care of her household. She's

respected almost because her husband is respected as well. Well.

I'd like to think of it as because Proverbs thirty

one is describing the woman and if her husband is

well in the city gates, I'd like to think that

that's actually a byproduct because of.

Who she is.

Right, So, you know, they always say behind every good

man's a good woman. True, So I would say that

then that way, I would say she's humble, right, wanting

her husband to be well known. She's supportive, right, So

those are great things.

Yeah, and I mentioned this earlier, but twenty five says

she's clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs without fear

of the future. Isn't that cool too? She laughs without

fear of the future. Yeah, there's some confidence to her. Well,

she doesn't worry. Yeah, so she's confident.

Yeah, she doesn't worry, which probably also means she has

strong faith, trust in the Lord, trust in you know,

who God made her to be because of everything that

she's doing running her household. Yeah, when she speaks, her

words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness, So

that means she's incredibly relational along with her wisdom, So

she doesn't just have wisdom and she barks it out

with you know, authoritarian, you know, do this because I'm mom.

Because I said so, It says she gives instructions with

kindness in her roles.

Absolutely, this is great. And then twenty eight her children

stand and bless her, her husband praises her. So she's

just just a well respected and I think it seems

like the people around her, closest to her, who met

her most know her. And still it's not like she's

putting on a front. She is that person to others

and to her family, which is great.

Those who know you best, When those who know you

best and they know the worst side of you. Yes,

if your children can stand and bless you, and your

husband praise you, that is that means through and through.

Yes, she's a good woman, right exactly.

There are many virtuous and capable women of the world,

but you surpass them all. So she is. She is

again praised. I can't even tell you this is a

strange comment to make, but you know I always you know,

in my business, in your business, sometimes we do funerals, right,

and so oftentimes when I do moms. One of the

things that I love to hear about a mom if

the deceased is a is a mother, which you know

most most women are. I interview the children and I

cannot even tell you. I cannot even tell you. It's

almost every time they will say she was the best

mom in the world. And I always think to myself,

that's the way it should be, right, I think in

a lot of ways. I think my mom's the best

mom in the world in some categories, and we should

all think that. And I think my wife is the

best mom in the world. And so it's and my

kids would probably say that. And and so that idea

that her children stand and bless her, her husband praises her,

and then they say, there are many virtuous and capable

women in the world, but you surpassed them all. That's

what the husband and the child say. And the reason

why we know that it's in quotes. There's a colon

and then there's quotes there. This is how they praise

their mom and their wife. They're saying, you're the best

above them all.

And then amazing, Ye, it's so good, it's so good.

And then to end here, the ending of the verse

says Charmer is acceptive. Beauty does not last. But a

woman who fears the Lord. So I think with this one,

I mean as far as word, the woman who fears

the Lord is to be will be greatly praised. This

one is just I think, fear the Lord, or faithful,

faithful to the Lord, faith with her husband. But hey,

because just because of time, I want to throw one

more thing out since I'm the guest Bible bye, I

was thinking about this, Yes, yes, yes, you know one

thing I'll to throw on. I don't know. I don't

know if this is the same for you. I think

when you and Liz met, you guys started dating pretty quickly, correct, right,

dating pretty quickly, right right on you. You and I

both got married at a young age, just twenty one

years old. You were twenty or twenty twenty one, okay,

both twenty one. And it's interesting because people will come

to me sometimes because I've done young adult minister and

still have the you know, privilege of being around a

lot of young people, and they asked me my thoughts

on getting married.

Go ahead say it. You're still in your thirties.

I'm in my fall, dude, I'm pushing. I'm pushing forty, bro.

But so know what I would say is, uh, sometimes

people ask me that, And even though I got married

young twenty one, I don't always. I don't think it's

a one size fits all thing where it's like, oh,

you for sure should look out. It's worked out for me,

you know that sort of thing. I think, at the

end of the day, one thing that helped me a ton,

And I'll give this advice really to anybody, is I

think it's really wise to be friends with somebody, like

to really get to know somebody, really get to be

before you make that lifelong commitment, to actually see them

in the good and the bad. And one thing that

happened with me and Kristen when I met her, she

put me in the friend zone for like the first year.

Like I didn't want anybody to know this, but I

liked her for sure, but I'm sure I didn't. It

wasn't as cool as I thought. I was about holding

it down, but I was in the friend zone. And

so I got to see her, you know, in restaurants

where she wasn't trying to win me over, and the

way she talked to servers, right. I got to see

her in situations where she was stressed or when you know,

school was hectic and whatever, and it wasn't like she

was on a date with me trying to put her

best self forward and vice versa. Like she really got

to see me in all circumstances with my family, with

my friends, with her family, with her friends, And I

think it actually helped a lot to really make this

lifelong decision to commit to this partner right, And I

think in this day and age, one thing I I

would advise against. Although I think dating apps can be

great in a lot of ways. I'm sure you've done

a bunch of weddings. I know I have where people

have that on dating apps. I think it's a great

thing because I think in many ways you're cutting to

the chase. Right. It can be, But at the same time,

I think the one negative would be that oftentimes you

meet people who when they go out on that first

date and it's a dating app. The whole point here

is Christians meeting each other to find their special one

is they almost put on a front sometimes and they

kind of put up this picture of who they want

the other person to believe that they are, which may

not be accurate. And so I would just encourage people

to like, really get to know the person that you

are dating, really take your time, and really make sure

that this is like when you read a verse like this,

like proverse thirty one, does that describe this person? And

then I'd say, for ladies in the same way, is

this the type of person you strive to be in

the type of husband who can match that and can

really compliment you in that. So reading this, I was

just thinking about a lot of people I know who

are in that single phase trying to figure out their

next step.

Yeah, well that's great. In fact, that's our time. That's

a great closing thought, and what a great chapter honestly,

right now, thanks for having me, buddy, thanks for being here,

and we'll join you next time, hopefully with a brand

new guest. That's on the Bible.

Guys,