In Pursuit of Proverbs 31 Bible Study~ Lesson 3

For this lesson, Amy gave us three thoughts to focus upon:

~1. The spiritual aspect of Proverbs 31 is that this woman is a description of the bride of Christ.
~2. She has a pure heart. God sees a clear distinction between a person's actions and the person's heart.
~3. She fills her heart with God's Word and praise to her King and He will give her the desires of her heart. The desires He placed within her.

There are several things that stood out to me, but there is one thing in particular I'd like to share with you now. Amy said under point one,

"All throughout the Bible there are many scriptures that enforce the majority of the lines of scripture in Proverbs 31 BUT... the similar scriptures are not just for women. They are intended for the entire body of Christ. The bride of Christ.

On a practical side, these scriptures give us a look into the heart of women. I can't help but notice a theme throughout... the craving of praise from the husband. The penalty of sin in Genesis 3 was that the woman's desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her.

This desire is evident in Proverbs 31. Something else that is clearly evident is this woman's relationship with her God. Her desire is to please Him."

Along with this point she had us look up and study Genesis 3:16.

"To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be

for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 3:16, NKJV

What does this verse mean? A woman gave birth to sin in the human race and now will pass that sin on to her children. Mankind is born with a sin nature. Woman can be delivered from this curse by raising Godly children. Let me explain further what I mean by this statement. Let's look at 1 Timothy 2:15.

"Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in

faith, love, and holiness, with self-control."

1 Timothy 2:15, NKJV

In this passage of Scripture, Paul is not saying that women receive/ maintain their salvation through the bearing of children (salvation is by grace alone through faith alone- Romans 3:19, 20). What Paul is saying is this, that even though the woman wears the scarlet letter of being the "one" who led the human race into sin, it is women, through childbearing and child-rearing who may be freed from that stereotype by raising a generation of Godly children.

Mothers have an extremely unique bond with their children. There is an intimacy between a mother and her child like no other. I would dare say that a mother has far greater influence in the lives of her children because she is with them the most nurturing and caring for them. This time a mother has with her children gives her a unique responsibility and great opportunity to raise children who love the Lord with all their heart.

Yes, woman may have been the one to lead the human race into sin, but she has because of her God given roles, the opportunity to lead many hearts from a life of sin to a life of godliness.

The woman of Proverbs 31 honored, revered, and respected God. She cherished her relationship with the Lord and that flowed down into the life of her family. Her relationship with God was evident in the lives of her husband and children.

What I've learned through this lesson is that it all starts with me. I must first love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul before I can lead my children to Him. Not only must I love the Lord, but I must act on this love for Him, by living out my faith in front of my children and making the most of every opportunity to point my children to Him.


Let me leave you with three questions today that I've asked myself as a result of this lesson:
~Do I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul? Is my life a reflection of my love for Him?
~What am I doing to lead my children to the throne of grace?
~What am I doing to teach my children to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul?