The Virtuous Woman

Photo - google images

I will be speaking at a Mother/Daughter banquet this weekend in Leola, PA.  (I appreciate your prayers!)  Their theme is Outer Beauty/Inner Beauty.  The Lord has really stretched me in preparing this devotional.  How often do we work on the outside hoping no one will notices the mess inside? 

I'll share the devotional next week, but I'd like to share a little something the Lord showed me awhile back while studying the Virtuous Woman.

Proverbs 31 is written by King Lemuel.  He spoke of what his mother taught him in finding a wife.  There is no mention of a King Lemuel in the Bible other than here in Proverbs 31.  Some scholars believe this was Solomon's mother's pet name for him.  Lemuel means belonging to God.  If this King Lemuel is Solomon.  The mother speaking here is Bathsheba. 

So it's quite possible that Bathsheba was training her son to find a Virtuous Woman like his great, great Grandmother...Ruth. 

"Virtuous" is only mentioned 4 times in the Bible.  One time is Ruth (3:11) and three times in Proverbs (12:4, 31:10, 31:29).  When comparing the book of Ruth with the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 you will find many similarities.  Proverbs 31 has become more alive to me now that I can (if you will) put a face to the name.

I love it when God shows me these little nuggets in his Word!