The following is excerpted from from the 2002 sermon from the original sermon series on the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book of wisdom. The quintessence of wisdom is a woman in Proverbs 31. She is the great philosopher of the book.

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10

This is a woman who has character, strength, competence and ability, and she is priceless. These women are hard to find. By God’s grace, I married one. And it is God’s grace to me to find a woman who is strong, feminine, competent, and able.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." v. 13

In that day, you wanna make clothes, you wanna have food, you gotta work with your hands. This is a woman who has got a brilliant mind, hardworking, energetic spirit. This is a woman who has got a multitude of gifts and talents.

"She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar." v. 14

Do you know we have lost any sense of culinary art? This is a woman who is going around in varying locations to acquire food for her home. She’s not going down to the 7-11 to buy dinner. She’s not driving through and talking to the clown to get something to eat. You say, "Well, this poor woman, there she is, chained to her husband, chained to her kids."

If a woman loves God, and wants to be a wife and mother, and is good with real estate, that’s a wise woman.

No, she’s also into real estate. Do you know that young women are the least likely to read the financial section of the paper, least likely to invest, least likely to save, least likely to have a retirement account? Most young women do not have any idea about the difference between an asset and a liability, about compounded interest, about debt. This woman does. And so, she gets into real estate. The lie is, "Women, put your kids in daycare, go make more money so we can tax you to death, and so that we can increase your cost of living and we could feed this sick governmental structure, so that we can send more money to the families that are not doing their job." And the wise woman says, "No, I’m gonna take care of my homeward responsibilities and from my home, I’m homeward-oriented, but I’m not homeward-bound. I am going to invest and acquire real estate, and I’m going to turn a profit with wisdom," and that’s what she does. She considers a field and she buys it. She’s out looking at real estate. If a woman loves God, and wants to be a wife and mother, and is good with real estate, that’s a wise woman. More, including discussion on vineyards, the deceptiveness of charm, and red and linen clothes, after the jump:

"She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard." v. 16

She turns a profit and then, she goes and she opens a small business. "She sets about her work vigorously and her arms are strong for the task." She is in good shape ‘cause she is moving a lot. "She sees that her trading is profitable and that her lamp does not go out at night." This is a woman who’s up late balancing her checkbook, putting together investment portfolio, tracking her savings account.

"She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy." v. 19-20

The kids down the street that don’t have any parents to stay home with them, the 12-year-old boys who get home from school and watch porno and drink beer until their mom and dad get home, or just their mom gets home, she has them over to her house, and she evangelizes them. My mom was like this. I grew up in Sea-Tac behind the Déjà Vu. If you’ve been there, repent to God. And in my neighborhood, looking back, I was the only kid that I knew that had a father. I was the only one I can think of that had a dad. And my mom stayed home with us kids and they set up our home so that we would always be there and our friends would be there, too. Sports equipment, mini bikes, batting cage, air hockey. We were not a wealthy family, but we had a lot of things that us kids were home all the time after school ‘cause the other kids were out, literally, gang banging drive bys, drugs, prostitution. And all the kids in the neighborhood would come and hang out at my house. My mom would feed them. She’d buy them socks, shoes, clothes. That’s what this woman is doing. She’s saying, "Man, there’s an opportunity here for an enormous ministry to help those in need. The single mom who’s down the street and can’t make ends meet and doesn’t know what she’s doing ‘cause she has no older woman to help her think through any of this, she has her over and says, "Here, let me get some time with you."

"She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet." v. 21

When winter comes, she’s not freaking out. She’s already bought boots, and clothes, and hats, and she’s stored up, and she’s planned ahead, and she’s got an organized household. "She makes covering for her bed and she is clothed in fine linen and purple." Not only that, she takes care of herself. This is a woman who dresses herself nicely and provides nice things for herself as well. She takes care of her commitments to the Lord. And her husband. And her kids. And the Gospel. And her ministry. And herself. Now, what about her husband? You know she didn’t marry a guy who sits on the couch all day doing nothing. You know, she didn’t marry a guy who works 12 hours a week as a barista. You know she’s not gonna go for that guy. A lot of guys are like, "I wanna find a good woman." Well, you gotta put better bait on your hook.

"Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." v. 23

He is one of the preeminent men in the whole city. I’ll tell you this, ladies, some ladies say, "Well, I’m smart. I’m competent. I’m capable. I’m strong." Great, then at least marry a guy who can keep up with you, if you’re single. Don’t marry some guy you gotta mother and drag around ‘cause he can’t keep up with you. He will be threatened. He will do one of two things: He will either be your wife and just, "Whatever you wanna do, honey. Just pay the bills. I’ll be here, you know, watching TV." And you’ll get sick of him. Or he will dominate you and hold you back so that you cannot run because he’s threatened by you. And you see that with some men. Some men stifle their wives because their wives are smarter, and faster, and holier than they are, and rather than them catching up, they pull their wife back. She’s married a man who can run with her. They’re equally yoked.

"She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant." v. 24

She’s got a little side business. She’s working out of the house. "Supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity. She can laugh at the days to come." She’s not worried. She’s got the future all planned out. Here’s the other deal. She’s a Bible teacher. "She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue." This woman knows her Bible well. She can teach. She’s a good teacher. They probably got people in their home all the time studying Scripture. Titus 2, "Encourage the older women to spend some time training the younger women." There are very few good older women who actually know their Bibles and are committing time to younger women. She is that kind of woman.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'" v. 28-29

Husband, kids (Applause), "There she is, glorious. We love her. She’s outstanding. She’s amazing. Helpful. Wise. Godly. Strong." "Many women do noble things." See, a lot of times, I’ve heard commentators say, "This is an ideal woman. This is not actually achievable." But, he says here, "Many women do noble things." It is possible for many women to have this kind of wisdom. Now, I’ll tell you this, ladies. Is she a young or an old woman? She’s an older woman ‘cause her children are rising up to call her blessed. Three year olds don’t usually do that. You know, when you get a little older, some of you now are at that place. You look back at your mom and you say, "Thanks. That – thanks, mom. That - you’re – I appreciate. I didn’t know what you were doing, but, now, in retrospect, I see what you’re doing and I’m grateful." Her kids are older. She started her investments young. She started reading her Bible young. She started loving her husband early. She began planting some seeds that, many years later, bore fruit.

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain," v. 30

Is it, ladies? Are charming women deceptive? They are aren’t they? And they get away with murder because they’re so cute. They’re so nice. They get by with their humor and their personality and their sweetness. Charm is deceptive. And beauty is what? Vain. Other versions say "fleeting." Gravity takes over. You ever seen a geriatric pornographic magazine? No. The Bible says Sarah was lovely at 90. That’s the only time I’ve ever heard of someone at 90.

"But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." v. 30

A woman who loves God, worships God, serves God, she’s beautiful. She is beautiful in and out. And we look at this woman and we say, "Ahhh, too bad. She’s a housewife. She’s oppressed. Too bad. She’s not free. She bound with all these limitations. Kids. Husband. Ministry. Too bad she’s not free." You ask her does she have any regret? Fifty years. Happy marriage. Fruitful financial investments. Beautiful kids who love her. Enormous evangelistic ministry. Good handle on Scripture. Health. Wisdom. Love of God. She says, "Don’t pity me. Pity yourself. The world in its wisdom does not know God."

"Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." v. 31

This is the woman who, when the men who rule the city get together, they talk about her and how incredible she is. Let me ask you this. In this whole section, does this woman have to say a word? She doesn’t have to say a word. So how does she get her dignity and her honor? Who gives it to her? Everyone. Her kids. Her husband. The leaders of the city. Her whole life preaches. She is a sermon. Everybody looks at her and says, "Wow, that’s a Godly woman. You wanna talk about wisdom, go talk to her. She’s the best philosopher we got. She can integrate the wisdom of God and the practical living of home. And she’s a genius. God has given her wisdom.