The Woman of Proverbs 31 (#3)

Driving home: The external, visible, physical symbols of respect and honor are the symbols of a civilized as opposed to a pagan society.

The example from Jeremiah 26:17 where elders 'rose up' to speak on Jeremiah's behalf illustrates 'rising up' as making a distinct effort to step forward and speak importantly.

Now, the words they rise up can have one of two or perhaps a combination of significance. It could mean that they are pictured as making a distinct effort to step forward from others in order to say what they have to say. For example, in Jeremiah 26 and verse 17, we have a parallel phrase, a parallel phrase, Jeremiah chapter 26. Jeremiah has been accused of being seditious and there are certain ones that want to kill him. They want to see him dead. And so his life is in jeopardy and we read in verse 10, when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the hou...

17:52 - 18:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Make it evident to all by your body language, posture, and words that you respect and honor your praiseworthy mother. Cultivate the inexpensive habit of opening your mouth and telling your mom you are thankful that she i…

The example from 1 Kings 2:19 where King Solomon 'rose up' to meet his mother Bathsheba illustrates 'rising up' as a physical act demonstrating tremendous respect and honor.

Simply ascertain the significance of what it means for children rise up. Since the text says that's part of what they do in recognizing the worth of this godly wife, mother, and homemaker, we want to know precisely what does it mean. Well, here in 1 Kings, chapter 2, we find Solomon, verse 19, Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. Now what did the king do? He's the king, sitting on a throne.

19:47 - 20:19 Read in full sermon

The point: If your sons don't manifest honor, it's likely because they aren't catching it from you. Lead by example.

Martin uses the analogy of not having to rescue his wife from a burning building or a parapet like Superman to illustrate that honoring a wife is usually an accumulation of small, daily symbols of worth, not grand heroic acts.

You're to rise up and in every way that's not ridiculous, seize upon the opportunity to show by your physical actions you honor this virtuous and noble wife and mother and homemaker. As I've had occasion to tell many of you, most of us will live and die and never rescue our wives from a burning building. I've been married 46 years. I haven't once caught my wife when she was thrown off a parapet like Superman caught her.

33:45 - 34:17 Read in full sermon

The point: If your sons don't manifest honor, it's likely because they aren't catching it from you. Lead by example.

Martin questions whether the husband's praise 'you excel them all' is a mathematical or clinical assessment, concluding it's 'sanctified hyperbole' to illustrate the nature of loving, appreciative praise.

Many daughters have done worthily. And the Hebrew word there is the same one found in verse 10. A worthy woman who can find he says many daughters. Apparently there were more than one or two of them. He says many daughters have done worthily. There have been many who have done worthily, but you excel them all. Now let me ask you a question. Do you believe that sitting down with a mathematical mind this man really believed that of all the women who have ever breathed and lived and walked and died that there was no one who had the same combination of gifts and graces and diligence and virtue as ...

35:46 - 36:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Fashion your soul to be thankful for any present praise, but primarily fuel your zeal, expectancy, and joy by serving the Lord Christ, knowing He will recompense you for all your labors.

The analogy of a slave serving an earthly master but doing so 'as unto the Lord' (Colossians 3:22-24) illustrates how the fear of God and the promise of future recompense from Christ motivates faithful service, even when earthly appreciation is lacking.

pigs he owns but he isn't my own ultimate owner somebody bought me with his precious blood he established me as his bomb slave when he threw over me the canopy of his pardoning grace and mercy wooed and won my heart to own him as my savior and my Lord and put his fear within my heart a promise of the new covenant I will put my fear in their heart so that they may not depart from me and now my great passion is to know his smile in all I do my great dread is to elicit his proud and I know in all that I do though the orders of my Lord are mediated through my master I do what my master tells me bu...

52:44 - 54:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Fashion your soul to be thankful for any present praise, but primarily fuel your zeal, expectancy, and joy by serving the Lord Christ, knowing He will recompense you for all your labors.

Martin uses the camp song 'Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I'm going out and eat worms' to vividly describe the resentment and instability a woman might feel if her only fuel for service is earthly praise.

about with a sour look on his face when he barks out his orders he's harsh he's you say your master's what are you talking about I'll tell you what I'm talking about you don't see my true master he's in heaven and he got there by way of a virgin's womb and a bloody cross and an open tomb and he purchased redemption for me and he has saved me by his grace and washed me in his blood and when you see me singing and going about the task of my rather unreasonable and often nasty earthly ruler what I am and what I do is because of my reference point of my true master in heaven who one day is going t...

54:12 - 55:40 Read in full sermon