PROVERBS LESSON 3
GODLY WOMEN
By PAULINE SMITH
Mrs. Johnson's class of girls in ages ranging from 11 to 14 were gathered for
their class. They were excited because Mrs. Johnson said they were going to
study about something they'd never done but all had thought about. She had
said it was one of greatest influences in their lives yet one that was
sometimes sadly a miserable thing. When they came in the classroom they saw
MARRIAGE written on the blackboard
"Well, some of you aren't teenagers yet and few if any of you are dating
but I think it is a good time for us to talk about marriage before we start
dating. I once was a young girl too and I surely didn't plan to marry the
first boy I dated. In fact I never planned to marry a boy that I dated--but I
did. For that reason, I think it is good for us to study about marriage while
we are not madly in love and swayed by many things. My teacher told me once, 'Never
date a boy you wouldn't marry". I have studied about it a lot since and
finally realized what she meant. If you know a boy drinks and uses bad
language and has other bad habits, don't date him! He is bound to have a few
good qualities but the possibility of marrying a foulmouthed drunkard is too
bad to think about.
But the thing we want to talk about today are the qualities of a good wife.
Most if not all of you plan to marry. But the kind of person you are now is
most often the kind of wife you will be. When we become a teenager we're an
older version of the child we were and in turn the wives we will become. Does someone know a
bad thing some wives do?
Lois said "I know a woman who starts fussing at her husband as soon as he gets in the house. If it isn't one thing it's another."
"Yes, "Mrs. Johnson agreed, "In Proverbs 19:13 Solomon says, 'a
quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." You know how it is to go to
bed and hear a faucet drip, drip, drip! Again in Proverbs 27:15 Solomon says,
'A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her
is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand'.
Mary said, "We don't have any husbands to practice not
quarrelling."
Mrs. Johnson said, "No, you don't have husbands, but you have parents,
brothers, and sisters and friends and if you often quarrel with them, it is
very likely you will be that quarrelsome wife. Let's each think back to the
last time we quarreled with someone. Solomon says in Proverbs 15:1 'A gentle
answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger'. Now let's each
think of a gentle answer that would have turned away wrath and prevented the
quarrel. Then let's each try to use that gentle answer. In the same
chapter in verses 4-6 he tells us that gentle words help us enjoy life but
griping brings discouragement. Each day we are making ourselves into the kind
of person we will grow up to be. We should try to be the kind of person we
love, respect and admire. In Proverbs 20 Solomon tells us that good
sense is more valuable than gold or precious jewels.
We have all seen families in which the mother worked hard and managed well and
others where mothers by foolish deeds tore the family apart. Proverbs 14:1
says 'The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one
tears hers down.'"
Susie said, "We'd like to know what Solomon thought a good woman was.
Does he ever say what she is like?"
Mrs. Johnson said that he surely did and fully described her in Proverbs
31:10-31 which I wish you would all read. But we will only read and discuss
some now because it is a long selection and we don't have time to discuss it
all today. Once I had a class that discussed one or two verses each class
period till we finished the chapter
Let us read Proverbs and I am going to read it as an amplified version which
in this makes it easier to understand and in this case gives a true meaning.
Proverbs 31:10-13 says, "If you can find a truly good wife, she is worth
more than precious gems! Her husband can trust her, and she will truly satisfy
his needs. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. In verse 20 we
find, "She sews for the poor, and generously gives to the needy."
Verse 25 says, " When she speaks her words are wise, and kindness is the
rule for everything she says. Solomon sums it up in verse 30 when he says,
"Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn't last, but a woman who fears
and reverences God shall be greatly praised." We are not all great
beauties but we can have the inner beauty that shines through and most people
can see the beauty of the soul and feel the influence for good. All these good
qualities we should try to develop in our lives whether we ever marry or not.
But you should never think we are a failure if we choose not to marry or fail
to find someone we feel is the person we should marry. Paul says in I
Corinthians 7: 32-33 that a man who is unmarried can spend his time on
God's affairs and try to please the Lord but if he is married he must also
please his wife and give her some of his time. In verse 34 Paul says, "an unmarried woman is anxious to please the Lord in all that she is and does.
But a married woman must consider other things such as housekeeping and the
likes and dislikes of her husband."
Susie said, "But girls who are not married usually spend more time
thinking about dates than thinking about the Lord.
Mrs. Johnson answered, "Yes, that is often true. But Solomon tells us in
Proverbs 11:22, 'A beautiful woman lacking discretion and modesty is like a
fine gold ring in a pig's snout.' Discretion means having common sense and judgment
which young people should use. For lack of discretion, some young people have
ruined the rest of their lives. A sensible young person who tries earnestly to
serve the Lord will sometimes be made fun of by a certain class of their
friends. But they will be respected by young and old alike--even some who jeer
at them will respect them in their hearts. And always remember as girls you
are becoming women who are respected and admired--or pitied.
1. A ________________ wife is a like a constant ________________.
2. Restraining a quarrelsome wife is like restraining the ______________.
3. A ___________________ answer turns away wrath.
4. Good sense is more valuable than _________or _____________
5. A harsh word stirs up __________________.
6. The wise woman ____________ her house but with both her hands the
___________ woman tears hers down.
7. The good wife described in Proverbs 31 gives to the __________.
8. The woman who fears and reverences __________ shall be greatly praised.
9. Paul says a married woman must please her __________ as well as the Lord.
10. Solomon says a beautiful woman lacking discretion and modesty is like a
gold _______ in a __________'s _______________