Part 2
Going again to the first verse we notice,”The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him”. We wonder that this word “prophecy” is used to describe the way of living of a good woman. On referring to the concordance we find that the word “prophecy” here means, “a message, what is lifted up”, and we wonder in what sense we can “lift up” this message. Surely there must be a virtuous woman in a spiritual sense. Of course! The virgin of the Song of Solomon, the Bride adorned for her husband of the Revelation —the elect, the spiritual house of God—the ecclesia. Jesus often spoke of himself as the Bridegroom. Yet something is not quite right here—the virtuous woman we have been considering was not a bride: she was a mature married woman with a family.
But wait—we have in Rev. 19 the record of the marriage of the virgin and the Bridegroom: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” She has been spiritually faithful; they are spiritually married; they will beget spiritual children–can it be that tucked away here in Proverbs 31 we have a prophecy of the work of the Lamb’s wife during the millennium?
Let’s look at the passage in this new light, and the first thing we find is, “Her price is far above rubies”. Most certainly it was, but the same colour, rich red, oozing from a sword thrust, trickling down a scourged back—she was bought with the precious blood of the lamb! The heart of her husband can safely trust in her; she has demonstrated her faithfulness before their marriage; she remained true to him through years of temptation.
He will have no need of spoil—the slaves, the forced labour of other days—for she has and will perform for him all that he could desire of her own free will: “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
Throughout the chapter there is an air of activity, happy industrious activity, indicating that there will be work a-plenty to be done, work which will be satisfying and enjoyable to the full with tireless bodies which can experience no more pain or sorrow. There will be a war-torn earth with comparatively few men left—like sheep without a shepherd. Under the direction of her husband, the bride will re-organise their way of living, ensuring that their material needs will be satisfied, every man under his own vine and fig tree, with none to make him afraid: “For he will deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper . . . and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”
No more shall one half of the world be starving, while elsewhere precious grain is dumped; she will bring food from far when necessary. And not only natural, but spiritual food; in fact she will go back 6,000 years to teach them the story of salvation which commenced in the garden of Eden. They will need a thorough grounding in the Old Testament as well as the New to fully appreciate and sincerely worship the Lord at Jerusalem, and understand the significance of the animal sacrifices during their annual pilgrimage. This would seem a tremendous task even with so-called Christian countries, but when we consider the millions and millions in India and China alone who have never had a chance, and know nothing at all of Christianity, we begin to realize the magnitude of the work to be accomplished.
In fact there seems to be a note of urgency from verses 13 to 20. She seems to be so busy she needs to strengthen herself in verse 17, and in verse 15 we notice she rises while it is yet night to feed her household. Is it possible that this could refer to the very early days of the millennium, when Egyptian darkness has not yet been dispelled?
The same sentiment is echoed in verse 18 where “she tasteth that her merchandise is good”; she offers the bread of life, the living water, and “hercandle goeth not out by night”. She shines as the brightness of the firmament, her light a reflection of the sun of righteousness who has risen with healing in his wings. In her hands are the spindle and distaff, constantly spinning, from a tangled mass producing even thread —out of chaos, law and order.
From verse 21 we feel that at last everything is under control. Her household is now prepared for the future. We notice she has put away her white wedding gown and replaced it with the garments of royalty: silk and purple, as becometh the wife of the “Prince of Peace”. Now that the first extreme urgency has passed, there is time to beautify her home, this earth, and restore again the paradise of Eden.
She still weaves—now fine linen to be made into garments, fine and white, such as she wore on her wedding day. These she will trade with whoever will buy, but the price she asks is “righteousness”. In time to come she will rejoice with those who pay this price and are qualified to wear them, when she sees the reward of her labour and they, too, put on immortality.
She seems never to be idle, constantly planning in advance for the well-being of her family, and she guides them with wisdom and kindness.
Her husband is indeed known in the gates as the Wonderful, Counsellor, the Father of the Age, the Prince of Peace. We call to mind that beautiful passage in Psalm 24, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates: and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. . . . Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory”.
She has begotten children, this virtuous woman, spiritual children, as the Apostle Paul begat Timothy, his dearly beloved son. And perceiving her grace and beauty, they call her blessed. Her husband, too, praises her as he did on their wedding day with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”.
We wonder at the verse, “Many daughters have done virtuously”, but the margin throws some light with the alternative, “Many daughters have gotten riches”. How true—but these were daughters of their harlot mother, Rome. But the simple virgin who really feared or knew her Lord excelled them all.
We gather from verse 30 that these harlot daughters made themselves to appear outwardly beautiful and flattered men for their favour, but the one who sought to please her Lord alone and kept her garments unspotted from the world was the one praised.
As she sowed, so she reaped: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
“And let us no be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” that we may be among those in that morning without clouds of whom it is said, “Give her of the fruits of her hands; and let her own works praise in the gates.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One