Proverbs 31:30-31

THE BEAUTY THAT NEVER FADES

‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.’

Proverbs 31:30

I. Interpretation.—‘Grace’ and ‘beauty’ will not win lasting praise; therefore they will disappoint. But a God-fearing woman, ‘she shall be praised’; her character in God’s eyes and man’s shall be her lasting grace, her unfading beauty. She is worthy of the praise she has earned by the work of her own hands. ‘Let her own works celebrate her.’ (To be praised ‘in the gates,’ or in the places of public concourse, is equivalent to becoming noted or celebrated.)

II. Illustration.—The unsatisfactory character of mere beauty of face or of form is illustrated by the cases, of Rachel, unhappy in spite of it; of Naomi, who lost it through bitter affliction; of Vashti, whom it exposed to insult. But Sarah is praised in Holy Scripture for her faith and obedience (Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6); the garments wrought by Dorcas for the poor, and the tears shed over her dead body, were her best encomium; the pious fulfilment of maternal duties was the commendation of Lois and Eunice, which has made their names household words unto this day.

III. Application.—The ‘counsels’ of this book end, as they began, with ‘the fear of the Lord.’ This is the condition of all womanly as well as manly excellence. The character of the ‘excellent woman’ or wife has been beautifully described. She has been held up as a pattern of conjugal virtue. Her industry, benevolence, forethought, discretion, kindness, government of her household—these and other admirable points have been exhibited by way of pattern. Then is disclosed the key to such rare excellence. True religion has led up to it. For religion does not slacken, but rather quickens attention to the common duties of life. Genuine faith gives birth to obedience. The holier the woman, the better the wife, the mother, the mistress of a household. Thus, Christianity would commend itself to the world. Beauty of form and feature is not essential to its praise. For these are but fleeting, and, unless combined with sterling good qualities, ere long disappoint or even create disgust. No, it is only beauty of character, the loveliness of practical piety as seen in the details of every-day life, which compels universal admiration at last. This, too, shall have ‘praise of God,’ of Him Whose whole teaching throughout this book has been of righteousness as the fruit of faith. Where holy women lead the way, let men follow. Each have their respective work to do. According as that is done shall they enter in (or not) through the gates into the city.

—Rev. C. R. Pearson.