Shalom to everyone reading this blog. Hope things with your families are well. In these trying times, we must strengthen each other with the word. Today, as usual, we will continue in Proverbs 31.
Verse 23: Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. This passage tells us about those around her benefit from her character. Her husband is an elder in the city. That could mean he is old, but I would like to offer another viewpoint. Elders of the city were there to make decisions for the community as a whole. Elders are wise and respected as one who exercises with authority. Elders were also referred to as senators, like in government. Her husband is able to go out and acquire a good reputation. He was able to make judgments for the community, because his wife controls the household. He does not have to worry about domestic affairs, so he can excel in his job.
Verse 24: She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. Again we go back to this business-minded woman, and she really does it all. But what stood out to me even more in the passage, was that she gave or supplied the merchants or nations around her with girdles. Okay, let me break this down. The word for sashes is really girdle. Please go back and read the previous section of this blog about the use of girdles to better understand. The word merchant in this passage really denotes to the Canaanites, who share the land with the Israelites. So she did not just do business with her own people but other nations as well. This is all I have for this week. I like to keep this blog short, so we are able to meditate freely on the meaning of the words. Shalom.
