The virtuous body of Christ – Part 9

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The virtuous body of Christ” - Part 9

May 1, 2016

with Steven Crook

 

We’ve arrived in our study today to find that our virtuous woman is one who is caring for those around her.

This is an admirable trait for anyone, but when we dive into our verses today, we will notice that those who are helped by this virtuous woman are not always who we think they are which need her help.

Today’s study will also help emphasis our need to “work with our hands”, laying them to the spindle, so that we can look into what we are really being told in any given verse. This of course is needed when we study scriptures which have been translated from their original languages into the languages we have today.

 

The poor and needy

 

The verse of focus for us today is Proverbs 31:20.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

When we look at the first part of verse 20, we read it and it seems self-explanatory. However, there is a deeper meaning than what our English translation has captured in the KJV.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth outH6566 her handH3709 to the poor;H6041 yea, she reacheth forthH7971 her handsH3027 to the needy.H34

H6041
‛ânı̂y
Total KJV Occurrences: 82
poor, 59
Exo_22:25, Lev_19:10, Lev_23:22, Deu_24:11-12 (2), Deu_24:14-15 (2), Job_24:9, Job_24:14, Job_29:12, Job_36:6, Job_36:15, Psa_9:18, Psa_10:2, Psa_10:9 (2), Psa_34:5-6 (3), Psa_35:10 (2), Psa_37:14, Psa_40:17, Psa_68:10, Psa_69:29, Psa_70:5, Psa_72:2, Psa_72:4, Psa_72:12, Psa_74:19, Psa_74:21, Psa_86:1, Psa_109:16, Psa_109:22, Pro_14:21, Pro_30:14, Pro_31:9, Pro_31:20, Ecc_6:8, Isa_3:14-15 (2), Isa_10:2, Isa_10:30, Isa_14:32, Isa_32:6-7 (2), Isa_41:17, Isa_58:7, Isa_66:2, Jer_22:16, Eze_16:49, Eze_18:12, Eze_18:17, Eze_22:29, Amo_8:4, Hab_3:14, Zec_7:10, Zec_11:7, Zec_11:11
afflicted, 15
2Sa_22:28, Job_34:28, Psa_18:27, Psa_22:24, Psa_25:16, Psa_82:3, Psa_88:15, Psa_102:1, Psa_140:12, Pro_15:15, Pro_22:22, Isa_49:13, Isa_51:21, Zep_3:11-12 (2)
humble, 5
Psa_10:12 (3), Psa_10:17, Psa_34:2, Psa_69:32
lowly, 3
Pro_3:34, Pro_16:19, Zec_9:9

The majority of the time this word is translated as poor, but there is a deep rooted meaning behind this Hebrew word that is not captured fully in verse 20.

H6041

‛ânı̂y
aw-nee'
From H6031; depressed, in mind or circumstances (practically the same as H6035 subjectively and H6041 objectively): - afflicted, humble`, lowly`, needy, poor.
Total KJV occurrences: 75

H6031

‛ânâh
aw-naw'
A primitive root (possibly rather identical with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively (in various applications). (sing is by mistake for H6030.): - abase self, afflict (-ion, self), answer [by mistake for H6030], chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing [by mistake for H6030], speak [by mistake for H6030], submit self, weaken, X in any wise.
Total KJV occurrences: 83

I will list the majority of the time this word is translated so save some note space. Fifty of the eighty-three times that the root of the word “poor” in verse 20 is translated as afflict to afflicted.

H6031
‛ânâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 83
afflict, 29
Gen_15:13, Gen_31:50, Exo_1:11, Exo_22:22-23 (2), Lev_16:29, Lev_16:31, Lev_23:27, Lev_23:32, Num_24:24 (2), Num_29:7, Num_30:13, Jdg_16:5-6 (2), Jdg_16:19, 2Sa_7:10, 1Ki_11:39, 2Ch_6:26, Ezr_8:21, Job_37:23, Psa_55:19, Psa_89:22, Isa_58:5 (2), Isa_64:12, Lam_3:33, Nah_1:12, Zep_3:19
afflicted, 21
Exo_1:12, Lev_23:29, Deu_26:6, 1Ki_2:26 (2), 2Ki_17:20, Job_30:11, Psa_88:7, Psa_90:15, Psa_107:17, Psa_116:10, Psa_119:67, Psa_119:71, Psa_119:75, Psa_119:107, Isa_53:4, Isa_53:7, Isa_58:3, Isa_58:10, Isa_60:14, Nah_1:12
humbled, 7
Deu_8:3, Deu_21:14, Deu_22:24, Deu_22:29, Psa_35:13, Eze_22:10-11 (2)

Clearly, those which are poor are those which are depressed and afflicted. Who do we, as the virtuous body of Christ, know who is depressed and afflicted? Let’s see if scripture can help us figure it out 🙂

Exo 1:12  But the more they afflicted H6031 them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict H6031 your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted H6031 in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

2Sa 22:25  Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
2Sa 22:26  With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
2Sa 22:27  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
2Sa 22:28  And the afflicted H6031 people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

Psa 119:75  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted H6031 me.

Pro 22:22  Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted H6031 in the gate:

These are a few of the old testament examples of those who the virtuous woman stretches out her hand to. Since we want to take out of our old and new “treasure”, what does the new testament say about those who are afflicted?

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

1Ti 5:9  Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
1Ti 5:10  Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Jas 5:13  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

I read a lot of these verses and their surrounding verses to help form a word picture of what it means to be afflicted.

Those who are afflicted are those who are depressed in the spirit. However, as we just read, this can be affliction caused by the Lord for us to be humbled by it and there are also times when we need to afflict ourselves.

This simply means that there are times when we must HUMBLE ourselves before the Lord and RECOGNIZE who we are in the Lord.

Anything we have been given has been given to us by the Lord and that certainly is not limited to physical things. We are more focused on spiritual gifts and fruits of the spirit.

When we look at the second part of Proverbs 31:20, we will see those who are “needy” are actually those who we would consider the “poor” among us.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy H34.

H34
'ebyôn
Total KJV Occurrences: 61
needy, 35
Deu_15:11 (2), Deu_24:14, Job_24:4, Job_24:14, Psa_9:18, Psa_12:5, Psa_35:10, Psa_37:14, Psa_40:17, Psa_70:5, Psa_72:4, Psa_72:12-13 (3), Psa_74:21, Psa_82:4, Psa_86:1, Psa_109:16, Psa_109:22, Psa_113:7, Pro_30:14, Pro_31:9, Pro_31:20, Isa_14:30, Isa_25:4, Isa_32:7, Isa_41:17, Jer_5:28, Jer_22:16, Eze_16:49, Eze_18:12, Eze_22:29, Amo_4:1, Amo_8:4, Amo_8:6
poor, 25
Exo_23:6 (2), Exo_23:11, Deu_15:4, Deu_15:7 (2), Deu_15:9, Deu_15:11, Est_9:22, Job_29:15-16 (2), Job_30:25, Job_31:19, Psa_49:2, Psa_69:33, Psa_107:41, Psa_109:31, Psa_112:9, Psa_132:15, Psa_140:12, Pro_14:31, Isa_29:19, Jer_2:34, Jer_20:13, Amo_2:6, Amo_5:12
beggar, 1
1Sa_2:8

H34

'ebyôn
eb-yone'
From H14, in the sense of want (especially in feeling); destitute: - beggar, needy, poor (man).
Total KJV occurrences: 61

H14

'âbâh
aw-baw'
A primitive root; to breathe after, that is (figuratively) to be acquiescent: - consent, rest content, will, be willing.
Total KJV occurrences: 54

According to Strong’s the root of being a person who is labeled “needy” is someone who is ready to accept something without protest or to do what someone else wants, and the word itself means someone is destitute and in need or poor

The idea being conveyed is that someone needy is willing to take whatever they can get without any sort of denial or upheaval at what they are receiving. They will accept whatever help they can get. They are willing to be content.

So, as the virtuous body of Christ, and as a wife that a “king” would be seeking, as instructed by Lemuel’s mother, we are willing to stretch forth our arm for those that are afflicted and are willing to be content with whatever it is we are able to help with.

Prayer and counsel come to mind, but there is also times where physical needs are needing to be helped as well of course.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We see in James 2 that works accompany Faith because without works faith is dead. If someone has a physical need, we should tend to it as we are able.

If someone has a spiritual need, then we must ALSO have something that accompanies the Faith that is needed to help the need of this needy/poor person. They need works.

If we look back at the last study, a big part of that study was the focus on putting our hand to the spindle and using the distaff. In other words, we must be willing to do the WORK that is needed for the household of God so that our Faith is made manifest with that work.

What was the work that was the focus of the basic thread being weaved by this virtuous woman rising early to get the work done?

Prayer.

With prayer we also must REST. Wait, didn’t I just say there was WORK to be done?

Ahh, there it is, and apparent contradiction. How can prayer and rest be likened to WORK?

We all want to be able to help someone when the hour of their need comes to our ear. We want to help them fill their belly with food if they are hungry, we want to give them a place to stay when they need a roof for the night, we want to offer them funds to help them with their water bill when they need water, but do we at all consider that their needs are always spiritual first?

What do I mean by that?

If the Lord has placed them in a position to need Him, and He has sent them to us for that need, then being the virtuous body of Christ we need to be willing both to help physically and also spiritually.

Praying is the works that is needed, and RESTING in the Lord and waiting for His will to be made manifest is HUGELY important. Praying is the SHOWING of our gift of Faith.

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

We are given grace and faith so that we are saved THROUGH Faith and are faith is always TRIED in the FIRE. That is why even Paul’s thorn in the flesh was not removed. This is trialed Faith!

Here is an example of this concept at play. How is the Lord's will manifest in this story?

Mar 14:3  And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
Mar 14:4  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Mar 14:5  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
Mar 14:6  And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
Mar 14:7  For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
Mar 14:8  SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
Mar 14:9  Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

How can the anointing Jesus Christ with precious oil in Mark 14 and working out our OWN salvation with FEAR and trembling in Philippians 2 be linked to stretching our HAND towards the afflicted and depressed and reaching forth our HANDS to the destitute?

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Stretching out the hand is the spreading of the hand wide open and “reaching forth” is SENDING OUT those hands to the needy.

In plain English, we are to fully provide the work we can provide to those who are afflicted and to make sure that WORK REACHS those who are destitute.

How or why are they destitute? It may seem obvious, but it is ALL OF THE LORD.

As hard as it is to accept at times, the Lord has worked in our lives both the good and evil to be caused to happen to us. Since that is the case, He and His will are also the SOLUTION to the afflictions and destitution we are in!

We have to REST in the answer He provides and as a virtuous body of Christ we must REST on whatever His manifest will is for us at the time of our destitution. We will either be relieved or need to continue to work through our trials and it is the TRIAL of your Faith that is precious to the Lord.

The pouring of oil on the head of Christ was giving God the CREDIT for having the POWER to prepare Jesus for His death. Those that had indignation within themselves were those who thought it was more beneficial to take this oil (power of God) and do what they thought was MOST VALAUBLE and expedient to do.

What did Jesus Christ call this work done to Him? A good work that would be remembered wherever the Gospel would be preached.

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I ask you which of these situations of being hungry, thirsty, a stranger in a land, naked, sick or a prisoner is only speaking about these things PHYSICALLY?

Are these things I am about to read ONLY physical? These are things we must KEEP!

Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and REPENT.
Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

What are the things we must overcome? What are the things which we must repent of?

As the virtuous body and wife of Christ, we must be willing to do the work of praying, resting and BELIEVING the Lord will give us deliverance of the things we just read. Wretchedness, being miserable, destitute and distressed, blindness and nakedness.

The Lord is WITH US so WHO or WHAT can be AGAINST US?

Have we not read Romans 8?

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord has been faithful in telling us we, I Steven Crook, will be SLAUGHTERED so when the time comes upon me I need to remember  that the Lord DOES LOVE ME!

When someone in need or who is poor comes to us, we must tell them that the Love of the Lord us REBUKING and CHASTENING but it is for good and the Lord calls us His BELOVED. This is how He shows us that we are His. The GOOD that comes from rebuking our carnal mind and flesh is what is needed to make us WHOLE and to be healed of all the things we mentioned in Matthew 25.

Let us always be willing to share the power of God with those who the Lord sends to us to pour His love out on, but we also need to always be mindful that those who are truly poor in the spirit will be more than content to have this POWER poured out on them. With this power comes great rebuking and chastening of the flesh and carnal mind that separates us from our Lord.

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