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The Virtuous Body of Christ - Part 13 Discussion

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“The virtuous body of Christ” - Part 13

May 29, 2016

with Steven Crook

The virtuous woman we have been studying has steadily had various traits of herself revealed to King Lemuel as King Lemuel’s mother tells him what to look for in a virtuous woman.

In our study today, we are going to cover a few of the benefits and blessings this virtuous woman receives as she lives out her “many roles” life.

Blessed and praised

As we all know, family is very important to us all. Within our own family units, we are naturally drawn to want to be a part of our family. It is only when we have issues within our relationships or families that those relationships potentially become problematic or bitter.

For our virtuous woman, and for the body of Christ who are children of God, that is not the case.

Pro 31:28  Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

We see these praises paid to our virtuous woman at the end of this chapter signifying that she has done many things that cause such blessings and praises to fall upon her.

I want to read out of a few other translations so that we can get a broader idea of how these verses are translated, and I also will be looking at some key words in these verses so that we can get a clearer idea of just how this virtuous woman is viewed.

Pro 31:28 (CEV)  Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,
Pro 31:29  "There are many good women, but you are the best!"

Pro 31:28 (ESV) Her children stand up and encourage her, as does her husband, who praises her:
Pro 31:29  "Many women have done wonderful things," he says, "but you surpass all of them!"

Pro 31:28 (YLT)  Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
Pro 31:29  `Many are the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'

Pro 31:28 (LITV)  Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, for he praises her:
Pro 31:29  Many are the daughters who act with virtue, but you rise above them all!

Pro 31:28  (BBE) Her children get up and give her honour, and her husband gives her praise, saying,
Pro 31:29  Unnumbered women have done well, but you are better than all of them.

There are many ways that these verses are stated, and there is a reason why. A lot of these words of meanings that are hidden within what is being said and this is a place where context is important within these two verses.

When we break a part these verses we will get a clearer understanding of which translation has it more correct and that is why it is always good to look at multiple translations.

Pro 31:28  Her childrenH1121 arise up,H6965 and call her blessed;H833 her husbandH1167 also, and he praisethH1984 her.

The first part of this verse says the children of the virtuous woman “arise up and call her blessed” but what does that mean?

H833
'âshar  /  'âshêr
BDB Definition:
1) to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress
1a) (Qal) to go straight on, make progress
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to go straight on, advance
1b2) to lead on (causative)
1b3) to set right, righten
1b4) to pronounce happy, call blessed
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be advanced, be led on
1c2) to be made happy, be blessed
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 183

H833

'âshar    'âshêr
aw-shar', aw-share'
A primitive root; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively to go forward, be honest, prosper: - (call, be) bless (-ed, happy), go, guide, lead, relieve.
Total KJV occurrences: 16

When you look at the translations that I quoted, it is hard to get the definition of “to be straight” from them.

“Praise her, encourage her, pronounce her happy, call her blessed and give her honor” all English phrases that hold slightly different meanings

When you put this all together, this virtuous woman is someone who is honest, happy, counts it all joy and is able to move straight forward towards the goals of becoming a virtuous woman.

How then do we put this together with the second part of this verse?

“…..her husband also, and he praiseth H1984 her.  ……”

H1984
hâlal
BDB Definition:
1) to shine
1a) (Qal) to shine (figuratively of God’s favour)
1b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light
2) to praise, boast, be boastful
2a) (Qal)
2a1) to be boastful
2a2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
2b) (Piel)
2b1) to praise
2b2) to boast, make a boast
2c) (Pual)
2c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise
2d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one’s boast
2e) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool
2f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 499, 500

The majority of the time this word is translated as praise, so the thing I wanted to point out about praise is how it is used to convey our thoughts about those being praised.

H1984

hâlal
haw-lal'
A primitive root; to be clear (originally of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show; to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
Total KJV occurrences: 165

To praise someone is to make them shine, to boast about them, to put the light or spotlight on them.

When we consider who we are as the virtuous body of Christ, do we consider what our Husband thinks and SAYS about us?

Often times, we think humbly about ourselves in the Lord, and we should think this way, but that does NOT discount that there are two sides of this coin.

Here is the proper understanding of this spiritual coin. KNOW WHO YOU ARE TO YOUR HUSBAND.

One side of the coin:

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, SUBMIT YOURSELVES unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

If you’ll remember from the last study, wisdom and works were connected together, and I also connected “greater works” to what Jesus Christ said we would do after the comforter came.

So here we are as this virtuous body of Christ being told that our Husband praises us. US!, His chosen wife.

If you read James and 1 Peter, you’ll see WHY He praises His wife. His wife humbles herself IN HIS SIGHT and SUBMITS to HIM. In other words, she makes herself subject to the will of her husband.

Before this sentence is misrepresented by those that desire to be politically correct, I must point out that anyone who has the mind of Christ, will be a leader in the capacity that Christ has given to a husband in a relationship and will always be doing what is best for the family and his wife.

However, anyone also led by the mind of Christ will have extremely different views from the world on what those values and “bests” are for his family exactly the same as Jesus Christ came to do what was best for the children of God.

It would be remiss if I did not read from 1 Corinthians and Ephesians where this very concept comes out.

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (always points to the head)
1Co 11:2  Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
1Co 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The other side of the coin:

The reason this is important within the context of the Husband being able to praise His wife in Proverbs 31:28 is because one side of this spiritual coin requires that His wife is humbled before Him, always POINT TO HIM, and always ACKNOWLDGE HIM, but the other side of this coin requires us to KNOW WHO WE ARE and PROCLAIM IT!

The word “greater” is also translated as “elder”, and Jesus Christ points out that we will do “GREATER” things than He did. This is what we saw within our last study and is born out in scripture.

The virtuous woman is given her “royal standing” as queen because her husband King Lemuel has chosen her to share this royalty with him. Likewise, the virtuous body of Christ has been given election to the kingdom of God, has been given to be a “king and priest”, and has of NO WORK OF HER OWN, been given to be the “elect lady”.

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

2Jn 1:1  The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2Jn 1:2  For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
2Jn 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

This relationship is a healthy one and Jesus Christ, the Truth, dwells within his elect lady. That is why He praises her. She is an extension of Him and boldly proclaims His ordinances, His commandments.

Grace, mercy and peace come about because the wife is willing to be humble to her Husband. See, peace is the result of having someone lead and another be a follower and HELPER of the one leading.

It’s like the old saying goes, “too many cooks spoil the broth” or “there are too many cooks in the kitchen”.

The wife is created to be a HELPER to Adam but not to lead him. She comes OUT of Him and then He goes INTO her to become her helper (in her heavens).

There is an amazing connection for grace, mercy and peace to happen when a “virtuous wife”, who we are to Jesus Christ, helps her Husband do what He came to do.

He came to do the will of the Father and the work we do is a GREATER work of His will for all of humanity.

Gen 2:18  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Gen 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen 2:20  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Excelling virtuously

This is why verse 28 goes directly with verse 29 and this becomes abundantly clear as you look at the Hebrew in verse 29.

Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Pro 31:29  "Many women have done wonderful things," he says, "but you surpass all of them!"

Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, H2428 but thou excellest H5927 H5921 them all.

Here again we find that this woman is mentioned within the context of being “virtuous”. In part 3 of this series, I covered the first time that we see this Hebrew word translated as “virtuous” but it is also mentioned another time in this chapter.

H2428
chayil
khah'-yil
From H2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength: - able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+) valiant (-ly), valour, virtuous (-ly), war, worthy (-ily).
Total KJV occurrences: 243

Pro 31:3  Give not thy strength H2428 unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Pro 31:10  Who can find a virtuous H2428 woman? for her price is far above rubies.

If you’ll remember what the root of virtue is then you’ll realize exactly what this virtuous woman is all about.

The majority of the time this word is translated as “army”, “host” or “forces”. This army has “valour”. What then is the ROOT OF THIS ARMY? Could it have anything to do with who we are to our Husband? Could it have anything to do with what we proclaim?

As a reminder, here is the root of virtuous, from H2342. I am NOT going to list all the listings here since they are in part 3 of this series, but here is the core of them:

H2342
chûl  /  chı̂yl
Total KJV Occurrences: 68
pain, 6
Isa_13:8, Isa_26:17-18 (2), Jer_30:23, Eze_30:16, Mic_4:10
formed, 5
Deu_32:18, Job_26:5, Job_26:13, Psa_90:2, Pro_26:10
forth, 4
Pro_8:24-25 (2), Isa_45:10, Isa_66:8
brought, 3
Pro_8:24-25 (2), Isa_45:10
pained, 3
Joe_2:4-6 (3)

The root of “virtuous” is rooted in pain? Here are a few of these verses listed out so that we can get an idea of what we are being told.

Isa 13:8  And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain H2342 as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

Isa 26:17  Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain H2342, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
Isa 26:18  We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

Jer 30:23  Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain H2342 upon the head of the wicked.

Eze 30:16  And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain H2342, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.

So the root of “virtue” or being “virtuous” is pain. What then is the negative connotation of being “virtuous”?

Can there be a NEGATIVE APPLICATION of a WORLDLY VIRTUE and what the world values versus what our Husband who praises us proclaims? This is taken from part 3 of this “virtuous body of Christ” series.

Here is what scripture speaks about this “virtuous” word/concept concerning what the world does with virtue.

Job 20:4  Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

A couple verses later:

Job 20:15  He hath swallowed down riches H2428, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

Psa 62:9  Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
Psa 62:10  Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches H2428 increase, set not your heart upon them.

Eze 28:1  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 28:2  Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Eze 28:3  Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
Eze 28:4  With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches H2428, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
Eze 28:5  By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches H2428, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches H2428:

How this all comes together is found in how this verse ends.

Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, H2428 but thou excellest H5927 H5921 them all.

How does the virtuous body of Christ, how does the CHURCH of the Living God, EXCELLEST more than “many daughters”?

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Since we know that “our righteousness” is as filthy rags, what righteousness are we talking about?
It all goes back to verse Proverbs 31:28 and why and how our Husband praises us.

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

See, humbling ourselves as the wife and bride of Christ shows that we are converted. When we are converted, the riches of this world are nothing to us because they will die like the rest of this world. However, we can and DO work within this world to bring about the dying process that produces our HUSBAND living IN US as He increases in us.

H5927

‛âlâh
aw-law'
A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or active (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literally and figuratively: - arise (up). (cause to) ascend up, at once, break [the day] (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up), grow (over), increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, [make] up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.
Total KJV occurrences: 890

The way we “ascend up” or excel more than all the other “worldly and corrupt branches”, the other daughters/churches is to take on the MIND of our HUSBAND and ascend to the heavens with Him.

Our Husband praises us along with the blessings of “our children” because our children are those who are produced by feeding these “little children” the mind of Christ, His doctrine, His riches and His Way, Truth and Life.

In our next study, we will conclude this chapter and see how it is all of the concepts contained within Proverbs 31 produce praise for the virtuous body of Christ whose works are praised in the gates with the works of her Husband.