Proverbs 31 begins pretty broadly. Yes, this woman is a person who is recognizable and praiseworthy because she does X Y & Z types of things and has A B & C attitudes. But the first point in the passage lays the groundwork, provides a frame of reference for WHO she is. Not who she is in the worldly sense - note that the king's mother does not define the ideal woman as coming from a good family, having flawless table manners, or having attended the elite prep schools. Can you imagine?
"A woman of good breeding, who can find? She went to Vassar and made all A's, she carries a late-issue Coach bag and never shops sales. She runs marathons and measures 36-24-32. Her father is a senator and her mother is in good standing with the local Junior League."
Ha! No. The woman this QUEEN tells her son to seek is defined by something more important than worldly accomplishments or birth, more than worldly assets or good family lines.
The clincher here is that she knows who she is in the eyes of her Creator. Because knowing who she really is determines WHY she looks at life the way she does and WHY she does the things she does. That's so much more powerful than her resume, her last name, or her physique. She does good things and has good taste because she IS NOBILITY. She exhibits joy and patience because she IS PURITY. And from those character traits, that nobility and purity, those natural indwelling characteristics, flow the actions and attitudes that define her life. So we're starting with this as we begin the Proverbs 31 Project.
She is NOBLE. She possesses NOBILITY.
What is that, exactly? Is nobility the same as "class?" As "dignity?" Aren't nobles people who are royalty - kings, queens, dukes and duchesses etc.? Is nobility the way a woman carries herself? Is it being better or higher than other people, whatever that means? Can you become noble if you're not born into it? The dictionary tells us "nobility" is:
Fortunately, God says something about it too. In Acts 17, we pick up in a spot where Paul had come from Thessalonica to Berea. He had been persecuted by the Jews in Thessalonica. However, the Jews in Berea were open minded and honest. Paul said of the Bereans:
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
So, we know that nobleness involves actively & honestly seeking and receiving God's truth. Okay. What else? In Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the sower, where seed falls on various types of ground. When he describes the fertile soil, he says:
"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
Receiving truth, retaining it, and persevering in producing a crop of goodness. Ok, what else? We know some of what we should be DOING as nobility, but does that even matter if we're not sure we ARE nobility to start with?
"I'm no queen! I'm an average sinful woman from an average background. I have no title, no resources, no unique or special place in the world. I wouldn't know what nobility felt like if it slapped me in the face. I'm sitting on my pet-stained sofa wearing 5-year-old stretch pants and eating my kid's macaroni leftovers. I'm anything but nobility." Ever feel that way?
Okay...back to basics.
AM I NOBILITY? (ANSWER: YES, IF YOU'RE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, YOU ARE!)
But don't feel bad if you didn't already know. There are a lot of us who ARE princesses but we just don't know it yet. We're like Ann Hathaway in "The Princess Diaries." We weren't born noble, none of us were, so we have to learn (a) that we ARE now nobility, and then (b) what that MEANS.
In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul writes to the church about God's grace and our natural position of non-nobility, our position of lowliness, our position of need.
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
So, hm. Nobility that comes from who your parents are or where you grew up, what slice of society you're from, or your name/position/worth in the world's eyes? Meaningless! God uses people from the humblest of origins and steps into the gap for us, MAKING US NOBLE through the gift of Jesus Christ - Christ BECOMES our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption. That is nobility, and that is what we ARE if we are in Christ.
Nobility. As a state of being, it is righteousness. Righteousness means that a person's actions are justified, meaning that the person has been "judged" or "reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God.
It is also holiness. Holiness is purity. Holy means sacred, that is, set apart for the worship or service of God.
Finally, nobility is a state of being redeemed. Something that is redeemed is delivered & saved (in the Christian's case, saved from sins). "Redeem" also means "to restore the honor or worth" of something. If you're redeemed, your honor has been restored.
Do you get the best part, darlings? Do you realize what all of this means for you?
There is nothing I HAVE to do, there is nothing I CAN do, to BECOME NOBLE. It's not something I can do (or fail to do) because it's Christ who makes me noble, and Him alone! I can't make myself righteous, I can't make myself holy, and I can't redeem myself - no use even trying. But GOD can, and what's more, he ALREADY HAS. The pressure is OFF, you are free to quit worrying about trying to "be" something you already are!
Here's how it works: I admitted I was powerless to be noble on my own, and I accepted God's redemption, accepted God's righteous-&-holy-making gift of his Son. Now, I'm His daughter. I'm nobility.
Now, whether I live like I'm nobility is another story for the next post, but let's rejoice for now in the fact that there's nothing we need to "do" to possess the characteristics of nobility. The Bible says that the righteous live by faith. For us, this means having the faith to let GOD say who I am, not aaaaanyone else. He says I'm now nobility, I am noble. So, that settles it.
Romans 3 & 5 talk about it like this (paraphrased):
"What shall we conclude then? Are we any better ? Not at all! We have already made the charge that all people alike are all born under sin. As it is written: "There is no one born righteous, not even one; in fact, nobody can be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. BUT here's the good part: just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) all of us were born sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous."
"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who know Him and who have longed for his appearing."
"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from sin.' In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a woman cleanses herself from the latter, she will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
How do we cleanse ourselved of those "ignoble" articles, freeing ourselves to be used for noble purposes? Paul goes on:
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, she must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose her she must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses."
I know what you're thinking.
"OH MY. So...um...run away from immature things, pursue righteousness/faith/love/peace, don't quarrel, be kind, be a good teacher, don't hold grudges...whoa. And this is just the beginning of the list?"
"Um...who's going to clean the kitchen?" (that's for you, Rachel ;)
Don't worry. Don't give up. You're royalty, nobility, you've already got the skills to pay these bills. God says so. The rest will be a piece of cake. :) Think of yourself as Ann Hathaway, and God's word is Julie Andrews, and we're all about to get schooled in the ways of princessness. YOU have the "nobility ability!" Stay tuuuuuned!
And read that book already. It's all about this stuff, straight away in the first chapter, you'll love it! It'll make you feel like a million bucks, like the princess that you are!
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