Week 6: Proverbs 31:16 and 17 (part 2)

If you thought the lesson on Rahab as a virtuous woman was going to be a stretch - it was nothing. This week we went through the life of Jezebel. I'll break the post up again after the Proverbs section so it's not so much to read in one post.

First of all, we'll go through the characteristics of the Proverbs woman in verses 16 and 17:

1. She plans with purpose. She "considered" the field before buying it. She went to go see the field. You wouldn't buy a house without ever looking at it in person would you? 
2. She is resourceful: she plants a vineyard. This is more than likely a vineyard of grapes. It is what you would consider a "cash crop". It could be used for wines, juices, jams, jellies, medicines, etc. It wasn't just used for one thing. Through the Bible, the church is compared to a vineyard. You can go through and read 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 for the exact description/comparison.
3. She encourages her husband by doing the extra work needed in order to maintain the vineyard. She didn't buy it for him to work.
4. She is selfless. By using her time to profit her family, she is giving up her "me" time. How often do we give up our precious "me" time, if any?
5. She is hardworking. She plants and maintains the land by herself. She uses the strength in her arms. It could also refer to exercise, but for obvious reasons we chose to avoid that discussion...

Now for the comparison of the Proverbs 31 woman and Jezebel. (Honestly there is no comparison. It's more like learning from Jezebel's mistakes and doing the complete opposite that she did.) Before I divide up the post, think about this for a minute:

When you hear the name Jezebel, what comes to mind? Most of the ladies answered with a harlot, someone who is selfish, wears lots of makeup, flashy clothes, etc. In the O.T. the names people had reflected many of the qualities they had. Jezebel truly lived up to her name. Proverbs 22:1 describes how important keeping a good name is.