A Pearl Of Great Price
Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Prov 19:14
At this time of each year sermons
about mothers or motherhood are delivered from pulpits all over the land.
Today I want to talk about the
attributes of womanhood – after all, motherhood begins with womanhood.
And I might add, God makes it clear
in so many ways that a woman should become a wife before she becomes a mother.
Well, in the past I have taken this
occasion to teach on the motherhood aspects that can be found in God the Father.
This is not a message proclaiming
that God is a woman. I have heard one
bright spark declare that she has met the Lord God, and She is black.
No, God is not a woman; Nor is God a
man, as Numbers 23:19 plainly states:
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
In the Lord Jesus God took on
the LIKENESS of man but God is, in fact,
Spirit as John 4:24 tells us, “God is Spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
But to many, God remains a man. While to the feminists He remains a woman.
And to the humanist He is nothing
more than a faceless, impersonal, cosmic womb that expelled the material
universe sometime in the distant pass and then disappeared.
The fact is that the Bible reveals
that gender is a term that applies to material life and has nothing to do with
God in the literal sense – and the same goes for race - ethnicity.
God is devoid of color.
Gal 3:28 declares that, "There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
It has always astounded me that so
many people try to give God their own physical features and traits.
In truth, God transcends physical
characteristics and can take on any form that He wishes to –
I can even believe that if it served
His divine purpose, He could take the form of a woman –
But it would only be a form – Again,
the Scriptures tell us that His natural state is Spirit.
The so-called battle of the sexes is
probably older than the racial dispute.
But all this confusion will disappear
when we realize that God is the Creator of both male and female, both white and
black, and all colors and features.
And when He created us He put
something of Himself in the design.
When the Scriptures address God with
masculine pronouns (He is never referred to as She), it has to do with
characteristics rather than appearance.
It is God who places His Spirit in
human beings.
And both man and woman get their finer characteristics and traits from God.
Having established, I hope, that the
male and the female qualities are of equal value to God, let’s turn our
attention to the uniqueness of woman.
Woman has a special place in creation
– God has equipped her to do what no man can do – she can be a wife and a
mother.
In Proverbs
31 we are treated to a glimpse of the unique position that is
reserved for woman.
And what a wonderful and glorious position
it is.
It’s hard to believe that it took
over 4000 years for man to wake up to just how precious a woman is and how
incomplete he is without her.
It was in Christ that woman took her
rightful place in society.
Perhaps Adam knew how precious she is
before he left Eden.
It has been said that when Adam awoke
from his deep sleep, he looked at Eve and joyfully proclaimed, “God is good!”
God created woman from man – she was
taken from his side and it is at his side that she belongs.
But God created woman to complete man
In the physical.
And since that is her God-given
purpose, she, in turn, is incomplete without man.
That is to say that she has not
fulfilled her God given purpose as Adam's help meet without a husband.
It is for that reason it is only
natural that men and women are drawn to each other.
The gay community would, no doubt
argue that point, but then their argument is with God and not with me.
Man and woman, as husband and wife,
complete the qualities of both male and female as found in their creator - God.
Open your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 31 and we’ll begin
reading from the 10th verse.
(I have modified the text
somewhat in an attempt to capture the sense of each passage.)
10. Who can find a virtuous
wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
He who finds an excellent wife has found something of greater value than precious gems.
11. The heart of her husband safely
trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.
She can be trusted above all
others and she is great gain to her husband.
12. She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Her sole desire is to please him.
13. She seeks wool and flax, And
willingly works with her hands.
She delights in all that she does for him.
14. She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She sees to it the there is always food on the table.
15. She also rises while it is yet
night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants.
She is tireless in caring for her household.
16. She considers a field and buys
it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She carefully considers her purchases and makes the best use of her resources.
17. She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She is industrious and never avoids her duties.
18. She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go
out by night.
She knows that her labor is not in vain and she will complete what she has begun.
19. She stretches out her hands to
the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.
She is talented and not afraid of work.
20. She extends her hand to the
poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is compassionate and ever ready to help those who are in need.
21. She is not afraid of snow for
her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She prepares her family for the rigors of nature.
22. She makes tapestry for
herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
And she sees to it that they are adequately clothed – While she, herself is adorned in, “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.” 1 Peter 3:4
23. Her husband is known in the
gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
Her husband is respected in the community – she is the reason for much of his success.
24. She makes linen garments and
sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.
She adds to the household income with her industry and talent.
25. Strength and honor are her
clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.
She is strong and dignified and has no fear of tomorrow – she is ready to meet any trial.
26. She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
Her counsel is wise and her manner is kind.
27. She watches over the ways of her
household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
She is ever aware of the needs of her household and is never lazy.
28. Her children rise up and call
her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
Her children bless her and her husband praises her.
29. “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Many women do well, but it is as a wife or a mother that a woman truly excels.
30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is
passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is temporary; but a woman who fears the LORD is most precious. (Sabbath Rest)
31. Give her of the fruit of her
hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
She deserves her reward – her virtues are her praise. Virtue – manliness. Integrity.
As we take time on this
day to appreciate everything that a mother is, let us not forget the One who
made her. Jesus is preeminant.
May we be given the eyes to
see in a mother’s life, the qualities and virtues of our Father God.
And to value her as the pearl
of great price that she is.
Amen
30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is temporary; but a woman who fears the LORD is most precious. (Sabbath Rest)
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
She deserves her reward – her virtues are her praise. Virtue – manliness. Integrity.
As we take time on this day to appreciate everything that a mother is, let us not forget the One who made her. Jesus is preeminant.
May we be given the eyes to see in a mother’s life, the qualities and virtues of our Father God.
And to value her as the pearl of great price that she is.
Amen
Read the written sermons preached by Pastor David here.
