Wise Women from the Bible

There were many wise women in the Bible, and boy did it pay off for them! Let’s look at Ruth for example. When Boaz met her, it was love at first sight. This man was so crazy about her that he ordered his workers to “pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up” (Ruth Ch 2:16). He was willing to take care of not only her but also her former mother in law. Now tell me that’s not love! Simply because Ruth was wise and faithful, she found favor in the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of Boaz. She was willing to trust a God that she did not know because she saw his light shining on her mother in law. She ended up being the great grandmother of the famous David and an ancestor of Jesus.

Then we must look at Queen Esther. This woman was a Jew and an orphan. Her cousin was asking her to blend in with the other virgins fighting for the king’s heart. What would you do for a whole month of beauty treatments just to prepare you to go before the king with a prospect of becoming his wife? The king did not even like Jews! And Esther had to bravely go before him, hoping that he did not find out who she was and kill her. She was so blessed that she found favor wherever she went and especially before the king. He was so smitten that when she came to him to request that he spared her people, before even hearing what she would request, he told her that whatever she requested, even up to half the kingdom, would be given to her. Again, tell me that is not love! All she did was use wisdom when her cousin Mordecai made suggestions to her, and chose to listen to what he instructed. Her reward was incredible! Her people were spared and her cousin was honored.

There are many more women of wisdom in the Bible; Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary the sister of Martha, Elizabeth, Noah’s wife are just a few from the list. They are everywhere but usually overlooked as we concentrate on the men who did amazing things. It is not because they are any less important than the men; their presence just happens to be more emotional while the presence of the males is more physical.

We must look at the ultimate woman of wisdom, the woman that has been so specifically described for us in Proverbs. She has been called woman of faith and woman of wisdom but I prefer to call her Sofia. If such woman actually exists, she deserves every kind of honor because she is incredible! In Proverbs 31 she is described as a wife of noble character. This woman brings food from afar, gets up while it is still dark and provides food for her family, buys fields out of her own earnings, plants a vineyard, extends her hands to the needy, makes coverings for her bed and scarlet clothing for her household. I mean, I am exhausted from just thinking about it and that was not even all she did! [Read Proverbs 31:10-31]. What sticks out to me in this chapter is her husband’s reaction. It says that her husband has full confidence in her and because of her, he is respected at the city gate. God is saying that this woman is worth more than rubies. He asks that she be given the reward that she has earned. All I can say is wow!

Is it just me who realizes that every single one of these wise women I have mentioned has husbands? Not just any husband either, but a strong, supportive husband who knows their worth and values them. Their favor, their blessings, are directly associated with those men. Is it not funny that many women strive to be independent to show that they do not need a man and that they can be successful without a man but a woman’s value and reward is directly associated with a good, God fearing husband? Would it not be completely crazy if while we strive to accomplish all these things such as great careers, big houses and cars, large bank accounts, we miss that the greatest accomplishment would be to find a good, God fearing husband? Genesis 2:18 says “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Proverbs 18:22 says “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord”. Now stop rolling your eyes and pouting your lips! The Bible said it, not me. Yeah I know it was written to the men and did not say whoever finds a good husband, but, you cannot have one without the other right? So stop being stubborn and start being findable!