Elizabeth George - Discovering the Treasures of a Godly Woman: Proverbs 31

T his book belongs to

a woman of excellence.

Elizabeth
George

HARVEST HOUSE TM PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover design by Terry Dugan Design, Minneapolis, Minnesota

As always, thank you to my dear husband, Jim George, M.Div., Th.M., for your able assistance, guidance, suggestions, and loving encouragement on this project.

DISCOVERING THE TREASURES OF A GODLY WOMAN

Copyright 2003 Elizabeth George

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

ISBN 0-7369-0818-8

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

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F or some time I have been looking for Bible studies that I could use each day that would increase my knowledge of Gods Word. In my search, I found myself struggling between two extremes: Bible studies that required little time but also had little substance, or studies that were in-depth and demanded more time than I could give. I discovered that I wasnt alonethere were many other women like me who were busy yet desired to spend quality time studying Gods Word.

Thats why I became excited when Elizabeth George shared her desire to create a series of womens Bible studies that offered in-depth lessons that could be completed in just 15-20 minutes per day. When she completed the first studyon PhilippiansI was eager to try it out. I had already studied Philippians many times, but this was the first time I had come to understand exactly how the whole book fit together and how it can truly be lived out in my life. Each lesson was simple but insightfuland was written especially to apply to me as a woman!

In the Woman After Gods Own Heart Bible study series, Elizabeth takes you step by step through the Scriptures, sharing wisdom she has gleaned from more than 20 years as a womens Bible teacher. The lessons are rich and meaningful because theyre rooted in Gods Word and have been lived out in Elizabeths life. Her thoughtful and personable guidance makes you feel as though you are studying right alongside heras if she is personally mentoring you in the greatest aspiration you could ever pursue: to become a woman after Gods own heart.

If youre looking for Bible studies that can help you grow stronger in your knowledge of Gods Word even in the most demanding of schedules, I know youll find this series to be a welcome companion in your daily walk with God.

LaRae Weikert

Editorial Managing Director,

Harvest House Publishers

I n my book A Woman After Gods Own Heart, I describe such a woman as one who ensures that God is first in her heart and the Ultimate Priority of her life. Then I share that one crucial way this desire can become reality is by nurturing a heart that abides in Gods Word. To do so means that you and I must develop a root system anchored deep in Gods Word.

Before you launch into this Bible study, take a moment to think about these aspects of a root system produced by the regular, faithful study of Gods Word:

Roots are unseenYoull want to set aside time in solitudeunderground if you willto immerse yourself in Gods Word and grow in Him.

Roots are for taking inAlone and with your Bible in hand, youll want to take in and feed upon the truths of the Word of God and ensure your spiritual growth.

Roots are for storageAs you form the habit of looking into Gods Word, youll find a vast, deep reservoir of divine hope and strength forming for the rough times.

Roots are for supportDo you want to stand strong in the Lord? To stand firm against the pressures of life? The routine care of your roots through exposure to Gods Word will cultivate you into a remarkable woman of endurance.

Im glad youve chosen this study out of my A Woman After Gods Own Heart Bible study series. My prayer for you is that the truths you find in Gods Word through this study will further transform your life into the image of His dear Son and empower you to be the woman you seek to be: a woman after Gods own heart.

In His love,

P oetry has been a fascination of mine since my early days in junior high school. Maybe its because my mother was an English teacher, and not just an English teacher, but a Shakespearean English teacher! Therefore I was continually exposed to Elizabethan language and poetry.

Are you perhaps wondering, What does poetry have to do with the book of Proverbs in the Bible and with the Proverbs 31 woman? Thats a great question. For, you see, the book of Proverbs is a form of poetry in the Hebrew language. But unlike English poetry with its rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry uses what is called parallelism. As youll soon see, each proverb, or saying, usually has two lines, each with a parallel relationship to the other.

In each lesson, this section in our Bible study is dedicated to looking at the Bible, to observing what the Scriptures say about the topics and Bible passages addressed. But before we approach Proverbs 31:10-31, I want us to learn a few things about the book of Proverbs and about Hebrew poetry.

1. The book of ProverbsThis marvelous book of the Bible is treasure! Its a treasure-house filled to overflowing with wisdomGods wisdom. Its even categorized as one of the wisdom books of the Bible. Within its 31 chapters are many references to wisdoms being like treasure. Note how these proverbs refer to wisdom and allow these descriptions to whet your appetite for discovering the treasure of the Proverbs 31 woman. Also note any suggestions as to how we are to discover the treasure.

Proverbs 2:4

Proverbs 3:13-14

Proverbs 8:10-11

2. The style of the proverbsTo communicate wisdom through poetry, the book of Proverbs generally uses three types of parallelism, or line structure, to create a poetic effect. As you learn about parallelism, look in your Bible at the verses indicated and make notes regarding the wisdom found there.

Synonymous parallelismHere the meaning in the first line is paralleled by a similar meaning in the second line.

Proverbs 1:2

Proverbs 31:20

Antithetical parallelismHere the first line is the opposite of or contrasted with the second line, which usually begins with the word but.

Proverbs 10:1

Proverbs 31:30

Synthetic parallelismHere the second line simply continues the thought of the first line with the second line usually starting with and.

Proverbs 3:6

Proverbs 31:13

3. A few exceptionsAs with most language guidelines, Proverbs has its exceptions. Not all verses have two lines. Some verses, called triplets, have three lines. For instance, what happens to those who hate knowledge and scorn wisdom in Proverbs 1:27?