Woman of Valor: Eshet Chayil

 A woman of valour who can find? For her price is far above rubies.
~Proverbs 31:10

Along the years I have witnessed the Proverbs 31 woman being the platform for many women’s meetings or in teachings regarding women.  Only recently I sat at a women’s meeting that gave a different perspective of the meaning of the Proverbs 31 woman.  This peaked my curiosity and provoked me to do a little research regarding the scripture.  In my research, I found the following:

The scripture is a Hebrew Acrostic poem.  Each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order.

The scripture in Hebrew is translated as, “A woman of valor who can find? She is far more precious than rubies (jewels)”

The entire poem is sung to the woman by her husband (or by the males in the home) every Friday night at the Sabbath table.

Intrigued by such information, I began to analyze my thinking as it pertains to women.  I’ve recently come to terms with the notion that I’m frail and that’s okay.  I believe that we are living in a society that is currently putting too much responsibility on women by highlighting the “superwoman” as the ideal woman.  Preachers of Proverbs 31 have often chimed in with this ideal superwoman by teaching Proverbs 31 as a list or checklist of the ideal woman.  I challenge you to consider that the Lord is not saying that you should aspire to become the Proverbs 31 woman, but that He already sees you as the Proverbs 31 woman.  This scripture of text is His song to you, not His directive of you. 

Women have Delighted God’s Heart

God has not burdened us with a list of to-do or to-be items.  He is saying that through the years we, collectively as women, have accomplished these things and we are worthy of our praise.  I emphasize “we” are worthy because we should see ourselves as a group that’s been chosen by God, not as individuals who have to strive to become great.  As a group, we have been brave in our pursuit of the Lord and in our admiration towards Him and He wants us to know that He recognizes it.  Consider the following:

At least five women saved the baby Moses when the men had resolved to accept the persecution of their sons being killed. (Exodus 2: 1-10) {Two midwives: Shiphrah and Puah; Moses’ Mother, Moses’ Sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter}
Women stood by Jesus at the cross when all, but one, of His male disciples abandoned Him (John 19:25)
Women made it into the promise land, when all of the men in their generation died out (Numbers 14:28-30).Women, led by Miriam, led the first praise session onto the Lord after they were delivered from Egypt (Exodus 15:20-21)

In our states of oppression, we’ve still found ways to glorify God.  The world will teach that this is a result of women being emotional, but we all have emotions. Many of these scriptures clearly show the bravery, the gratefulness, and the intuition of women. God says I see your greatness and I call you, Eshet Chayil, Woman of Valor!

God Loves Women

God chooses women.  I’ve often wondered the following, “Why didn’t God just replace Eve in the garden?”  Wouldn’t this have been easier than this whole redemption plan?  No.  God loved the woman and saw her as a key part of His redemption plan.  Let’s look at Genesis 3: 15-16, which reads, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”  Over the years, I’ve been taught and I believed this text to be a curse unto the woman.  However, in reading through the eyes of God’s love I was able to see that this text points out to us that redemption for mankind will come through the woman. 

When speaking to the serpent, the Lord identifies that there will be enmity between the serpent and the woman and that the “woman’s” seed will bruise the serpent’s head.  This scripture is intentional that the blessing of Christ came through the seed of a woman and not of a man.  The seed of the ovary was used, not the seed of the sperm.  Another section of text that should be highlighted is the part that says, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.”  For too long, we saw this as a curse, when it is actually a blessing.  We’ve, well I’ve been taught that we were cursed with sorrow in childbirth, but if we consider the mind of Christ and God’s redeeming plan for humanity we would see this as the blessing that it is meant to be.  This scripture is not adding sorrow, but is adding the “bring forth children”.  Therefore, in the midst of our trials and tribulations we will have victories and will birth possibilities.  You see, we have been given the ability to press through struggles while producing good fruit. 

Multiplication in Affliction

Here’s one more section of the scripture that needs to be highlighted, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.”  Too often, we try to birth control the population of the down trodden and the oppressed.  However, the Lord does the reverse.  When sorrow is multiplied, conception is multiplied.  An example of this is seen in Exodus 1:12, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.”  Scripture also confirms, “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them” Exodus 1:7.  Note that this was in Egypt while they were in slavery.  Although the enemy will oppress and bring sorrow, the Lord will multiply your conception in the midst of it.  Don’t abort!  The multiplication of your conception is God’s way of giving you artillery.  You see, this is how the Lord sees the conception of children, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” Psalm 127: 3-5.  We should begin to see children as the blessings that they are.  Too often, we condemn groups of women, particularly minorities or families in poverty, for having children.  Whereas, God sees the oppression of such groups and multiplies their ability to produce children.  The world will say that children reduce a person’s wealth, but children increase the family’s wealth.  Therefore, when sorrows are multiplied, so is our ability to reproduce. 

Sister’s Keeper

            As a mighty woman of God, you know and recognize that the same opportunities are given to other woman and this takes nothing away from you.  Too often we try to exhort ourselves above others, but there is no need.  The Lord calls each of us to fulfill a purpose that only we can fulfill and yet; He calls us to fulfill those individual purposes as a team.  In a game of basketball, it will take a team of five individuals although each person comes with a different skill set, to play a game.  Let’s look at the early life of Moses.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.  Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.  And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.  And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. Exodus 2: 2-10

In this scripture of text, we see the bravery of Moses’ mother, Pharaoh’s daughter, and Moses’ sister.  However, even before this event, God wants us to know of the bravery of two other women, Shiphrah and Puah.  Mentioned by name, scripture highlights how two seemingly insignificant women helped in saving the life of Moses and other male Hebrew babies.

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive…Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. Exodus 1:15-17, 20-21

Let’s consider that the Lord can and will use each one of us.  One gift is not better than another.  Our call and praise of being Eshet Chayil does not single us out, but it unites us.  Culture will highlight one over another, but God recognizes all of the key players.  You are your sister’s keeper.  You are Eshet Chayil!

What kind of strength does it take...

Ø  To risk your life to save the babies of other women?

•         You are your sister's keeper.  You are Eshet Chayil!

Ø  To watch another woman draw your baby out of a river, call you to breastfeed him, and then take him as her own?

•         You are your sister's keeper.  You are Eshet Chayil!

Ø  To draw another woman’s child from a river, defy your father who happens to be the mightiest man in the world, and raise the baby as your own in spite of the danger and possible conflict?

•         You are your sister's keeper.  You are Eshet Chayil!

You are God’s Eshet Chayil

In your sorrow, the Lord will multiply your births and your ability to birth new possibilities.  Don’t allow the enemy to oppress you into thinking that you are not worthy of new possibilities.  He’s oppressing you because he is afraid of such possibilities.  You are the Lord’s Eshet Chayil.  The Lord believes that you are courageous and are more than an overcomer.  He knows that challenges, sorrows and afflictions will arise in your life.  However, if you keep your mind steadfast on Him, you will see His glory in the midst of your circumstances.  Don’t be ashamed!  This is another tactic the enemy uses.  He will oppress you, expose you and try to kill your testimony.  Yet, this is your opportunity to speak boldly, “Yes, I was afflicted, but look at this baby I created in the midst of the affliction!”  You are Eshet Chayil!

God recognizes that through generations, you have kept the family together, have stood against oppression, and have praised Him in the midst of dangerous situations.  Be not oppressed with the world’s view of you; you do not have to be a superwoman to please God.  He is pleased with you as woman. 

Be renewed in your thinking.  Understand that the Lord has intentionally chosen women to help advance His kingdom.  He knows that in the midst of your storms, you are still a powerful woman of valor.  He knows that you will birth children in the midst of your sorrow.  You are His Eshet Chayil.

Presented by Pastor Mickisha Goss, Love and Faith Women’s Ministry @FusionENY, Saturday, January 7, 2017

www.lafwomensministry.org  LAFwomensministry@gmail.com