A Flawless Example (Biblical Economics, Part 1)
By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series written by Ben Quine that takes us through the whole of Scripture to discover how God set up an economy for His people, and how His timeless economic principles apply to us today.
Imagine the wisest person you can think of, writing in the wisest book of all time, about an ideal person. What do you think they would say about them? Perhaps the author would focus on their bravery in battle, or their skill in the arts, or their brilliant intellect, or their physical beauty, or their acts of religious piety or charity?
At the end of the book of Proverbs, King Lemuel writes a description of an ideal woman. She’s sometimes called “The Wife of Noble Character” or “The Proverbs 31 Woman,” and surprisingly, the description he gives of her is primarily focused on economics. That might seem shocking at first, but it makes sense when we consider what Economics really is.
So, what is Economics? Well, it’s not that boring high school class that put you to sleep. It’s not a dry, academic study only for super-smart people. It is supremely relevant. It is one of the most important topics we can consider because when a society or individual pursues unbiblical economic policies, people will suffer. When individuals or society embrace the Biblical view of money, businesses, resources, and wealth, people will thrive, they will be blessed, they will experience freedom from oppression, and they will be lifted out of poverty. If we take seriously the Bible’s command to love our neighbor and to look after those in need, we must address questions of Economics from a Biblical perspective.
And that’s exactly what we will be doing in this study. So, to begin, take a minute to read Proverbs 31:10-31. Let’s look at this ideal woman to see what we can learn from her:
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
First of all, notice that the descriptive words for this woman are enthusiastically positive. She is excellent, more precious than jewels, trustworthy, and a source of good (not harm). This woman is a blessing to her husband and community, and she is a role model for all of us.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She seeks out and selects raw materials and works willingly and diligently. We’ll see what she does with these resources in a minute. But keep an eye out for other ways that she continues to seek/consider/select…
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
Spoiler alert: her businesses are prosperous. The Wife of Noble Character runs such a remarkable enterprise that she is compared to a merchant ship!
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
Again Lemuel mentions the woman’s extremely diligent work ethic. She shows care for her family, and she is a good employer, looking out for those who work for her.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She is actively considering investment opportunities. She uses her business’ profit to buy land, create jobs, and start another business.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She is carefully monitoring the health of the business. If people didn’t want the products she was creating, she would certainly move on to other designs or different products.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She utilizes machinery and technological advances to increase her productivity. This is also a demonstration of her skill. As a good leader, she is directly involved in production and understands what needs to be done at all levels of her business.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Remarkably, though this woman spends so much time and effort creating prosperous businesses, she does not use her money only for personal or business advancement. She gives generously to those in need.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
She also takes care of her family and has prepared for the future. She has invested in high quality products that will stand the test of time and the ravages of the elements.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
Her uprightness, integrity, and financial success are key factors in her husband’s reputation and standing. She is a great woman.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
This is the core of her business: after carefully selecting raw materials, she creates garments and sells them to the merchants, who then sell them to others.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Foresight and wisdom allow her to be prepared for the future. Her investments, homemaking ability, and reputation for wisdom, are all safeguards against the uncertain future, enabling her to live without fear of the unknown.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
The kind of life modeled by the Proverbs 31 Woman is a praise-worthy life. Her children, husband, and even the Bible honor her for her economic choices. Her life exudes the lasting virtue of true character.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
This is a fitting summary for this passage: this woman who has modeled a praiseworthy life of wisdom and excellence should be rewarded by justice (receiving what you deserve). Give her the reward she has earned. No favoritism, special treatment, or partiality allowed.
The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)
Since we know that the Proverbs 31 Woman feared the Lord and lived a praiseworthy life (Proverbs 31:31), we know that none of the actions she took with her businesses are inherently evil or wrong. On the contrary, hard work, private property, private investment, and individuals voluntarily caring for the poor are the way of wisdom, the way to prosperity for a culture, and the way to a life of fulfillment.
So, why does the book of Proverbs focus on economics when describing this woman? Because Economics touches the very heart of our life and our culture! By pointing to her economics, Proverbs is praising the Wife of Noble Character for her skill in business, her creativity, her brilliant intellect, her upright character, and her beautiful heart. Her actions, when done for the glory of God, are acts of both religious piety and charity, making her the prototype of a model citizen, a model society, and a model nation.
But what is required of society for this kind of life to be possible? And if this woman’s life is so wonderful, why doesn’t everyone follow this path? We will address those questions and many more in the next articles…
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ABOUT BEN
Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum
Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.
Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.
Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.