Pro 31:16 | KingComments | STEP | After taking care of her family and all who belong to it, she has her hands free to take actions that increase the family budget ( ). She increases her husband’s income. In this part of the enumeration, we see that the wife is also a good businesswoman who invests wisely. There is no foolish buying or going into debt here. After acquiring the field, she plants a vineyard from her earnings. The spiritual application is about the things we set our sights on. A field is an area that is worked in order to grow something on it and benefit from it. After the field there is a vineyard. A vineyard speaks of joy. In this context, we can see the field as a picture of the family. The church is also made up of families. Every family that lives for God is a joy to Him. We can also buy a field for ourselves ( ). Then we think only of our own pleasure and leave God out of it. This is inconsistent with the church’s calling. Everything she does, she does with the use of all her strength ( ). To gird oneself means that the clothing is pulled up and tied around the hips so that walking can be done unhindered. At the same time, the girdle gives strength to the hips. An arm is also a symbol of strength. She makes her arms strong. She does not possess that strength in herself. She is a God-fearing wife ( ). That means her strength lies in her dealings with God. The church has no strength in itself. It strengthens itself in the Lord and in the power of His strength ( ). While she is busy, “she senses that her gain is good” ( ). She evaluates what she has done and sees positive results. This encourages her to continue in this way. She is busy late into the night. Of course, she needs her rest and sleep and will not work through the night. It is about her commitment. It is not limited to a number of hours specified in a contract. It says of Anna that she was “serving night and day with fastings and prayers” ( ). This is also does not mean that Anna never slept. It is about what characterized her. So it is with this wife. That her lamp does not go out at night may also mean that her house is spared disasters that come upon the wicked ( ; ). When the church lives with the Lord and seeks and finds in Him its strength, it sees that its work is blessed. We see this especially at the beginning of the book of Acts ( ). The church lives in the night of the world. Then its lamp should not go out, but burn brightly. This points to the testimony it gives of Him Who is the light of the world. We may all give that testimony individually. It can also be seen in our homes (cf. ).

‏ Proverbs 31:16

Her Sound Financial Management

After taking care of her family and all who belong to it, she has her hands free to take actions that increase the family budget (Pro 31:16). She increases her husband’s income. In this part of the enumeration, we see that the wife is also a good businesswoman who invests wisely. There is no foolish buying or going into debt here. After acquiring the field, she plants a vineyard from her earnings.

The spiritual application is about the things we set our sights on. A field is an area that is worked in order to grow something on it and benefit from it. After the field there is a vineyard. A vineyard speaks of joy. In this context, we can see the field as a picture of the family. The church is also made up of families. Every family that lives for God is a joy to Him. We can also buy a field for ourselves (Lk 14:18). Then we think only of our own pleasure and leave God out of it. This is inconsistent with the church’s calling.

Everything she does, she does with the use of all her strength (Pro 31:17). To gird oneself means that the clothing is pulled up and tied around the hips so that walking can be done unhindered. At the same time, the girdle gives strength to the hips. An arm is also a symbol of strength. She makes her arms strong. She does not possess that strength in herself. She is a God-fearing wife (Pro 31:30). That means her strength lies in her dealings with God.

The church has no strength in itself. It strengthens itself in the Lord and in the power of His strength (Eph 6:10).

While she is busy, “she senses that her gain is good” (Pro 31:18). She evaluates what she has done and sees positive results. This encourages her to continue in this way. She is busy late into the night. Of course, she needs her rest and sleep and will not work through the night. It is about her commitment. It is not limited to a number of hours specified in a contract.

It says of Anna that she was “serving night and day with fastings and prayers” (Lk 2:37). This is also does not mean that Anna never slept. It is about what characterized her. So it is with this wife. That her lamp does not go out at night may also mean that her house is spared disasters that come upon the wicked (Job 18:6; Jer 25:10).

When the church lives with the Lord and seeks and finds in Him its strength, it sees that its work is blessed. We see this especially at the beginning of the book of Acts (Acts 2:47). The church lives in the night of the world. Then its lamp should not go out, but burn brightly. This points to the testimony it gives of Him Who is the light of the world. We may all give that testimony individually. It can also be seen in our homes (cf. Exo 10:23).