We started a new series on Sunday. The title of this post is the title of the series. We'll be looking at the value God has placed on women and how that should effect how men and women act. Having known women all of my life, I feel qualified to teach this series. Actually, it's easy for me to talk about what a virtuous woman is, having been raised by one and being blessed enough to be married to one, as well. I'll post the slides and the notes that go with each slide. Enjoy, or don't, or land somewhere in the middle. Those are your choices.
We talked about the stereotypes that dictate the answers to these questions. We also talked about the stereotypes of how men and women are. In short, Men are not bumbling idiots that need rescuing by a good woman. God created men to lead their families spiritually. Do you think He would give that assignment to an idiot? Just the same, women were not created to be eye candy. God didn’t make them for the purpose of serving men. God created them the be beautiful, to be virtuous, to be great.
Beauty is more than an external feature. There is obviously outward beauty, but there is far more than than. I talked about what drew and draws me to Sarah, besides her good looks, of course.
Women are excellent. I asked what makes a person excellent to them. I had already talked about what I consider excellent, which are the things that drew me to Sarah.
The value of an individual is intrinsic, because God made us that way.
Mankind is uniquely special, because God hand formed him and breathed His very breath into his lungs. The term “breath of life” has greater implications than simply oxygen. It was at this moment that God imparted a soul to man. No animal has that. That is beautiful. It makes us valuable. I also quoted a portion from our wedding ceremony: "Woman is twice refined. Man was refined from the dirt, but woman is twice refined, because she was made out of man."
A counterpart is the corresponding part. To correspond is to suit, to be equal with, to be adequately proportioned. Another quote from our wedding ceremony: "She was taken out of man’s side, to stand beside him. God did not take her from his head, to rule over him, and not from his feet, to be walked on."
ASV: "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." The Hebrew word indicates value, strength, capability, substance, worth. I ended with the following challenges:
Ladies: girls are easy to find. They are everywhere. There are more of you than there are of us. But a virtuous woman? That’s a tough find. That is worth looking for. Many people spend way too much time trying to fix their looks to meet up with society’s standards. Let’s face it. We cannot choose what we look like. We can go to extreme measures to cover up our looks, but God created us the way He wants us to look. You can choose virtue, though. You can choose beauty. You can choose your own worth. No man has the right to define that for you.
Gentlemen: The value of a virtuous woman is far greater than precious stones. They are not easy to come by, and they are not to be used and discarded. They are to be treated with the value that God has placed on them, not the value that you would choose to place on them. They are His daughters. They are His work. They are His prize. Be careful.
This weekend, Dan Sherman will be teaching on marriage. It definitely relates to the value, virtue, and beauty of women. Just wait. You'll see.
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