"She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.". v.22
A godly woman is humble.
Some translations phrase the first half of this verse as "She makes her own bed linens", because according to Strong's, the "coverings of tapestry" means a coverlette or bedspread. One commentary I read stated that this would be more of a coarse, sturdy linen, but whether these are plain and simple or fancy tapestry, she makes her own bed linens. Also, earlier in verse 15, it states that she rises early to prepare food for both her family AND her servants. You'd expect a woman with maids to make them do the cooking and tedious work of weaving, but no, this woman in Proverbs is humble enough to do that work herself.
Webster's Dictionary - Humble: not proud, haughty, arrogant, or assertive
Webster's Dictionary - Humility: free from pride or arrogance
Strong's Concordance - Humility: gentleness or meekness
1. Psalm 25:9 - God will guide and teach the meek
2. Psalm 37:11 - the meek will inherit the earth and delight in the peace
3. Psalm 138:6 - although the Lord is high above us, He respects the humble, but is distant from the proud
4. Psalm 147:6 - the Lord lifts up the meek
5. Psalm 149:4 - the Lord will beautify the meek with salvation
6. Proverbs 6:16-17 - a proud look is an abomination to the Lord
7. Proverbs 11:2 - shame comes with pride
8. Proverbs 15:33 - humility comes before honor
9. Proverbs 16:5 - a proud heart is an abomination to the Lord
10. Proverbs 16:9 - it is better to be humble and poor than rich and proud
11. Proverbs 16:18 - pride goes before the fall
12. Proverbs 18:12 - pride is before destruction and humility is before honor
13. Proverbs 21:4 - a proud heart is a sin
14. Proverbs 22:4 - riches, honor, and life come by humility and the fear of the Lord
15. Proverbs 29:23 - honor will uphold the humble
16. Ecclesiasties 7:8 - patience is better than pride
17. Isaiah - 29:19 - the meek will increase their joy in the Lord
18. Micah 6:8 - the Lord requires us to walk humbly with God
19. Matthew 5:5 - the meek will inherit the earth
20. Matthew 18:4 - those who are as humble as children will be great in the kingdom of heaven
21. Matthew 23:12 - those who humble themselves will be exalted
22. Mark 7:20-23 - pride comes out of the heart and defiles you
23. Romans 12:3 - don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to
24. Romans 12:16 - don't be haughty, but associate with the humble
25. Galations 5:22-23 - a fruit of the Spirit is gentleness and meekness
26. Ephesians 4:1-3 - walk with meekness, endeavoring to keep peace
27. Philippians 2:3-8 - do everything with humility, putting others before you, even as Christ took the form of a servant and humbled Himself unto death
28. Colassians 3:12 - as God's elect, show humility and meekness
29. 1 Timothy 6:11 - flee sin and temptation, and follow after meekness
30. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 - if you are called to teach others, do so with meekness and gentleness
31. Titus 3:1-2 - be gentle and show meekness to all
32. James 4:6 - God gives grace to the humble
33. James 4:10 - the Lord will lift up the humble
34. 1 Peter 3:1-4 - wives, be in submission to your husband, and let your adornment be that of a meek spirit
35. 1 Peter 5:5-7 - everyone, be humble to each other, for God gives grace to the humble; humble yourself before God, because He cares for you
36. 1 John 2:16 - the pride of life is of the world, not of the Father
The Bible speaks very strongly about pride and humility. A proud heart is not just a sin, but an abomination to the Lord. That's pretty hard; that means it's worthy of hatred and disgust. Pride will defile and destroy you, make you very distant from God, and bring you shame. The pride of life is not from the Father, but from this World.
On the flip side, humility will bring you close to God, and He will guide, teach, and lift you up. Humility will bring honor, life, and riches far greater than any you could get through pride. More than sacrifice or fasting, God requires that we walk humbly with Him and show meekness as His elect people.
Often those who are humble and meek get trampled on or badly used or even just forgotten about by the World; however, patience is still better than pride. The humble are made beautiful by the Lord's salvation, find great joy in the Lord, and will be great in the kingdom of heaven. Remember, honor comes after humility.
Humility will change your relationships with others; it is the best way to keep peace and create unity. If you are called to teach others, you should do so with meekness and gentleness, instead of with an air of superiority or condescension. And, although Peter speaks specifically of wives winning their husband to Christ though their humility and meekness, I believe we ALL could get much farther with others if we were to show humility. Humility is a much better adornment and charm than a pretty outward appearance.
Being humble is one of the most difficult things to do, but as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it will flow out of us. God gives grace TO the humble, and gives grace to BE humble. We can be humble before God and others because we know that He cares for us and is working on our behalf. Our humility is an example of Jesus, because He left His high station and came to earth in the form of a servant, and humbled Himself even to death on the cross for us.
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