Over the years, I have taken an array of classes in Literature. One thing that was brought home to me was to look at the "bookends" of a book or essay. Look for the ideas at the first and last to see how they mirror each other. Then, the pages or lines or verses in between should be the connecting dots between the beginning and the end. I see that in the Proverbs 31 section of scripture about the virtuous woman:
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- BEGINNING: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies..."
- ENDING: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."
The beginning of the section is looking for a virtuous woman...she is priceless... a rare treasure...
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The ending lets us know that she is out there and gives a descriptive summary of how to identify this treasure!
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Yesterday morning in our ladies class, we spent some time discussing the part in the ending about the concept of "fears the LORD"... Why would it say that when there are many scriptures that say "Do not be afraid"? Aren't these contradicting statements? No!
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Please read the definitions given by New Unger's Bible Dictionary of the phrase "fear of the LORD":
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- desires God's favor
- reveres God's holiness
- submits cheerfully to God's will
- is grateful for God's benefits
- sincerely worships God
- dreads God's displeasure
- conscientiously obeys God's commandments
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So, today practice replacing the words "fear the LORD" in the ending of Proverbs 31 with some of these definitions. It may help you more clearly answer the question at the beginning.
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- BEGINNING: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies..."
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- ENDING: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that ________________ ________________________, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."
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