Final two blocks in the Virtuous Wife free BOM...

 …and he praises her. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31: 29b - 31

I decided to share the final two blocks in our Virtuous Wife quilt project this month, instead of now and in December, so that those ladies who have been stitching the blocks each month have time to complete the full quilt before the year ends.

I love these final few verses, and as I was studying them, discovered a number of simply beautiful meanings which help to expand our understanding of the written words. So, shall we explore them?

Verse 30:

(a)  Charm is deceitful…

Charm (chen) - can mean physical beauty, but translated from the original Hebrew it also means graciousness or kindness. Deceitful (sheqer) - describes a sham, a falsehood, like putting on an act. So, when we read it with this understanding, we can see that it’s not all about physical beauty which can be made to look more than it actually is with makeup and hair styles etc…it’s also about pretending to be gracious and kind in order to gain favour – a sham.

(b)…and beauty is vain:

Vain (hebel) - means empty. Physical beauty is empty. There’s no real substance to it. We shall see why further on.

(c)…but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Fear (yare’) - means to be morally reverent. It’s not about being scared of God as you might a criminal, but to fully revere Him in His divine authorative nature, to bow your will to His, abiding by His Word and living out that obedience for all to see.

‘To be praised’ (halal) -  means to shine! Isn’t this beautiful? When we fear God (as described above) we will shine. It instantly reminded me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16 “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Ladies, let us shine forth for the Lord by how we live our lives, and allowing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to refine our character.

Verse 31:

(a) Give her of the fruit of her hands:”

Give (nathan) her of the fruit (priy) of her hands; describes the bough of tree, and means to render or reward.

(b) And let her own works…

(Ma’aseh) is the one word to express this section of the verse, and you may be surprised to know that it has many meanings. “Her own works” can be baking, creating a product, doing deeds, needlework, having handy skills, writing…her works can be many and varied.

(c)…praise her in the gates.

Praise (hahal) – again, this means to shine. In the gates (sha’ar) relates to having her character, deeds, and inner beauty displayed openly for all to see. When you take this back to the Biblical era when Proverbs 31 was written, it’s easy to see why her husband praised her openly when he sat with the city leaders in the town gates.

And finally…a little bit of information about the Proverbs 31:10-31 woman today.

Did you know it is traditionally believed that Abraham used to recite this to Sarah, and it is now recited or read by Jewish husbands to their wives on the eve of Sabbath? I think that is so lovely, and any wife would be honoured to have her husband consider her to be an example of the wife we have been studying all year.

For my part, I am not perfect, and God still has rough corners to round off in my character, but after almost 32 years of marriage I can honestly say that I am a much better wife than I once was, and intend on allowing the Lord to keep refining me through whatever years I have left. To HIM be all glory and honour and praise!

I hope you have enjoyed this free Virtuous Wife block of the month, which we began on November 1^st, 2022. A year later and I am the better for it, not because of what I have stitched or sewn, but because of what I have learned through deepening my personal study of each verse, and almost every word.

Use the link below to download the final double pattern set, which includes the quilt assembly instructions.

DOWNLOAD blocks 15 and 16

If you missed any of the sixteen blocks in this BOM go HERE.

I have pieced all my blocks together and cut the quilt wadding, but am still deciding how I’ll quilt it, and whether or not I’m going to attempt something a little different. More about that another day.

God bless you!! May you grow in the favour and blessing of the Lord all the days of your life. 

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Block 14 The Virtuous Wife BOM...

 

Hello lovely ladies, I know my time here lately has become quite sparse, not intentionally, but due to life's commitments in far more important places...like at home, and with family. 

As of today my husband is unemployed, just like our son-in-law Ross. Both of them are looking for work and we're praying the Lord will provide the right jobs at the right time. For now, dear Blossom and I are pondering what we've learned so far during this Virtuous Wife study, and with the Lord's guidance, doing what we can to mange our homes with financial restraint, a joyful spirit, prayer and praise. 

Anyhow, let's see what we can glean from October's bonus study, and I hope you enjoy stitching the free block as well! :-)

“…and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also…” Proverbs 31: 27b-28a

This month I decided to share two blocks from this quilt, today being the second one. We shall look a little at verse 27b-28a in this study, but first I’m going to begin with verse 27a which was embroidered on the previous block shared with you on October 1^st.

At the beginning of this month I focused on verse 26 and the power of the tongue, but today we’ll complete the study of the remaining text featured on the previous block. “She looks well to the ways of her household…”  Proverbs 31: 27a

On the surface you’d imagine this section of verse 27 is fairly self-explanatory, that she looks after the home very well. But it goes much farther in the original Hebrew.

Looks well – “tsaphah” – to peer into the distance.

The ways – “haliykah” – a march or procession.

Our lady isn’t focused on today, she is looking far ahead in order to prepare for what may come in the future. Her family do not sit still, their lives are continually marching forward, and therefore so is our woman. We already know she worked hard to care for her household, but here’s a bit of an insight into ‘why’.

There have been numerous times in history when people were caught unawares, when they realised lack of preparation for an unexpected crisis had left them with little to sustain the family, and no real idea how long before supplies, finances, work or assistance would return to normal. Since Covid savaged the world in 2020, many homemakers have made the decision to stock up and prepare now for any future times of trouble. They are learning new skills which they’d previously not considered, putting together a natural medicine cabinet, baking bread, making soap, foraging and canning homegrown or cheap in-season produce, sewing clothes, mending what is broken, counting the cost of all they spend and choosing to turn away from wants in order to better save for needs. These homemakers have a new mindset, and it’s not about living for today. It’s about preparing for the next time of trouble ahead as there is sure to be one, and I believe that runs right into the second half of verse 27 and the beginning of verse 28.

“…and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also…” Proverbs 31: 27b-28a

Idleness – “atsluwth” – slothfulness, slackness

She’s not filling her cup with laziness, television, books, social media, gossiping, shopping…she’s got her eyes looking ahead at the basics, the important things, and what she can do to build up her home. This doesn’t mean we can’t have some relaxion time to revitalise and refresh body, mind and spirit, for we all need that (exactly why the Lord instructs us to have a Sabbath rest), but it can’t be the centre of our daily desires.

My husband and I were both raised by grandparents who lived through WW1, the Great Depression, and WW2. Their example was hard work, contentment, resourcefulness, financial wisdom, gratitude for what they already had, generational skills, self-respect, kindness and generosity – and there’s no book in the library that can teach this in the same hands-on way that their example still inspires us today.

Learning from Nana’s example, my dear husband praises me often for how I manage the family finances, how prepared we are for needs in the future, the new skills I try to learn, the older skills I’m brushing up on, the well-stocked long-term pantry and most importantly, the encouragement I give him day by day. But I still have more to learn.

He learned from his grandfather to use what he already had, to repair, build, learn new skills and implement them (especially with regards to house repairs and creating a larger garden area to grow food), to provide for his family and show love to his wife (me!). But you know, to create the best self-sufficient life we can, both of us are aware that we need the Lord and His Word to guide us above all else, and then we must put our hands to the plough and do the work - just as our grandparent’s example taught us. Just as you and I are gleaning from the description of a wise wife thousands of years ago.

Use the link below to download the 14th free block in our quilt. 

DOWNLOAD The Virtuous Wife block 14

If you have just found this free block of the month, or have missed a block along the way, the links to every block and the accompanying Bible study can be found HERE

Till next time, God bless,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

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The Virtuous Wife block 13...

 

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household…”  Proverbs 31: 26, 27a

This verse is translated differently in a few versions of the Bible, but this will be because within the original Hebrew language, the depth and breadth of this verse teaches far more than one word.

When I first studied verse 26 what stood out was the power of our tongue, and the enormous responsibility we have with our words, the mindfulness needed to assess what we are going to say before we open our mouths. It’s a choice we must all make when choosing our words, our tone and our motivation – for as the Bible teaches us, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Luke 6:45

Humbling and examining ourselves by what we say and how we say it, whether verbally or in print, within this social media world-gone-mad era, has become rare. A desire to be heard above all the crowd, to have our personal beliefs shouted to the world, the need to be right (all the time) means we see ego, pride, and a real love of self on display all around us – and while we may be pointing the finger at others who behave in such a way, do we lift our eyes to the mirror of Christ and recognise similar behaviour in ourselves?

The character of the woman described in verse 26 is a benchmark we women need to aim for, because to speak with wisdom…

Wisdom – “chokmah” – in mind, word or act. To have good sense, to teach wisdom to others.

…is to be mindful about every word that comes from our mouth, for as we are warned in Jesus’ teaching about what (and how) we speak, if our heart is not right with God and moulded by relationship with Jesus, the words we speak may be soiled and harmful to the recipient. When we open our mouth, it should always be God-honouring and many times that will require us to be humble, or even silent if we have issues with anger, unforgiveness, pride, envy or any attitude the Word warns against.

Continuing on, the verse tells us that the teaching of kindness is on her tongue…

Kindness – “checed” – this word speaks of following God’s example in His kindness towards us. We should be merciful as He is merciful. We must be honest and kind with others, and teach our children and the younger women to do the same.  The word “teaching” used in this verse is actually “towrah” (Torah). Some Bible translations correctly use the word law instead of teaching because the Torah is the law of God. ‘…and on her tongue is the law of kindness’. This tells us that she lives by God’s commandments, and teaches them to others. I am reminded how the Ten Commandments used to be displayed inside every courthouse, every school, and many other government buildings when I was growing up. They were a constant reminder of right and wrong for everyone. Sadly, they are disappearing today and it is rare to see them on display anywhere.

So, like this woman, even though she is written of as an ideal wife for a man to look for and not a real person, let us glean from the many godly character traits she is described as having, for every one of them is good, every one of them will grow us individually closer and closer to the character of Jesus. And isn’t that what God wants after all?

For a deeper study on the power of the tongue and our words, read –

1 Peter 3:10, Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 15:1,2,4, Proverbs 15:28, Matthew 15:11, Proverbs 21:23, Psalm 34:13, Proverbs 18:20-21, Proverbs 17:28, Proverbs 12:18-19, Proverbs 18:6-8, James 3:1-12

Use the link below to download this month's free Virtuous Wife pattern...

DOWNLOAD Block 13 of The Virtuous Wife

If you have missed any of the previous month's pattern you'll find them HERE

DOUBLE BLOCK MONTH

I'm sharing 16 blocks in this quilt over 14 months, so just as in April you received two blocks during that month, so also during October you'll receive an extra block. This way we'll have the quilt finished by the end of the year. 

I'll be sharing block 14 around the middle of October and you can use the links below my signature to be notified via email and not miss out.

Bless you heaps,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!

You can also follow me on Instagram @jennyofelefantz 

The Virtuous Wife block 12 (free pattern)...

 

I really love this verse, especially after spending time studying each individual word and praying for wisdom to apply it daily in my own character.

The pattern itself is also a favourite of mine because I had so much fun creating that little apron with it's pretty pleats. On your pattern sheet I have described how to do this and it's rather simple. Just cut a rectangle shape and make your pleats across the top edge before fusing onto the background fabric. You may want to sew a line of running stitch and gather the top instead, or just trace the outer shape from the pattern sheet and backstitch the pleat lines. Make this however you like, according to your preference or skill level. 

One reason I chose to sew an apron in the design for Proverbs 31:25, is that as we study it we are told to dress ourselves, array ourselves, in God-honouring character each day, and one thing I wear every day is an apron. 

My apron is a covering that prevents soiling underneath...and isn't that a simple example of what a God-honouring character does for us? When we obey God's Word, it covers us from the soiling of our hearts and minds, and that's what I think of now as I tie the bow at the back my apron each morning. 

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Let’s take a look at the depth of meaning in this verse, because though only a few words in a short sentence, it has much to instruct us about the character of this woman; indeed, about the character traits we women of today can prayerfully grow into.

“strength” – the Hebrew word used here is ‘oz (pronounced oze) and can be translated as power, strong, boldness, might, a force. It stems from the root word ‘azaz (aw-zaz’) which means to prevail and be strong.

“dignity” - the Hebrew word used here is hadar (pronounced haw-dawr’) and can be translated as being held in high honour, goodly, comelinenss, beauty, an ornament of splendour.

“clothing” – the Hebrew word used here is labash (pronounced law-bash’) and translated means to put on, to wear, to array oneself.

“laughs” – the Hebrew word used here is sachaq (pronounced saw-khak) and can be translated as: to laugh in pleasure or to laugh in scorn, to make merry, to play, to rejoice.

“the time to come” - the Hebrew word used here is yowm (pronounced yome) and can mean any time to come, whether that be a day, an age, a season.

I like to expand a verse when I have a fuller understanding of each Hebrew word, keeping the context of a passage of Scripture intact, so here is how I would read Proverbs 31:25 now…

She dresses her mind and arrays her character each day with a boldness and strength which prevails through all circumstances life brings her way. Held in high honour by her family, she lives her life with goodness and gracefulness, and her beauty is evident in her character. By living a life of honour to God she has no fear of the future, but rejoices in He who will provide when there is need.

In this post Covid era, many things have changed, things we would not have thought possible four years ago. I have listened to people who now live their lives in fear of what is yet to come, who struggle with a daily barrage of “what-ifs” that consume their thoughts, plans and decisions. I can truly say that I have never met or read about so many fearful hearts as I have these past few years…and it can bring me to tears as I pray for them to know the HOPE we have in Christ, the certainty we have of His return, the surety that in the time of trouble He WILL carry us through.

Like the description of this fictional woman, a women King Lemuel’s mother described as having the attributes of a wife he should pursue (read more about that here) we must dress our minds each morning with the golden truth of God’s Word; we must array our character in Christian goodness (the fruit of the Spirit); and we must not fear what is ahead, but remember Who holds the future in His hand - Christ Jesus who has overcome the world.

Place your life and all it involves into His care, being obedient to His Word, confessing your sins daily, and praying for that sweet forgiveness which cleanses and restores us “whiter than snow”. Walk each day in the HOPE that will not fail, with a laugh that rejoices in our faithful Lord and Saviour. 

Use the link below to download the free pattern

DOWNLOAD block 12 The Virtuous Wife

Missed the previous free eleven blocks? Go HERE to access them.

Bless you heaps,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!

Virtuous Wife free BOM block 11...

 

“She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers linen sashes to the merchants.”

We’ve discussed in a previous study of the Proverbs 31 woman the industriousness of this lady, so I shan’t go over that again. What I would like for us to ponder with verse 24 is the variety of ways she manages the family income, from two sources – her husband’s (which I assume was the main income) and her own.

Over the many decades of my homemaking life there have been long seasons when I needed to supplement the family income whilst still being home to care for the children, teach them (we homeschooled) and tend to our household. Some of the ways I did this was through caring for small children in our home through Family Day Care, buying and selling vintage books I found by scouring op-shops and garage sales, and eventually at the age of fifty becoming an embroidery designer – something I am still doing today.

I have never seen myself in the role of breadwinner, and God-willing I will never need to be, but with no extended family in either mine or my husband’s life we’ve always had to lean on the Lord for help in tough times, and some of those times He would open a door for me to help out financially. This is how I think about verse 24 – she did what was needed at the time.

Managing the family budget wisely for us didn’t always mean earning more income. Most of the time it meant doing without, shopping for clothes at op-shops (charity stores), planning a very strict grocery budget and menu plan – then sticking to it. It meant choosing fun activities that were free - botanical garden picnics, swimming at the beach, hiking in the rainforest or the mountains, meeting up with other homeschool families for a BBQ, playing plenty of board games with the kids each evening, having the whole family sit around the table to do a large jigsaw we’d bought at the op-shop for a dollar, growing a garden out the back, recycled craft afternoons...so many things.

A wise woman finds ways to manage her home, and that may mean “she makes linen garments and sells them”, but it may also mean she is thrifty, sensible and wise to manage her husband’s income so that the bills are paid, the family dress presentably, and dinner is on the table to fill hungry bellies. It means she doesn’t pursue shopping as though it was her hobby, she isn’t filling the shelves with useless or wasteful items, and she is caring well for her home so that everything stays in good working order for as long as possible.

Industriousness within the home is so very important, and personally, I see it as a great privilege and blessing that I have a home to care for when many in the world do not.

I shall ponder this month just how I can improve my skills as a diligent and wise homemaker…will you?

Use the link below to download this month's free pattern -

DOWNLOAD Block 11 The Virtuous Wife

If you have missed any of the previous blocks they can be downloaded HERE

God bless,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!

Virtuous Wife BOM block 10...

 

“Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.”

Back in Genesis, God reveals that when a man and woman marry “the two become one” and when considering this in reference to Proverbs 31:23, it occurred to me that our character as wives will be reflected in how others view our husbands.  When our character mirrors that of Christ, it will not go unnoticed, and cannot help but to show respect for our God-gifted husband.

“…let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” (Proverbs 12:4)

“ (wives) To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:5)

God has given us wives quite a responsibility with regards to refining our character, respecting our husbands, building up our homes, bearing good fruit - and though times and fashions and attitudes may change, God’s Word never changes, it is the same today as it was thousands of years ago. “For I am the LORD, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)

The Bible tells us that with our own hands we can tear down our homes, yet with righteous choices, allowing the Lord to rule our lives, believing in His perfect Word and obeying it, we can build up our homes and in doing so bring honour to our men as well as the Lord.  “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” (Proverbs 14:1)

I know some of you will want to point out that you cannot respect your man because he is an unbelieving husband, a husband who is not living out his faith in Christ, or you feel as though you’re the only one in the marriage who is making an effort…but what the Lord impressed on me recently is to examine where these thoughts come from, and much of it comes through culture, the feminist movement, and incorrect teaching. I have heard more times than I can count that people need to earn respect before we can give it and that’s why some wives refuse to respect their husband – but, tell me, where is that in the Bible? In Ephesians 5:33 we are told to respect our husbands, with no ‘earning’ involved. Just as our husbands are instructed to love us, also with no earning involved.

To respect our husbands is a choice, a choice we make to honour the Lord and the position He has given to them. It’s not open to argument or dispute (how often do we look for Scriptures to back up what we ‘want’ it to say?) – it is a simple direction given in love by God through His Holy Spirit.

Let’s not look over at our men to judge the splinters of their failings, but let us examine ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word for as Jesus taught, there are logs in our own eyes which need to be dealt with. We are not our husband’s holy spirit, ever. We are not in a position to correct their character, but we are to humble ourselves before God so He can correct our own character.

Pray for our men, yes, every day – but also pray for God to chip away our rough edges, reveal to us the sin in our own lives, especially those sins and character flaws we are blind and oblivious to, yet are on full display to the world – for just as we can see sin in the lives of those around us, so they can see it in our lives too. Pray for the Lord to enrich our marriages, for the Holy Spirit to correct our failings, for the character of Jesus to be the mirror we compare ourselves to (and not others)…pray that the Father shows us where we’ve been tearing down our homes and how we can change to build them up again, all to HIS glory.

Use the link below to download this month's free Virtuous Wife pattern

DOWNLOAD BLOCK 10

If you have missed any of the previous blocks they are HERE

Till next month, God bless,

      Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!

Monday #9 - The Virtuous Wife block 7...

 

Hard manual work was the normal day to day responsibility of a homemaker in times past, and our Proverbs 31 wife was no different. Everything we have studied about her so far show a faithful, honest, thoughtful, deliberate, financially savvy, diligent and hardworking lady of the house.

In verse 19 our attention is drawn to the distaff and spindle, tools used for spinning wool or flax, a task not easy nor quick, but integral to clothing her family and keeping them warm. Today we just go to the shop and purchase yarn or cloth for making clothes or items for the home, or we simply buy them ready made. It’s no wonder our wardrobes are full and our closet drawers as well – but if we had to spin the yarn or weave the cloth for every item we wore I think our closets would be far smaller and with fewer options for our daily attire.

Now, I am not going to start spinning and weaving, because the focus on this lady, whom we need to be reminded is a ‘blueprint for a noble wife’ given to King Lemuel by his mother, is her godly character.

I think I need ask myself, thus far in the Virtuous Wife study, am I –

Faithful in every way to my husband, and to my God-gifted role as a homemaker, parent and overseer of the house?

Honest in all my dealings both in and out of the home?

Thoughtful and considerate towards my husband, family and all those who are in my care?

Deliberate in my thoughts and actions, that I should make good and wise choices, and in doing so honour God?

Financially savvy in managing the income of our family?

Diligent to the tasks given me at home and work? Hardworking and not lazy or looking for ways to avoid completing those tasks?

This could well be a prayer list where we ask the Holy Spirit to expose within us the ways we fall short, and requesting guidance for shaking off that which needs to be removed so we can be walking forth in the way we should go. Personally, this list shall indeed be written in my journal today and prayed over in the weeks and months ahead. I do believe we, as fallen humans in a world gone crazy, can so easily be blind to our own shortcomings, sins and omissions. It truly is Christ-bought grace which allows us to see the problems in our own character when we ask the Lord in prayer to ‘clean us out’, because it is really is His desire to do that, and we can trust He will do it for our benefit and His glory.

Verse 20...

What I loved about this verse was the activity of not just opening her hand to give (reminds me of tithing and giving donations – whether that be in money or groceries or things we no longer want/need) but actually reaching out her hands to those in need. That’s really being involved, looking out for the needy and physically connecting with them in order to assist. There’s quite a lot in that one little verse and it brought to mind Mother Teresa – hands on, all for Jesus, seeing Christ in every person, responding to their needs sacrificially because her love for Jesus was expressed in  how she loved the unlovely. 

May we grow ever closer to the examples given in Proverbs 31, but closer still to the example set by our Lord Jesus himself. 

Use the link below to download the second of two Virtuous Wife patterns I am sharing in April. 

DOWNLOAD block 7 The Virtuous Wife

If you have missed the first six patterns in this block of the month they are still free to download HERE

Have you been stitching along with this project? I'd love to see photos if you'd care to email them to me (link HERE) or you can tag me on Instagram (HERE)

Bless you heaps,

Don't miss out on any Elefantz news or free patterns. 

Subscribe to my blog posts HERE and receive them direct to your email inbox.  

Or sign up HERE for my free newsletter which often has extra benefits, freebies & tutorials!