I am very excited to share with you that my Bible study on Proverbs 31, “31 Days of Proverbs 31”, has been completely revised and updated and is now ready for print! I wanted to share the first day with you here, to give you an idea of what it’s like. Each day covers one verse of this famous chapter, but the study is short enough it can be read much faster if you so desire.

Day One

Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

The first verse of this famous chapter is an introduction of the characters. Every good story has good characters, and Proverbs 31 is no exception. We have Lemuel, the writer, who is believed by most commentators to be King Solomon. If that is the case, then his mother is Bathsheba.  If you are unfamiliar with Bathsheba, please turn in your Bible to 2 Samuel 11-12. To sum it up, she is the woman who had an adulterous affair with King David which resulted in her child’s death, her husband’s murder and many trials for King David. Later, she gave birth to Solomon, whom God chose to follow David as King of Israel.

The name Solomon  means “peaceful, one who recompenses”.  How perfect! David’s life was anything but peaceful after committing open sin – God punished him openly – but Solomon’s birth and life showed God’s mercy and forgiveness. As children of God, we will be chastised for wrong doing. God does not chastise us in wrath, but in love, to bring restoration. Another example of God’s  mercy is the fact that Bathsheba is the one issuing these instructions. The virtuous woman was described by a woman who was not always virtuous. It is my opinion that Bathsheba could have refused to commit adultery with the King. Certainly, she could have died for that, but there are some things worth dying for. She made a poor decision, and suffered for it. But God used her in spite of that to raise up a future king.

We also see that this is the “prophecy his mother taught him.” She taught him. As a mother, I’m teaching my children every day. Not just because I homeschool my children, but because I’m their mother! They watch everything I do, and they copy most of it. (Usually the bad!) It is my job, along with my husband, to teach them the Bible. It’s the most important subject of life, and yet it’s the one I spend the least time teaching.

This one little verse has reminded me that God is just, but He is merciful. His mercy endureth for ever. (1 Chronicles 16:34) It has also convicted me about teaching my children more of the Bible. Reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic has its place, but they should never unseat the Bible in order of importance.

1. God will not show mercy to those who have not been born again. John 3:36 says He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. The first question to ask yourself is “Am I a child of God?” If not, then Hell will be your eternal home. If you feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon your mind and life, then don’t delay! Cry out to God for salvation. You need not pray a specific prayer or know lots of Bible doctrine. You must merely understand that your sin is separating you from a holy God and that Christ paid for your sin on the cross. Believe on Him – and only Him – and, as it says in Acts 16:31, “thou shalt be saved.”
2. If you are certain that you are a child of God, then it’s important to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word. If you’re a beginner, then start small. Read one chapter a day. You could start in the book of John, or by reading one chapter of Proverbs every day. Ask the Lord to open your eyes and heart to the truths of His Word and to help you apply them to your life. Attend church faithfully in order to hear the Bible taught and preached by a man of God. Preachers are just human, but they are called of God to dig into the Word, study it, and help others to understand it. I have been in church since I was a newborn baby and I still have so much to learn! No one can learn everything about the Bible in one lifetime, but we should strive to know as much as possible. Church is also a wonderful place to meet godly friends and have good fellowship. Churches pray together and for one another. Church friends will offer a word of encouragement just when you need it! The right church is, in my opinion, a little piece of Heaven on earth.
3. No matter where we are in our walk with God, there is always room for growth. We all should pray more, study God’s Word more, memorize verses more, serve more, love more, and the list goes on and on. Ask the Lord to reveal areas in which you need to stretch and grow, then follow His leading.

Further Reading:

My Utmost for His Highest – Oswald Chambers

By Searching – Isobel Kuhn

The Personal Spiritual Life – Peter Masters

The Bible study is being published by Bethel Baptist Church‘s publishing ministry, The Watchman Press. This ministry produces a free quarterly newspaper/magazine called The Baptist Watchman. It is available in both print and digital formats. To view the April issue of the paper, click HERE.

The the cost of the “31 Days of Proverbs 31” booklet is $3 (just to cover the cost of the printing) plus shipping; and the PDF or Kindle formats are absolutely free. To order a print copy, just send me your mailing address and we will include a bill. To get the free digital copies, or to be placed on the mailing list for The Baptist Watchman just send me your email address.

I hope and pray these materials will be a blessing to others. You can contact me using the “Write to Me” tab above. The goal of our church is to bring glory to God and edify His people through the preaching and propagation of the Word of God.

Thank you for stopping by today!

With love,