A Kindhearted Woman

A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. (Proverbs 11:16).

A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth. (Proverbs 11:16).

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The “only” here makes all the difference:

• A kindhearted [Hebrew chen: gracious, kind] woman gains respect [Hebrew kabod: glory, honor, splendor], but
• Ruthless [Hebrew aritz, cruel, fierce] men gain only wealth!

A gracious woman is kind to others, seeing their needs, and doing whatever she can to help them. Her honor and glory, her real “wealth,” are found in her good deeds. She values that “honor,” and cherishes it as her greatest possession. She values that honor in the same way that rich men may value their wealth.

Meanwhile, “ruthless” men value their wealth above (and even beyond) any virtue, such as integrity, civility, concern for others, and charity. To such men, even simple virtues look like the worst of vices, because those virtues hinder their ability to acquire more wealth, which is their sole ambition in life. They build bigger barns and seek out more and more profitable enterprises, storing up wealth to last a dozen lifetimes, never realizing what fools they are.

To every such man, God says:

You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? (Luke 12:20 NIV).

How does a virtuous woman gain respect and honor? The story of Abigail illustrates this quite well. On the other hand, the brief and tragic story of her first husband Nabal illustrates how “ruthless men” try to hold on to their wealth, which means nothing when the angel of death beckons (1 Samuel 25:37-38).

What do we see in Abigail? A woman who quietly directs her servants and then brings gifts of food to the hungry. A woman who carefully chooses her words to turn others away from angry actions. A woman who uses her wealth for what is good and who finally brings her honor and dignity, as her gift, to her new husband, King David.

Ruth the Moabitess is a wonderful example of Proverbs 11:16. This verse is probably the “working model” for Solomon’s words there as Boaz (her husband-to-be) said to her, “All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character,” (Ruth 3:11 NIV) or “a virtuous woman.” (KJV).

Ruth’s noble character was demonstrated in her actions:

• She showed her strength of faith in leaving her homeland and her gods and her own family to become, like Abraham before her, a stranger and a pilgrim seeking the true God in a new land.
• She demonstrated her determination to remain with her destitute mother-in-law: “Where you go I will go… your people will be my people, and your God my God!” (Ruth 1:16 NIV); and then:
• She worked very hard to feed her mother-in-law, Naomi. We see her loving care for Naomi, gathering food, bit by bit, under the hot sun.

Ruth is genuinely surprised when she comes to the attention of her wealthy kinsman, Boaz:

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10 NIV).

An interesting fact: Nowhere in the Bible is Ruth described as beautiful. Of course, she may have been beautiful in the conventional sense. But then again, she may not have been beautiful after all. Her true “beauty,” like her true character, is of a spiritual order, which has nothing to do with her hairstylist, her make-up, her jewelry, and the latest and most expensive fashions. Ruth has the truest kind of spiritual “beauty” in abundance.

Whatever else she is, she is genuinely modest. That is perhaps her greatest grace. She is unaffected; she honestly does not realize how attractive she is, how noble her devotion to an older woman, how exalted her choice of an unseen God, how impressive her diligence in gleaning in the fields, and how touching her intelligent meekness and her sincere thankfulness are. There are no false pretenses, no pride, no make-believe in Ruth. She is the real thing!

The gracious, kindhearted woman retains her honor long after youthful beauty has faded, and that same honor is hers even after she has left this world.

But, as Ebenezer Scrooge finally learned in “The Christmas Carol,” the wealth of a ruthless man does not remain with him for even one step beyond the threshold of the grave!

A kindhearted woman can work miracles. She knows how to care quietly for those who are ill. She knows how to enter a room without ostentation, vanity, or silly display. She knows how to speak the thoughtful word, offer the gracious look, and use the kind touch of friendship and trust. She knows how to persuade strong men to do the right thing, by the very force of her tender and sympathetic disposition: ‘You are a better man than this,” she tells him, and he listens to her.

Thank God for kindhearted women.

Robert Roberts shall have the last word, in The Law of Moses, page 220:

There is consistency in all the ways of God when the relations established by His law are observed. Man is the head, but only for nurture and protection and honor of the woman. Woman is man’s equal, fellow-heir of the salvation that is offered in Christ… Man is for strength, judgment, and achievement. Woman is for grace, sympathy and ministration. Between them, they form a beautiful unit “heirs together of the grace of life.”

George Booker,
Austin Leander Ecclesia, TX