Fountains of Wisdom—A Study in Proverbs Part 57—A Love Song for a Queen
What a beautiful and fitting conclusion to the book of Proverbs!! God is so amazing in the writing and positioning of the scripture.
photo courtesy of Tony Moran © 1981
Proverbs has been a book which cuts like a surgeon’s scalpel. For the tender hearted who desire with every ounce of their being to please God, it cuts deep at times. If I could only learn when to keep quiet, when to speak, and how to cling tight to God’s joy in the midst of every circumstance; then I could feel worthy of God’s love for me. Perhaps if I were slower to judge others or if I could be more discerning, I wouldn’t have to end the day seeking God’s forgiveness once more. Perhaps if I just knew a little better how to manage money, then I would have more to give God and He would be pleased with me. Oh, these are the knives that cut my heart. Yet, in the midst of all the wisdom found in Proverbs; there is presented as a healing balm the truth of God’s love, grace and mercy. There is found the truth that I am strong in Him, by Him, and through His everlasting hope, His wisdom and His never-ending, unconditional love for me. So, how perfectly fitting is that Proverbs would end with this love song as is written in Proverbs 31:10-31.
As, we saw the first few verses of Proverbs 31 was Solomon’s tribute to his mother, Bathsheba. If you have not yet read the previous post, I encourage you to do so. These final verses are written in the format of an acrostic poem. It is suggested that Solomon never had written anything in this format; thus, some would try to say that these verses could not have been penned by him. Yet, let us consider for a moment these facts. Acrostic poetry in the scripture was written in an order that went directly through the Hebrew alphabet. An example in English of Acrostic writing would be.
COME AND MEET THE ONE
HE CAME TO SET YOU FREE
RIGHTEOUS THOUGH HE WAS
IN SHAME HE DIED UPON A TREE
SALVATION THERE HE BOUGHT
TO SAVE A WRETCH LIKE ME
In the case of Proverbs 31:10-31, the letters used were not to spell a word; rather, they were the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This had important reasons for writing this song in this manner. 1. Using the alphabet helps people memorize the words. 2. It is like saying this is the ultimate A-Z; emphasizing the magnitude of praise for the one being spoken of. Although Solomon had never written Acrostic poetry; King David had. That is precisely the format David used in Psalm 111, 112, 25, 34, and 145. Furthermore, Psalm 119 was a very elaborate acrostic poem which used one letter of the alphabet for each of the 22 sections of eight verses; with each of the eight verses in the section beginning with that same letter. Bear with me here for a moment; what if this is a song Solomon had memorized because he heard it sung every time his mother entered a room? What if this was the love song David wrote for Bathsheba? What if by grace, mercy, and redemption; this is the love song God sings over you and me? The song is a song of praise to a virtuous wife listing her qualities high. This is the love song to an adulterous who is now a Queen. This is the love song to a Queen who has been declared righteous because she reveres, adores, and fears the Lord. This love, this grace and this mercy has clothed her and transformed her into the perfect picture of righteousness. Could God have ended this book any better? Redeemed, transformed, and sanctified into the perfect bride of Christ; that is who I am because of His Gift of Salvation. I am ever being remolded and transformed by His love. Do you know Him?
Listen to David Crowder Band singing How He Loves.
© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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