The “friend” can be trusted since his intentions are loving (“well-meant,” Scott, p. 161) even when he states the truths that hit home and hurt. The “enemy” is no less an enemy when he pretends affection with a lavish display (“effusive”; McKane, p. 610) of “kisses”; the public show, the overplayed scene of attachment, marks him more, not less, the enemy.

The value of the noble woman is not based on her pleasing personality, nor is it determined by her physical beauty. The Hebrew word for grace is translated favor or charm. It is most often used in the Old Testament with the word find. Here it refers to a personality or demeanor that results in her finding favor with others: she is popular and well-liked. But grasp the point of this verse: personality and popularity do not necessarily reveal a person’s true character. A charming disposition is not necessarily genuine; it may be a sham. Many people are masters at deceitfully portraying themselves in order to get what they want from others. We should not judge a woman (or any person) by her (or his) personality. The most popular girls do not always make the best wives. Nor do the most gorgeous ones.

All men want a beautiful woman at their side. But the problem with physical beauty is that it does not last. It is vain (hebel)—transitory and fleeting. This is the word used so frequently by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Nothing he tried was lasting or permanent. Unfortunately, this is all too true with physical beauty and charm. People age and people change. A woman’s true value is not based on beauty. The virtuous woman is made of stronger, more important, and permanent qualities.

b. She fears the LORD (v.30b).

Here is the secret of the noble woman, what makes her priceless and incomparable: she is praiseworthy because of her fear of the LORD, that is, her reverent, submissive relationship with the LORD. This honorable woman embodies the attributes of wisdom found throughout Proverbs:

Ø She has an impeccable character and great integrity.

Ø She is loyal and trustworthy.

Ø She does good, not evil.

Ø She is diligent and industrious.

Ø She makes wise financial decisions.

Ø She is compassionate toward the needy.

Ø She is prepared for the future.

Ø She is strong and honored.

Ø She is confident and bold.

Ø She has great hope for the future.

Ø She controls her speech, which is always holy and gracious.

Ø She instructs others in truth.

Ø She is kind and fair with others.

All of this is a result of her relationship with the LORD. Her exceptional worth is based on her fear of Him (1:7). Men who are wise do not choose their wives because of their popularity or beauty. They select a woman who is characterized by her genuine reverence for and humble obedience to God, a woman who demonstrates the behavior and beautiful qualities spelled out in the list above.

Always remember this fact: it is our fear of the LORD that will direct our children—the fruit of our loins—to the LORD. We must teach our children to fear and trust the LORD by our own example. Our example will guide them in everything they do. We cannot be the parents God intends us to be without genuinely and wholly surrendering our lives to Him.

Her exceptional worth is based on her fear of Him (1:7). Men who are wise do not choose their wives because of their popularity or beauty. They select a woman who is characterized by her genuine reverence for and humble obedience to God, a woman who demonstrates the behavior and beautiful qualities spelled out in the list above.

Always remember this fact: it is our fear of the LORD that will direct our children—the fruit of our loins—to the LORD. We must teach our children to fear and trust the LORD by our own example. Our example will guide them in everything they do. We cannot be the parents God intends us to be without genuinely and wholly surrendering our lives to Him.

Her exceptional worth is based on her fear of Him (1:7). Men who are wise do not choose their wives because of their popularity or beauty. They select a woman who is characterized by her genuine reverence for and humble obedience to God, a woman who demonstrates the behavior and beautiful qualities spelled out in the list above.

Always remember this fact: it is our fear of the LORD that will direct our children—the fruit of our loins—to the LORD. We must teach our children to fear and trust the LORD by our own example. Our example will guide them in everything they do. We cannot be the parents God intends us to be without genuinely and wholly surrendering our lives to Him.

Selfishness is a consuming and destructive sin. The first and inevitable casualty is the person who manifests it, even if no one else is harmed. Because this sin, like every other, begins in a sinful heart, anyone can commit it—regardless of whether there is an opportunity for it to be outwardly expressed. Even when not outwardly manifested, selfishness breeds anger, resentment, and jealousy. No church, even the most doctrinally sound and spiritually mature, is immune from the threat of this sin, and nothing can more quickly divide and weaken a church. Selfish ambition is often clothed in pious rhetoric by those who are convinced of their own superior abilities in promoting the cause of Christ.

it is the root of every other sin. It was by placing his will above God’s that Satan fell (cf. Isa. 14:12–17), and it was by placing their own wills above God’s that Adam and Eve first brought sin into the world (Gen. 3). Self-will has been at the heart of every subsequent sin.

It refers to a highly exaggerated self-view, which is nothing but empty conceit. Whereas selfish ambition pursues personal goals, empty conceit seeks personal glory and acclaim. The former pertains to personal accomplishments; the latter to an overinflated self-image. Understandably, a person with such conceit considers himself always to be right and expects others to agree with him. The only unity he seeks or values is centered on himself.

Empty conceit is arrogant pride, being “wise in your own estimation” (Rom. 11:25).

Because empty conceit is, by nature, self-deceptive, believers must be on constant guard against it. It is an implacable enemy of spiritual unity.