Domesticated Bravery

April 8, 2009

Today's Reading: Joshua 9-10 and Proverbs 31

As usual, the Old Testament and New Testament readings don’t really have anything to do with each other. Joshua is all about doing a lot of fighting, and he was so victorious that he actually stopped the sun! Then the gear shifts into Proverbs 31.

Proverbs 31 is one of the most often quoted chapters of this book. It is probably the most unified. After all, most areas of Proverbs usually discuss things like “a wise man does this, but a foolish man does something else”. Been there, done that.

Proverbs 31 talks about a woman. I have no idea if this is supposed to be a real woman, but a lot of women’s Bible study groups seem to equate this as the feminine ideal. In fact, many books have been written about this, as the Christian reading audience, mostly women, love to hear about this, apparently.

You want to know what is sick? I once heard a song called “Proverbs Woman” that discusses this, and it was to the tune of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”. Yeah, that is sort of pathetic.

There are a lot of verses in Proverbs 31 that discuss the typical “woman of the home”. I’m pretty sure that June Cleaver daily lives by these precepts. She’s probably got them cross-stitched somewhere in the two bed master bedroom.

You will notice that combat training, politics, writing, and other things that had to be overcome in the feminist era are not listed. Real shame, that one. I’ve always wondered what the godly man version of this would read.

It would probably say something like: “he fights a cool battle, he so totally rules, blah, blah blah. You know, stuff that is all in the book of Joshua, which is kind of a male centered book, if you look at it. I wonder what Freud would say about the whole javelin thing? Oh, you don’t want to go there and I’m sorry that I hinted at doing so.

You see my point. Is the Bible anti-feministic. In all honesty, it is really us to assign the values of masculine and feminine to work.

You see, Proverbs 31 also says something that belongs to both men and women. In verse it says: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute”. Joshua did this when he fought for the Israelites, and the “Proverbs woman” who does her domesticated chores is just as brave.

I mean, I see my wife, and I am amazed by her. One time, I saw her reading to a group of children, and realized that I couldn’t do that. She is as brave as ten of Joshua’s men, and as far as I am concerned, she stops the sun everyday.

So, what is bravery, strength, and honor? They are demonstrated every day by those who we don’t think have it.