**She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. ** Proverbs 31:19
We talked earlier about a study on hands. It is amazing the good and evil that we use our hands for. Several times the P31 woman’s hands are mentioned. She uses them for good, to be productive and fruitful and provide for those around her.
Several times we see a leprous hand representing rebellion and strife in the Old Testament and that only God’s intervention can heal them.
In Jeremiah 18, we are all familiar with the Potter’s hands story. **Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.**
The clay in the potter’s hand is like the wool and flax in the P31’s hand. She takes the raw, crude fibers and quietly works it into useful, beautiful thread and yarn that can then be used for garments and home goods.
The potter and the P31 woman have the same qualities. Carefulness, detail, patience, an eye for beauty, vision for what can be. They mold, adjust, caress and direct repeatedly and continuously working their skills gently over the materials until it becomes useful and full of beauty. Could the Potter be our Heavenly Father and the P31 woman the Holy Spirit? It is worth contemplating. Both have the ability and patience to stay with the whole transforming process. Both love their work. Both see the finished project before anyone else can see it.
The more we learn about our God, the more we see that His work is so much more complete, so profound, so much more than activities on Sundays or 15 minutes in the morning.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a great example of the depth of the mind and heart of the Lord. Don’t miss the treasures waiting for us here in this chapter and throughout his Word and our life with him.