“She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen.” Proverbs 31:24
John MacArthur says in his commentary:
“With all her other responsibilities, faithfully discharged, she took time to make items of clothing for the purposes of trade.”
I’m so inspired by this Proverbs 31 woman! She was so caring and intentionally selective in her work. How do we see this ‘willful and purposeful living’ in her efforts? We see this in her selection of fabric – linen.
Throughout Scripture, linen consistently represents inner purity, righteousness, and moral integrity. We see this all throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, priests wore linen garments to signify their consecration and separation for sacred duties (Exodus 28:39). Just the fabric of linen in their clothing emphasized ceremonial cleanliness and dedication to God. We also find linen being used in the construction of the Tabernacle and Temple, highlighting the sanctity and divine order of God’s dwelling among His people (Exodus 26:1).
To produce linen required tremendous skill and long hours of labor, which gave it such a status of high quality. No shortcuts. No mediocrity in how she provided through her commerce. No, she was deliberately conscious of what she supplied in trade and in meeting needs.
Linen in Proverbs 31 is more than just her selected woven fabric; it is a symbol of holiness, divine service, and spiritual purity. Through her selection of linen, we see her encouragement for her fellow believers (her household and business partners) to live in purity and reflect divine truth in their lives.
Whatever OUR skills are, whatever our work may be, let’s be inspired by our Proverbs 31 sister to “choose linen!” To work with quality, work with purity and integrity as we encourage the life of righteousness in Christ. Let’s not be sloppy in what we produce. Let’s put excellence in all our work. Let’s serve with all our heart and by supplying our best efforts …
unto the Lord for the glory of God.