Thought for the Day

These verses describe the diligence with which a virtuous woman in Biblical times fulfilled her duties. Her chief responsibilities were the clothing and feeding of her family.

Verse 13 - Clothing a family was not an easy task in ancient times. Everything was made in the home from raw materials. "Ready-made" items were too costly for the common man. Wool and linen were the chief textiles. If her husband did not own his own flocks for wool or harvest his own flax, his wife would buy them at the marketplace. Flax had to be soaked in water before its fibers were ready for the distaff; and wool had to be carded. These were spun into threads, which were woven into fabrics. From wool, she made clothing and other household items. Linen was used to make sashes, nets, measuring lines, and finer garments. While the wealthy purchased dyed, fine fabrics from other countries, spinning, and weaving were still very important occupations even of wealthy women and queens. Thus, the first thing that Bathsheba described about a virtuous woman was her diligent labor in producing clothing.

Verse 14 - The other vital task of a virtuous woman was daily meal preparation. This also required much time and labor. Food was procured from one's flocks and lands or from a market. Bread was the staple food and baked daily. Women made flour by grinding grain on a small millstone, then crushing it in a mortar with a pestle. Milk was the chief food after bread. Women milked cows, goats, or sheep daily, and prepared the milk in sweet, sour, or curdled forms. They churned it to make butter and cheese. They gathered olives, grapes, dates, figs, vegetables, fruits and herbs from their fields. Most of their olives were pressed to obtain oil used for cooking and lamps. Eggs were gathered from their fowl. Salt, spices, and honey might be purchased at markets, often coming from afar. Although Bathsheba lived in a palace, she knew that one of the attributes of a virtuous woman was industriousness, for it expressed her love for her family.

Household tasks today differ from those of ancient times, but God's instruction still applies. Titus 2:3-5 instructs older Christian women to be examples to younger ones, by being holy, pure, and temperate; not gossiping or idle - and to teach them to love their families. This love is expressed by action and must be learned. As in ancient times, this involves keeping the house clean, doing laundry, and preparing meals. The home is a family's refuge. The wife is charged with its care and the husband with providing the means to maintain it. Younger women can spare themselves much heartache by heeding the advice of older, more experienced women. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12).