Wool Gathering

(Proverbs 31:13 KJV)  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

Keep in mind as you read through chapter 31 that this is not really a text for Mother’s Day, it is talking about being a wife, not a mother.  In this verse it begins a long list of activities that a good wife is involved with.  Some translate easily into modern times.  This one needs a little more unpacking.

In Solomon’s day women made the clothes for the family.  That did not start by buying cloth.  It started with buying the raw material to make the cloth.  Wool was the most common material.  Flax was a little nicer.  Then you had cotton and silk.  Wool comes in many qualities and this woman did not just grab and go, she “seeketh” (looks NASB) (1875).  The KJV is better here because it carries the implication of serious examination. 

We should model that in our lives.  For us it isn’t so important the type of wool we put in our sox but it is important the kind of mush we put in our heads.  We need to seek the best in eternal issues.

So?  How would you like to discuss the latest movie you saw with Jesus?  Would He laugh at the joke you just told?  Would He offer to pick up the tab at your last restaurant?  Are you using cheap wool or fine linen to build your life?