Proverbs 30:24-26
Wisdom does not depend on size or strength, e.g., Yoda.
Joint effort succeeds where the individual might fall.
Neither power nor a king is necessary for survival.
Proverbs 30:32
If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
There is toxic shame, but there is also healthy guilt to guide right behavior.
Toxic shame is a self-focused,painfully acute awareness that something is wrong with me. It is the felt sensation of deep inadequacy. And it kills.
In this verse, I believe we are looking at a healthy guilt. Shame in what one has done, not necessarily in who one is. We are image-bearers of God. When prideful or plotting that which is against His nature, we are ruptured and dis-integrated, bringing shame upon ourselves as a signal to stop and turn around. And it brings life.
Proverbs 31:20-31
[From The Jeremiah Study Bible]
In this section there are six key areas in which a woman can be a blessing:
- The way she works with her hands (20,22,24). This woman reaches out with her hands to work, help the poor, and provide for her family.
- The way she creates a home (21). This woman sacrificially builds a home, often unseen by the outside world but visible to God.
- The way she considers herself (22). This woman never forgets to treat herself with care.
- The way she invests in her marriage (23). If she is married, this woman is a key to her husband’s position and success in the community.
- The way she speaks (26). This woman speaks with wisdom and love.
- The way she exercises her faith (30). This woman knows and fears God.