A Colourful fine linen garment...

Proverbs 31:19-22

She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her hand holds the spindle.

20 She extends her hand to the poor,

Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,

For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22 She makes tapestry for herself;

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

In verse 19-22 we see how the bride, as represented by the Proverbs 31 woman, makes beautiful woven, colorful, durable and luxurious garments.  We see how she starts with making the cloth, once again from the raw materials that the Lord provided for her.  She spins the wool or linen herself into yarn that will ultimately be used to weave cloth with.  This yarn needs to be prepared and she dyes it in beautiful colours like scarlet and purple (which were very expensive).  What really stood out for me in this passage is that she makes garments for her own household and the poor - but - that does not mean that she neglects herself.  She also makes tapestry and clothing of fine linen for herself.  She does not just look after others - she makes sure that she takes care of herself, and she does so with luxurious tapestry and linen garments in rich textures and expensive colours. In Revelation 19:8 the following is said about the bride's garments:

Revelation 19:8

It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

The linen of the bride's garment is made of her righteous acts, in addition to this we read in Isaiah  61:10 the following:  

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

God Himself clothes the bride in garments of salvation and righteousness.  It is His garment of righteousness that we are clothed in, and out of that flows righteous acts, and those righteous acts become the linen of the bride as mentioned in Revelation 19.  In Proverbs the two colours that are mentioned are scarlet and purple.  Scarlet is a red colour so for me it will point to the blood of Christ that is woven into the bride's garment - it is through the blood of Christ that we are saved and become righteous, and then righteous deeds can be done.  Out of our own works that would not be possible.  The purple was a kingly colour.  It indicates a change in position.  When the bride is redeemed through the blood of Christ, she is made righteous and then she can be His bride.  Her position changes from being a slave to sin, to being the bride of Christ that does righteous acts.  She now is the bride of the King. His work of redemption is completed in her. 

This is surely reason to rejoice - look what Isaiah 61:3 proclaim:

"To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

This garment of the bride is also a garment of praise against a spirit of heaviness.  The King says He will give those who mourn beauty for the ashes of our broken and lost dreams, wrong choices and sinful acts.  He will take the ashes of our own frivolous works and replace them with beauty.  Give us the oil of joy in the place of our mourning - and we will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord - so that He may be glorified!  What a precious promise.

The bride in Proverbs 31 understands this - therefore she takes the wool or flax and starts to weave with what God gives her in her hand.  Firstly the scarlet goes into the garment - the blood of Christ that gives us salvation, then the purple of a changed position in Him and then the beautiful colours of righteous acts that flow from there.

So the thoughts to ponder this week are:

• Have you accepted the garment of salvation that the King gives you?
• What am I weaving?  
• With what am I weaving?  
• For whom am I weaving?
• Do I remember and give myself permission to weave for myself?   

Garments of praise - Robin Mark