Okay, I know there is no such thing as a "Proverbs 32 Man." The book of Proverbs ends with praising the woman of honor. I would have liked for their to be another chapter praising the honorable man. This is needed in a time when the idea of manhood, manliness, and maleness has been under attack for decades. The rise of radical feminism has deeply affected traditional views of manhood, resulting in a feminizing tendency toward men. However, God created men to be men and women to be women, each with their own strengths and roles.In my searching through the scriptures, I came across the 112th Psalm. This Psalm is a tribute to the godly man and is perhaps the closest thing we have to a counterpart to Proverbs 31. I decided to try something. Using ideas from Psalm 112; Prov. 20:5-7 and Job 29, I put together a composite picture of the honorable man in the style of Proverbs 31. So, if there were a Proverbs 32, it might look something like this:
Proverbs 32
- An honorable man who can find? His worth is far above riches and glory
- The heart of his wife trusts in him and his children have no lack of gain
- He does them good and not evil all the days of their lives.
- He works hard and faithfully to provide what is needed
- Safe and secure is his family as they look up to him and honor him
- He delivers the poor who cry and the orphan who has no helper
- He makes the widow's heart sing for joy
- He stands firm in what is just and right
- He is eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a father to the needy
- He breaks the jaws of the wicked and snatches the prey from his teeth
- He fears the Lord and delights in his commandments
- With honor he accepts responsibility and courageously leads with integrity
- In the town square he is known and commands respect everywhere he goes
- In the waters of his heart are plans and he has wisdom to draw them out
- A man of loyalty and tenacity is he, trustworthy and faithful
- His sons are with him, observing and learning, a model for them is he
- His sons are mighty and noble on the earth, a testimony to his character
- Overbearing, domineering inflates pride and ego, it is impotent and vain
- There are many men, but you are a real man, you are God's man
- His wife and his family follow his godly leadership
- A godly man who fears the Lord shall be praised
- His wife and family rise up to honor him
- Let the works of his hands praise him