“She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty."
Proverbs 4:9
Who is the “mystery woman” and why is she presenting this beautiful crown wreath of grace?
In chapters 1 through 9 of Proverbs it is from the perspective of King Solomon teaching his son(s) the wisdom of life and of rule. It is a King raising a prince. Solomon himself, at one time was a prince in training to be a king. And at this point in his wise counsel to the next generation of ruler in Israel, he recounts the sage advice his father King David had given to him in his youth.
“Then he (King David) taught me (Prince Solomon) and said to me,
‘Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is:
Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.’"
Who is this mystery woman that places a crown of grace on one's head? Wisdom (personified - given "person" qualities)
Not all “grace” is unmerited. In the above quotation of Proverbs 4:4-9, I put in bold the various verbs, action words, associated with wisdom. “Hold fast”, “keep”, “acquire”, “prize”, “embrace” just to name a few. If you want this garland (wreath) crown of grace, there is going to be some work you need to do!
Not all “grace” is unmerited. In the above quotation of Proverbs 4:4-9, I underlined the words that indicate “conditions”. The word “if” is the easiest to identify, but the word “and” can function in much the same way. “And” doesn’t always mean “1+1” or “in addition to”, sometimes it means “as a result”. If you want the “result” you need to do what it tells you to do - that’s the condition. For example, If you want her (wisdom) to exalt you, then you must “prize her”! Receiving this crown of grace is conditional.
Not all “grace” is unmerited. Here the word “grace” means “favor” or “beauty”. Kings through the ages have certainly prided in their crowns. How intricate and ornate a crown is to its wearer is significant. The quality of gold and jewels embedded in it, a sign of one’s wealth, status, and value. But more precious than silver and gold is wisdom. Godly wisdom. And this will adorn the king with true favor… true grace! It will be the most valuable crown he wears, and most valuable he can pass down to his son.
The advice, the counsel, the wisdom that David passed down to Solomon and Solomon passed down to Reheboam, it is true and priceless even if they didn’t fully follow it. It’s wisdom fit for a king. And if it’ll do for them, it’ll do for me. May the Queen of Grace adorn our heads with favor as we acquire and live the wisdom of God.
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