The Valiant Man

by Lynn Hadley

August 2017

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Ladies, sooner or later a man is going to ask you to marry him; and this can happen at any age if you are single. If you don't make a godly decision, the man of your dreams could become the man of your nightmares. Do you know what you are looking for in a man?

Gentlemen, before you set your eyes on the woman you would like to become the mother of your children and your wife, do you know what personal strengths to build in your life to be that awesome husband and father?

Proverbs 31 sets the standards for the virtuous woman. Doing a word study on virtuous,chayil in the Hebrew, can actually help you. Chayil can also be translated valour or valiant. A virtuous woman needs a valiant man.

Chayil has other meanings, just like many other words we know. According to Strongs, it can also mean strength, might, efficiency, wealth or army. The usage we are interested in is the one translated valiant.

The first usage of chayil in the sense of being valiant is in Genesis 47:6. Pharaoh asks Joseph to seek out men of activity to rule Pharaoh's cattle. We see that valiant man is not lazy. In 1 Kings 11:28 we see that the valiant man, Jereboam, was industrious.

Exodus 18:21 defines able (valiant) men as those "who fear God, are men of truth, and men who hate covetousness." So a valiant man reverences God, is truthful, and not greedy. These men, once again, are selected for leadership. This is going to be a man that a woman is going to trust to lead her.

In Deuteronomy 3:18, "all that are meet for the war" are chosen for the army. A valiant man should be ready and willing to fight for his country and loved ones.

Psalms 18:39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

God enabled the valiant man to stand against his adversaries

In Judges 6:12 we see that God sides with a valiant man!

Psalms 108:13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

A valiant man trusts God.

In 1 Samuel 16:18 David is called a valiant man. In 1 Samuel 31:12 we see the brave valiant men of Jabesh Giliead who risked their lives to take down the body of the king and sons who were being dishonored.

You might miss this one. Ruth 2:1 "And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz."

Was Boaz rich or was he valiant? Obviously both, if you read the record. But, I believe the emphasis here is on his quality of valor, not on his wealth. Here is a man in the lineage of Jesus Christ himself that shows us how a valiant man thinks and acts.

How did Boaz treat Ruth, a widowed daughter in law to Naomi — a near kinswoman? He took care of her. He saw that even though Ruth was from Moab, she was doing her best to take care of her mother-in-law. He found out that she was a woman of good reputation and ended up taking in both women. He ended up marrying Ruth. He didn't take advantage of her or shun her. He was honorable in all he did.

Will Smith, in his A Willing Heart, makes some great observations. Boaz's spirit of generosity exceeds the formal requirements of the Law. The most prominent feature of his godly character is revealed in his giving. Boaz gives Ruth more than immediate material relief.

• Boaz not only gives Ruth permission to glean in his field, he counsels her not to glean in any other fields. The implication is that Boaz will provide Ruth with all her material needs.
• Boaz gives Ruth a preferred portion of the provision. Boaz instructs his foreman to deliberately drop full bundles of the harvested grain in Ruth's path as she gleans.
• Boaz gives Ruth, who as a woman and a foreigner carries unfavored status, a place of privilege at his lunch table and shares his drink and food with her.
• Boaz gives Ruth protection while she works during the harvest. He instructs his foreman and the reapers to keep Ruth from any harassment that might be directed to a single woman out on her own in a strange land.
• When Ruth slips into his resting place on the threshing floor and covers herself with the wings of his cloak, she is ultimately asking for protection under the Law. In the immediate situation, Boaz protects her reputation by ensuring her privacy.
• Boaz gives Ruth a promise. Boaz affirms that he will act as kinsman to redeem Naomi's property and in the process take custody of Ruth.
• In marrying Ruth, Boaz revives Elimelech's lineage, and the patrimony is secured to Naomi's family.

Boaz protects Ruth, he provides for her, he protects her reputation, he honors her, and he fulfills his promises. What a great man of God!

Many times we think of all Ruth did to secure help for her mother-in-law. In doing so, God ensured that Ruth's needs were met as well through that wonderful man, Boaz.

So, you can see that the term describing the virtuous woman is also descriptive of a valiant man. It is an attribute a man seeks in a woman and it should be the main attribute that a woman should see in a man when she accepts his proposal.

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Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation,  NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.