Who, then, is beautiful?

A young woman with whom my wife and I are acquainted was, to be polite, of a substantial build! She works in a retail outlet that we have used quite a lot since coming to France, and one that - outwith the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19 - we still visit occasionally. I think that it must have been before the Covid outbreak that we noticed that she was absent from the shop. One of her colleagues, with whom we are also friendly, explained that she was on extended leave as she was having surgery to remove some of the excess weight that she had been carrying.

Some time later, we called in and, to our delight, she had returned. "Quelle différence !" (What a difference!). Here was this relatively slim young woman looking as happy as could be. It must have been "pre-Covid", because I know that we hugged!!! 

Then some time later again, after the first 'lockdown' in France, I happened to call into the shop. Our friend was, again, missing. I made enquiries, and learned that a customer had insulted her with a comment about her size, in such a way as to cause her emotional problems. 

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. I have seen photographs of females who are, allegedly, "the most beautiful women in the world"! But that is only the opinion of the person who produced the photographs. I have my idea of what a beautiful woman looks like - but a tribal chief in Samoa has a totally different idea as what constitutes real beauty! 

In Genesis 24, we read that Abraham, knowing that he was near to the end of his earthly life, charged his senior servant, Eliezer, that he would not allow Isaac, the son of the promise, to be married to a Canaanite woman, but that he would go and find a wife from among Abraham's own kindred. Eliezer assured Abraham that he would do so, and set off with suitable gifts for the young woman he believed that YHWH, his master's God, would provide.

He asked for a sign: "Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Pray let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac. By this I shall know that Thou hast shown steadfast love to my master." (Gen 24:13-14).

The young woman to whom he was directed was named Rebekah, and she was "... very fair to look upon," (v.16|). But physical beauty was not the crucial point for Eliezer. His prayer gives us an important clue as to the kind of beauty he sought for his master's son. Common courtesy would have prompted Rebekah to provide drinking water for a stranger - but to water camels was a different matter altogether! Ten thirsty camels could drink up to 210 gallons (more than 950 litres!). Rebekah clearly had a servant's heart. She was, in the eyes of others, a physically beautiful young woman. However, she was also  a young woman of beautiful character - and that is much more important. 

The cowboys of the "Wild West" allegedly had a saying about females: "Looks don't last; cookin' do!". There is a lot of truth in that! 

Proverbs 31:10ff is a description that I have often applied to my own dear wife. In v.30 we read "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Of course, the same is true of we males!

Who, then, is beautiful? Those who reflect something of the beauty of the Lord Jesus in their lives; who display His character through their own; who draw others to Him by who they are.

Do you display this kind of beauty? Do I? That's perhaps a question worth pondering!