“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.” (Proverbs 11:22, NASB)

Today’s passage shows the difference between how God sees beauty and how the world defines it. To God, inward beauty is more important than outward appearances. In a humorous way, Solomon explains what a person is really like when they work on outward beauty without character. It says,

“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.”

Solomon doesn’t pull any punches as he describes someone who is all about “glamor” but no “grace.” If we were to take a moment to visualize what he was saying, it would be quite funny. Can you picture a dirty pig trotting about in mud and dung, with a shiny gold ring on its snout? A gold ring is a precious, valuable, polished, and sophisticated piece of jewelry. It is meant to be noticed, admired, and used to enhance one’s appearance. A pig, on the other hand, is a dirty animal trotting through mud and eating literal garbage. No matter how beautiful a 24-karat nose ring is, it doesn’t make the pig attractive. In fact, it makes the pig look ridiculous. This is how God sees what is beautiful and what is ugly.

God taught Prophet Samuel about this when he was called to anoint the king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” The comparison Solomon makes is simple, loud, and clear. Our outward beauty is like a ring of gold, and our inner person is like the animal, as in a pig. Our physical attractiveness, such as vibrant youthfulness, a strong and healthy body, a booming voice, or good-looking eyes and facial features, is a mere jewel that will pass away. Prophet Isaiah taught a similar lesson, but it was illustrated with a flower that blooms and withers away. He said, “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa.40:6-8). All of us are like flowers of the field, in that we flower into a lovely flower, but fade quickly with time.

No one can bloom and stay beautiful forever. One of my famous actors, like Bruce Willis, who starred in many movies playing action hero, tough guy, and likable character, is now old and suffering from dementia. Julie Andrews, who played a beautiful governess for Captain von Trapp’s children in The Sound of Music, is now 90 years old, with many of her flowers faded away. Regardless of age or the passage of time, there appears to be a certain radiance that remains with them, even in later years. I believe it is because they have inner characters and we remember them fondly. If this is so, we as believers should be more encouraged to build our characters in the likeness of Christ, as it will shine even more brightly for eternity.

Lacking faith and godliness is like putting jewelry on a pig—it doesn’t change the nature of the beast. But walking with God turns an everyday person into a holy dwelling, a temple of the Holy Spirit, refined and made pure by the promise of Christ. To the woman of faith, the Bible says, “And let not your adornment be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet.3:3-4). To the man of God, the Bible says, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor.4:16-18). Yes, our outer man is fading away, but our inner man in Christ is renewing and growing stronger each day!

• What does the imagery of today’s passage say about inner and outer beauty?
• Do you know anyone who is handsome and beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside?
• Do you know anyone who has faded outwardly but is beautiful and radiant on the inside?