Thoughts

Mother To Son

This chapter is a mother's advice to her son. The son is King Lemuel, and I'd like to tell you about him, but scholars don't know anything about him. There's a fair amount of conjecture, but no facts. One thing that seems true is that there was no king of Judah or Israel with this name. So instead of spending time on who he was, let's just talk a little about the content of this chapter.

The Dangers of Sexual Immorality

She warns her son about the dangers of sexual immorality. Good advice. And the advice would be just as good as if it were from a mother to a daughter or a father to either son or daughter. Both men and women invite all kinds of trouble if they are not sexually pure. I know that sounds very old fashioned, but look at the consequences on our culture today brought on by the sexual revolution that began in the 60s, not the least of which is more than 62 1/2 million abortions in America alone since 1973. STDs are rampant. About a quarter of the children in the US live in single-parent homes...the highest rate in the world. I could go on. Beloved, God's plan for marriage is not to take our fun away, it is to give us a better, happier life. 

The Dangers of Strong Drink

Then this wise mother talked to her son about the dangers of alcohol. Nearly everyone has a family member or knows someone whose life was ruined by alcohol. Don't get me wrong. Alcohol can be used responsibly, but a dangerous substance must be used with the realization that it is indeed dangerous. 

Defend the Defenseless

She talked about the importance of defending the defenseless. This is certainly important for a king or any person in a position of power, but it's true for all of us. What are we doing for the defenseless? What is your church doing? Some churches feed the needy. Some have programs for the homeless. Some are active in right to life activities. Individuals can volunteer in soup kitchens, or do prison ministries, or counsel women who are considering abortions. Literally, the sky is the limit. Ask God what He would have *you* do.

The Woman of Character and Virtue

And then verses 10 to 31 are probably the verses that Proverbs 31 is best known for: the mother tells her son the value of a woman of character and virtue. In the original Hebrew language, each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This may have been done to make it easier to memorize. One commentator called it "An Alphabet of Wifely Excellence." I like that. Someone else called it "The ABCs of wisdom." That's good, too.

My Woman of Character and Virtue

I have to say that as I was rereading these verses, I was wondering how to talk about them, because my wife, the the Lovely Lady LeeAnn, comes as close to fulfilling these verses as I can imagine any woman can. I could tell you about our marriage, and how I truly do love her more every day, and how reading this list made me fall even more in love with her as I compared her to the list. I told her about my thoughts, but she only said, "I fall so short. I'm not that woman." And I thought that you wouldn't believe me, or you'd think I was just gilding the lily. 

So I'll just say this. I believe, down to my very core, that I am the most blessed man in the world. LeeAnn *is* a marvelous example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her mother raised her right, and on top of everything, she loves the Lord with all her heart. I have thanked my mother-in-law numerous times over the years for the woman my wife is. 

So that's all I'll say about her. Today, at least.