L is for Lemuel's Mother
Proverbs 31:1 "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him."
Proverbs 31 is an amazing chapter, full of practical teaching about life. In this first verse, we see that this chapter is penned by King Lemuel.
Lemuel's mother is preparing him for life as a man, a king, and a leader. She mentions that he is the "son of her vows". I picture her as a young mother, making a vow to God to raise her son for the Lord, and training Him in Godly ways.
There are three specific areas of training that are presented in Proverbs 31, that Lemuel learned from his mother. While they were specifically mentioned as training for kings, they are great practical advice for all:
- He learns why he should avoid alcohol.
- He learns about compassion, caring for the poor, and speaking up for those who have no voice.
- He learns what to look for in choosing a virtuous woman as his wife.
We always consider the second half of Proverbs 31 as a great pattern for Godly women, (and it certainly is!) but I think it is very neat that it was actually first given from a mother to a son, specifically as a list of characteristics for him to use in finding a virtuous woman.
Motherhood is a high calling, and it's duties should be fulfilled with gravity and sobriety. I love the pattern set forth in Proverbs 31. It is great training for mothers, showing them how to present a principle to their children, then explain the reasoning behind it.
May we, as Lemuel's mother, make vows to God to train our children for His glory, and then give our all to fulfilling that calling. May we invest the time and dedication necessary to "parent on purpose" and thoroughly pass on our heritage and faith, so that our children will understand and be able to pass on that training to others, as Lemuel so poetically recorded Proverbs 31, spreading his mother's teaching and influence to us.