What My Mother Told Me

Proverbs 31

When I say to my mother, You would always tell me (this), any more she says, I probably did, but I don't remember that. That was more than half a century ago. Well, Solomon wrote down what his mother told him.

THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL:

The prophecy which his mother taught him.

Proverbs 31:1 GNV

Of the comparatively limited wisdom written down in the few proverbs saved in what we consider today to be 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs (see 1 Kings 4:29-32) Solomon wisely attributed the entire last chapter completely to his mother, and rightly so. Saving the best for last he listened to his mother and considered what she had to say as being very wise.

Like a mother she begins with "What"? How much a mother cares is shown in that one word! I remember how often my mother would say, "What do you think you're doing?" Of course that was followed up with something like, "Get out of there!" or "You don't need to be doing that". Here King Lemuel, yes king, his mother was coming across much the same way. Solomon, women can destroy you, they will divert you out of the way you are supposed to be going. The unsaid part here might had included the implication of, "Solomon, the only blemish on your father's record of being a man after God's own heart is regarding how I became your mother." Women can destroy you."

Next is the matter of wine and strong drink. By itself it can and will change how you think, how you rend judgment, and how you act. And so far all the Moms out there are saying, Amen, Amen. So the next thing he remembers his mother saying about wine and strong drink,

Give the strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto them that have grief of heart. Let him drink, that he may forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Proverbs 31:6-7 GNV

Well there's something you don't hear preaching on everyday, let alone a mother advocating it. No today it's "let the medical experts handle the dying" and therapists handle the grieving. So what do the medical professionals do? As my wife lay dying they administered their special concoction of morphine to ease her pain at end of life. Wait a second! That's what Solomon's mother was talking about here about strong drink and wine. Then in GriefShare among other things we learn is that people seek to ease their grief through drinking strong drink and wine. In their context drinking strong drink and wine is considered a crutch intead of seeking Jesus, seeking help from the Lord himself. No, in three thirteen week sessions of GriefShare I never once heard this verse quoted. Yet the Holy Spirit carrying Solomon along as he wrote made that wise man see to include his mother's thoughts of assuaging grief. (Oh man, do I have too quote this? "Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother." Someone may say Richard, you're reading the wrong version of the Bible. Then go ahead. Read those verses in any version you like. Then tell me different.)

And no, it doesn't say, "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near." No, it literally says, Let him drink, that he may forget his pouerty, and remember his misery no more. In another writing of Solomon he says there is a time and place for everything up to and the extreme of including a time to make war, and a time for peace. Here Solomon's mother says there is a time for this.

It is only fitting that the next thing Solomon records his mother as saying following up generally avoiding strong drink and wine as king is so he can be a mouthpiece for those who cannot speak for themselves, to assure fairness in a world that isn't fair on behalf of those afflicted, and advocating for the orphans. Do everything in your power to be a clear headed king to be a right advocate especially for these people. Again, avoid continually pursuing women, strong drink, and wine.

Up next, its not the especially clean home maker, and meal preparer extraordinarie, and not made for television, not a draw for women everywhere to sit and watch, and collect recipes and kitchen accessories. No, this mother of this king examines and identifies a very exemplary woman, a very fiercely independent woman, a married woman, a woman with children. Solomon says from his mother, this isn't a woman you can find everyday. And after all the different kinds of women Solomon has identified in the first thirty chapters of Proverbs such as the deceitful woman, the adulterous woman, the nagging woman, all the types of women to avoid, here the king's mother speaks simply of this wife and mother as a virtuous woman. Where women of the previously mentioned types are quite literally and figuratively "a dime a dozen", this woman's value has no limit to her value, simply "FAR ABOVE".

And her husband is only mentioned three times here in these thoughts. His heart safely and securely implicitly trusts her. He is known for his place among other men. She does him good!... and not evil his entire life. And he praises her. The unsaid things are he lets her be independent. His heart trusts her judgement and faithfulness as that independent woman. Among other things she considers a field, i.e. she knows the soil, the location, the other necessary qualities and capability of a field, and in this case for planting a vineyard. Think of it. A vineyard takes three years before it can even begin bearing fruit. This woman is in this for the long haul. And she acquires it. She knows what she needs both to purchase the field, the tools necessary to plant it and give it its best opportunity to become a productive part of all she puts her hands to. And whether it is clothes, food, saleable goods, this woman is very intelligent, hard working even to work by candlelight, and sees she has enough for her family, her workers, to sell (top quality) and reaches beyond with what she has for those in need. She is a tender and merciful hearted, strong business woman. And again her husband's heart implicitly trusts her. Her children don't gripe and complain, at least we are not told that they do. But having watched the woman that their mother is over the years they rise up, and call her blessed. There are three more key points that qualify such a woman, a blessed woman, a very extraordinary woman.

Favour is deceitful,

and beauty is vanity:

but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:30 GNV

But just as Matthew writes what Jesus said, Let your good hard works be seen by men that they may flaunt it? No. Be identified by them? No, Be his legacy? NO,! The purpose of good work is that others may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

For this woman she has other rewards as well:

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:31 GNV

Even though our good works should speak of our heavenly Father, though not our purpose, but because our works will be known and associated with us, of such this vituous woman is known. Solomon's mother knew this is true of the woman she told Solomon is a virtuous woman. For one I am quite thankful Solomon honored his mother by writing her thoughts for people to read and reflect on in the millenniums since his time.