Old Fashioned Mothers (May 12, 2024)

There are some wonderful things that a good old fashion mother possess.

• Old Fashion Mothers had a savior – as a little girl she went to church and heard the Gospel preached. She saw herself as a lost sinner and knew Jesus could save her. One day she walked down the aisle and yielded her heart to Christ.
• Old Fashion Mothers had a church – after she became a Christian, she found out how much the church could help her and she loved it and faithfully attended its services. When there were difficult tasks ahead, she knew that she could go and receive strength. She not only went to church herself, but she took her children with her.
• Old Fashion Mothers had a Bible – she read it every day and when she grew up she secured her another Bible. At night when all the family had gone to bed, she would put on her glasses and read her Bible. She prayed over it and wept over it, and stained it with her tears. But better than that, she lived it.
• Old Fashion Mothers had a path to God’s throne of grace – She knew life and she knew that it was too hard to be faced alone. She knew that she needed help and knew where to go for it. She took time to pray and often saw her family saved through her prayers. She had a pathway to the Throne of Grace and she used it.

The final chapter of Proverbs is unique from the rest of the book: it is the only admonition recorded that is from a mother, and it is the only admonition addressed directly to a king. Proverbs begins with the instruction of a father and it ends with the instruction of a mother. These bookends reinforce the critical truth that the primary place of learning is the home. Parents – not school teachers, preachers, rulers, philosophers, or sages—are the most important wisdom teachers in the world. God has assigned them several sacred responsibilities: to lead their children (no matter their age) to trust (fear) the LORD; to correct and discipline them; and to teach them the Word of God – all of which result in skillful, successful living.

Proverbs 31:1–9 “1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. 8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

We do not know who Lemuel was, but many Bible scholars believe this was actually Solomon and that Lemuel was a pet name given to him by his mother. That being set aside, let’s look further.

The LORD spoke to Lemuel through his mother. Think about the power of this simple sentence. The mightiest influences in the world are mothers. Indeed, “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” We do not know who Lemuel’s mother was, but we know that she was faithful in teaching him God’s principles for successful living.

Mothers hold their children’s hearts more tightly in their hands than any other individual in their lives. They have an unparalleled opportunity to mold their character, and godly mothers take full advantage of that opportunity. They plant God’s truth in the fertile soil of their children’s hearts. As a result, most children with godly mothers are grateful and praise them all the days of their lives. Lemuel was a powerful man who could have spoken of many people and things, but foremost in his affections was his beloved mother. The teaching he received at her knees was the key to his success.

If you read verses 1-9 of Proverbs 31, you can note how Lemuel’s mother assured him of her love. Before instructing him she expressed how important he was to her, and how she longed for him to make sound, godly choices. Some commentators believe that Lemuel was grown and was the king when his mother spoke these words to him. They see this verse as a plea for him to change his behavior. Whether these words are cautionary or corrective is not specified, but his mother’s earnestness is crystal clear. Three times she appeals to him as her son; each time she increases her intensity: my son, the son of my womb, the son of my vows.

Looking back at verse 1, you see that Lemuel’s mother also addresses him three times and each time with a question of “What are you doing,”. However, it could also be, “‘What should I tell you?’ or ‘What will you do as king?’”.

One of the major teachings of Proverbs is that parents must instruct their children in righteousness, and they must correct them when they stray from God’s commandments (Proverbs 3:12; 13:24). Consider for the sake of application that Lemuel was Solomon, and the context of these teachings is Solomon’s departure from the LORD. In Ecclesiastes, which is Solomon’s personal testimony, he confesses that he pursued the pleasures of women and wine in his quest for satisfaction (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 3, 8–10). He ultimately had 1,000 wives and concubines. His love for women led to his descent into idolatry and the division of the kingdom (1 Kings. 11:1–13).

If this chapter is the intervention of a loving, concerned mother, it is an example of the role parents play in their adult children’s lives. While children are young and growing, parents play an instructive and chastening role in the training of their children. As they grow into adulthood, the power of instruction and punishment gradually fades until it completely disappears. Mature children make their own decisions and choose their own paths. Loving parents can only appeal to their children on the basis of love and genuine concern.

Parents of adult children must tread carefully and wisely when confronting them about unwise, ungodly behavior. But godly parents must not step out of their children’s lives. They must prayerfully and gently try to turn them back to the path of wisdom. Bathsheba had experienced firsthand the enduring consequences of sinful choices, the loss of her first child. Now, she longed to spare her beloved son the tormenting pain she knew all too well.

During these verses, she also admonitions him. Although opportunities for sin are available to all people, they abound for people of wealth, power, and privilege. For example, kings can have or do whatever they choose. Lemuel’s mother warned him about three sins that would destroy him and his kingdom.

• Beware of lust and guard against the immoral: because they ruin you.
• Beware of intoxicating substances (alcohol and drugs).
• Speak up and defend the rights of the defenseless.

Mothers have an extraordinary responsibility from the beginning and unfortunately this world nor men have made mother’s job any easier. Many of mother’s have had to pickup the jobs and responsibilities that dads are supposed to have as well. We must also look at those dads that have had to pickup the responsibilities moms should have. All of this tells us is that the devil’s attacks on the FAMILY UNIT have succeeded many, many times over. We as the church have a huge job ahead of us and it starts with getting the FAMILY UNIT back away from Satan’s strong hold and put it back under the guidance and direction from the Word of God. This starts with PRAYER!