Proverbs 31:1-2 My Son
King Lemuel adds his voice to the wisdom of Proverbs. He learned it first from his mother and is passing it on to us. “What are you doing my son?” God’s question to us too.
This is the last chapter in Proverbs. We are quickly approaching one of the most famous passages contained in this book. But we are not there yet. First we are going to set the scene for King Lemuel’s wisdom.
King Lemuel is an unknown quantity to us, other than his inclusion in this chapter of Proverbs. We are don’t know when he lived, where he ruled, or even where his mother learned all her wisdom. We do see that her teaching stuck with him for life and it was of benefit to him.
When first reading verse 2 I was taken back to a special time in my life. Actually, multiple special times. This verse reminded me of a song my mother used to sing when I was little. Later, when I was pregnant with my first child, I remembered the song and wanted to sing it to my baby. Fortunately, I was able to communicate to her the concept of the song and she gave me the words. EVERY TIME I was pregnant, I sang that song to my unborn child. And EVERT TIME I was able to rightly tell the gender of my child by which verse I was drawn to; the girl’s or the boy’s.
I was moved to find this song, Turn Around, on YouTube only to discover that the version I always sang isn’t the original. The original was made for a girl alone. Johnny Cash changed it into a boy only song. Mine is a combination of both but it lacks a bit in the second verse. Oh well, it still works for me and has my heart.
King Lemuel’s mother showed him her love. She made a commitment to teach him the way he should go and she kept that promise. We don’t know whom she actually made her “vows” to for his life, but whoever it was, she honored it all her life.
Were her questions of “What are you doing, my son” asked in wonder? Did she use these words and shake her head in frustration as he was doing things she told him not to? Did her eyes sparkle with excitement as she said these words while watching her son make right directions for his kingdom? She probably said them multiple times with multiple inflections and meanings. That’s a mother’s life. Loving and teaching her child through whatever comes.
We know nothing more of her than her influence on her son. Without her teachings, how would he know the things to avoid AND have the perfect example of the wife he wanted for himself. His description might even be of his mother and what he remembers of her life. Did she set the model for his future wife? His future wife had BIG shoes to fill!
Father God, thank You for showing us Your influence on people for other countries. You have given me something to aspire to. I’m more than certain that I will not live up to the ideal created here. But I do live up to the loving mother example. Thank You for entrusting me with my children. They are truly Yours and are on ‘loan’ to me. I pray I made a lasting impression for You in their lives that they will return to someday, SOON. I leave them again in Your hands Father.
I have to add a quick note her regarding the song Turn Around. I found that it WAS originally written for both genders but at its first recording it was changed to girls only. Check out the original. You will find it at the bottom of the page under the notes. You can click on the #2 at the end of the second verse and get to the original immediately. I think I’m going to be practicing the original so I can replace my version in my memory.
