Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning, Lafayette Baptist family, friends, and honored guests.

It is great to be here again with you to worship the Lord God and share his word with you, especially on today of all days, Mother’s Day.

If you will please go ahead and turn in your bibles to Proverbs 31, Proverbs 31.

While you are doing that, I want to say that Mother’s days is an important day for many a person and many a church goer.

This is day in which we acknowledge the importance of a special person in our lives, our mothers.

The person who raised us, loved us, helped us, comforted us, and generally was there whenever the need arises.

I want to recognize that person congregationally today.

Everyone here who was or is a mother, will be a mother, or is a spiritual mother, would you please stand so that we can honor you?

What a blessing you are, thank you mom.

I also want to recognize that today can be and is a hard day for many.

Some of us never had a mother, some of us may have had one but she is gone now.

Some of us may have lost the person that thought of us a mother.

I want to say to those people, it is ok to feel bad today and miss her.

It is ok to feel bad, it is ok to feel like you were abandoned if you never knew her.

Just know, God did not forget you, He sees you, He loves you very much, and He desires to wipe away every tear from your face.

I also want to recognize that some of you may want to be mothers but for various reasons cannot be, God does not hate or condemn you.

You are loved and are very precious to Him.

I want to also recognize all women, as we all know your deep faith is impactful not just on your immediate family but those around you as well.

Weather or not God calls us to mothers to a little boy or girl, he calls all of you to be spiritual mothers to other believing boys and girls.

Thank you for the building up that you do for all of us.

The bible itself has several examples of mothers passing along their faith, two of which Timothy himself benefited from, His mother and grandmother.

Another of which is Naomi, who is the mother-in-law of Ruth.

These women gave great gifts to those around them, their faiths, that they shared with the deepest desires of their hearts; and as our text today will point out they are deserving of praise for sharing it.

This is a gift that they themselves received from God, a precious Jewel to them, their faith, a Jewel that God gives freely and abundantly, and what is our main idea today is that, God Gives Greatly.

The Text

If you will now all please rise for the reading of God’s Word.

First, let us pray.

Father, you are mighty and great, and greatly to be praised.

Open our hearts and ears today to hear what it is you want us to hear from your word.

Your word is truth, and we thank you for that truth father.

We ask that you sanctify us father and help us grow, love, and increase in the knowledge of you father that we may share You with others.

It’s these things we ask for and in Jesus Christ’s Holy name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs Chapter 31.

31 The words of King Lemuel.

An oracle that his mother taught him:2 What are you doing, my son?[a]

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;[b]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.[c]

9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [d] An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.

14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.

15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17 She dresses herself[e] with strength

and makes her arms strong.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.[f]

22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them she delivers sashes to the merchant.

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.26

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.27

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

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

This is the word of the Lord (Thanks be to God) thank you, may now all please be seated.

Context

One thing that many of your probably know is that the book of proverbs is one of the Wisdom books in the bible.

The wisdom books themselves are: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs (Song of Solomon), and Ecclesiastes.

It is possible that all or much of the wisdom lessons in this book was accumulated or written by King Solomon of Israel.

This Proverb in particular, stands as one of ones where Solomon’s authorship or overt penmanship is highly contested and unlikely, either way the king saw that it was fit to include the wisdom in this Proverb in his book of wisdom proverbs.

In that thought process, the original audience of this book was likely a small one, consisting of young sons who were being educated and trained to serve in government and participate in the royal court.

In time though this piece of wisdom poetry, would be considered part of The Holy Texts during the 2nd temple period and was widely accepted as inspired by the Jewish community.

We as Christians accept this heritage and recognize this book of wisdoms as cannon and part of the inspired word of God.

You will notice from the beginning that King Lemuel is credited with the penmanship of this Proverb.

Today, Scholarship is not sure exactly who King Lemuel actually was or what kingdom was his.

Some popular beliefs are that this was King Solomon, some say that he was the king of an area called Massa.

Either way, he is recognized as a king of some sort, a king who received wisdom from his own mother who received the wisdom from God Himself.

We see something special here, not just because of Lemuel received good wisdom from his mother, but also because his name means, “Devoted to God.” Needless to say, it’s clear that his mother had high expectations of him.

The Exposition

So, let’s dive into today’s text and my first point which is, God Gives the excellent lesson (1-9)

31 The words of King Lemuel.

An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son?[a]

What are you doing, son of my womb?

What are you doing, son of my vows?

So, we already know who Lemuel is, but there is a confusing first word in here, and many of the bible translations can make this confusing as well.

In the ESV it uses the word oracle, which Strong’s Bible Dictionary defines as, “A divine message communicated through a human mediator to one or more humans.”

Your version may something else, but it all points to the same thing, this lesson was given to Lemuel by his mother, who received it (in one way or another) from God.

As you can see, God is working through King Lemuel’s mother.

Looking at these first two verses, we see two exclamations.

The exclamations are affectionately reproachful: the king’s mother shames him by two things that he knows very well: that he matters to her (2a), and that she has vowed him to God.[1]Here is a mother that is bothered when she sees her son, whom she has promised to God stray away and seek things that are not good for him, which we are about to see are strong drink/inebriation and lustful pursuit of women.

Verse 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;[b] 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.[c]9

Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Lemuel’s mother is making it clear here, it is not good for you continue in your ways.

You need to turn from them NOW!