The Admonitions Of a Godly Mother

Introduction

It has been said that “Great leaders are developed by a variety of influences.” In fact, one of the most often asked question to people in positions of leadership is: “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?” or “Who has shaped you and your views the most?” Perhaps there is no greater influence upon someone than their own mother.

All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.—American President George Washington (1732–1799)

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.—American President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)

The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.—American President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)

You have omitted mention of the greatest of my teachers—my mother.—British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

An ancient Eastern king named Lemuel could be added to the list of leaders who mother had a profound influence on their life. Proverbs 31 leaves behind a record of his mothers instruction to him. It is the only admonition in all of scripture that is addressed directly to a king and we are blessed that the Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve it for us in Holy Scripture.

In fact the book of Proverbs begins with the instruction of a father and ends with the admonition of a mother. Mom and Dad this tells illustrates for us that the primary place of instructing and warning our children is at home. It’s parents, not school teachers, preachers, politicians or celebrities who are the most important teachers of children in the world. God has assigned parents the sacred responsibilities of leading their children to trust in the Lord, correcting them when they stray and teaching them the word of God.

First and last, the home is the bastion of a nation. As the home is, so is the homeland.-John Phillips.

Make some comments about what is leading to the destruction of the Jude’s-Christian ethic in the USA.

Let’s examine our text together this morning as we observe “The Admonitions Of a Godly Mother”

1.) A Mother’s Counsel (v.1)

V.1 May seem like their is not much here for us to glean but it tells us much of how Lemuel viewed his mothers counsel through the words that he chose.

Utterance (Massa): message, oracle, teaching or declaration.

Taught: has the connotation of strong instruction or verbal chastisement as punishment.

We don’t know much about Lemuel beyond what is revealed to us about him in Proverbs 31. Israel didn’t have any kings by this name and there is no record of him in secular history even. There are some Aramaic phrases in the original that cause some to think he may have ruled over a small Arabian province but that is just speculation. The prevailing thought is that Lemuel (devoted or belonging to God) is actually Solomon himself. In 2 Samuel 12:24-25 he is referred to as Jedediah which means “beloved of the Lord.” It’s likely that Lemuel was Solomons mother (Bathsheba) pet name for him. This is where I stand, that Lemuel and Solomon are one in the same.

A.) The Lord spoke to Lemuel through his mother.

He attributed divine authority to her words. He saw them as the words of God.

Think of just how powerful these few sentences are. It shows us just how the mightiest of influences in the world are mothers.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” -William Rose Wallace.

Whether it’s Bathsheba instructing Solomon or some unknown mother instructing Lemuel, we can see here a faithful mother lovingly and strongly teaching her son God’s principles for living.

Application: Mothers have a profound impact upon the hearts of their children. More than any other influence on their lives (Positive or negative.) They have an unparalleled opportunity to mold the character of their children. Christian mothers need to seize that opportunity to plant God’s Word deep into the fertile soil that is their child’s heart.

It is no mistake that the Holy Spirit led Solomon to include these words in scripture. There are few things in this world as powerful and long lasting as a mothers words!

2.) A Mother’s Love. (v.2)

Notice, before Lemuel’s mother begins to instruct her son, she expresses to him just how important he is to her and how she longed for him to make godly choices.

She appeals to him three times and each time her earnestness becomes more clear.

“my son...”

“…son of my womb...” (Speak of the pain of child birth.)

“…son of my vows...” (Speak of the dedication of a child at birth.)

Each time she addresses her son she uses the question of “what”- This can be interpreted two ways:

Corrective- “What are you doing?”

Cautionary- “What will you do as king?”

One of the major teachings of proverbs is that parents must instruct their children in righteousness, and correct them when they stray from God’s commandments.

Proverbs 3:12 NKJV

12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:21 NKJV

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

Proverbs 13:24 NKJV

24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Application: Parents must never stop playing an active role in the instruction of their children. When kids are young, parents chasten and instruct. When kids are grown, parents must continue to appeal to them but on the basis of love and concern. Don’t step out of your adult children's lives! If they have strayed, prayerfully and carefully nudge them to turn back to Jesus.

3.) A Mother’s Admonition. (v.3-9)

After calling her son to attention and communicating her love for him; Lemuel’s mother now gives her son three admonitions.

A.) Beware of uncontrolled lust and immorality, it will destroy you. (v.3)

Destroy- ruin, literally to rub out or erase. It’s the same Hebrew word that was used for God’s judgement in the flood in Genesis 7:23.

It was normal practice in these days for Eastern kings to build up for themselves large harems of women. Solomon himself is recorded to have had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (That’s 1,000 women he had an intimate relationship with.)

God forbade this practice for those who would rule over Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:17 NKJV

17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

Lemuel’s mother was instructing her son that if he followed the lustful practices of other kings it would lead to the destruction of the kingdom. It would be rubbed out and erased.

Immorality destroys lives and tears at the fabric of society.

Speak of the abortion issue and rampant immorality. (pornagraphy, homosexuality etc.)

B.) Beware of intoxicating substances. (v.4-7)

Lemuel’s mother appeals to him on the basis of behavior fitting the privileged position of being a king. (v.4-5)

It’s not honoring- A drunk king cannot fulfill his sacred obligation given to him by the Lord.

It clouds the mind and causes one to forget the law- Drunkenness impairs judgement and clarity.

It results in injustice- a drunken king will render wrong judgments that will adversely effect the poor and needy.

v.6-7 are meant to play as sarcasm. Lemuel’s mother is telling him “Don’t be like the local town drunk who drinks to forget his troubles, act like a king.”

Application: She is instrcuting her son that a child of God doesn’t stoop to the practices of the world. Mama it is your job to instruct your children how a christian is to behave themselves in this world.

C.) Speak up and defend the rights of the defenseless. (v.8-9)

Another one of the main themes that runs throughout the entirety of Proverbs is to listen more than you speak, but here, Lemuel’s mother admonishes him to “open his mouth and plead the cause for thse who have no voice and for the poor and needy.”

Speechless- Those who have no voice in society.

Speak of Roe v. Wade and the rights of the unborn who have no voice. Speak to those who are abused, neglected, disenfranchised etc.

Application: Parents teach your kids how to stand up for the needs of others and speak out when there is a cause!

Conclusion:

Mom, you are raising the next generation of our world. I implore you to teach them to love God (The Gospel) , be moral, and act like christians. We as parents, Mom’s and Dad’s both need to stop abdicating our responsibility to Disney and PBS.

Speak to those who have grown children and grandchildren.