Who is King Lemuel, And What About His Mother?

There is no one by the name Lemuel that we can connect to the Old Testament.  Maybe Lemuel is a personal for one of the kings.  We don’t know.  There a few scholars that translate the name Lemuel as “belonging to God”.  By the wording of the proverb it seems pretty clear that he and his mother were real people; we just don’t know exactly who they were.  With that said, after reading this proverb, we have a very good idea of what kind of people they were.  The first nine verses of Proverbs 31 is advice that King Lemuel’s mother gave to him.

 These words are called an oracle; that is a big mystical word that simply means “wisdom that determines ones future”.  That of course is my definition; but I think it is on point.  Think about it, the proverbs are filled with wise teaching that if ignored could lead to destructive behavior.  For example in Proverbs 31:1-9 King Lemuel’s mother taught him to abstain from drunkenness because it would distract him as a leader, causing him to neglect his duties and his people.  My favorite part of Proverbs 31 is verses 8-9…

“8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. ⁹ Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV

These sound like the words from a noble woman to her soon to be princess, queen, prince, king from any number of Disney fairytale stories.  It sure sounds like any mother of a Greek, Spartan, Roman, Assyrian, or Babylonian king.  Those mothers taught their children to be ruthless and self-centered.  Whoever King Lemuel’s mother was, she was a game changer; she taught her son and now the world what a true leader is to be.  A true leader thinks of others, defends the poor and the weak, does not see women as simply objects for sexual fulfillment, nor does a leader dull his senses with drugs or alcohol that would distract from his responsibilities.  These wise teachings from Lemuel’s mother make sense now in our 21^st century world, but they were revolutionary when they were written more than 2000 years ago.  From a woman we don’t know; she changed the world not with a sword, fashion, physical beauty, or even wealth; she changed world with the wisdom she diligently shared with her children.  Godly mothers can change the world and make it better.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Grace & Peace,

Vic