The training parents give to a child in the early, formative years can be a profound influence throughout life. King Lemuel remembered the words which his mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1). His mother’s instructions would help him tremendously as a king to beware of evil women, who would draw him away from righteousness (Proverbs 31:2, 3), alcohol, which would impair his judgment (Proverbs 31:4-7), and indifference, which would cause him to fail to defend the rights of the helpless (Proverbs 31:8, 9). Like celebrities today, kings in the ancient world had enormous opportunities afforded them which caused their decisions, for good or ill, to have amplified effects. Think of the rulers in the Bible who made foolish decisions which could have been avoided if they had followed the advice of Lemuel’s mother — Solomon (1 Kings 11:4), Benhadad (1 Kings 20:16-20), Ahasuerus (Esther 1:9-12), and Herod Antipas (Mark 6:21-28) to name a few.
“Lemuel” was most likely another name for Solomon who wrote the earlier chapters in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:1; 10:1). The book is written as parental instruction. Notice how Solomon continually addresses the recipient as “My son” in these first chapters (Proverbs 1:8, 10, 15, 2:1; 3:1, 11, 21; 4:3, 10, 20; 5:1, 20; 6:1, 3, 20; 7:1). Moreover, the reader is not only to heed instruction from his father, but also not to forsake the law (torah—instruction) of his mother (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20).
The commandment of a father and the law of a mother are most impactful as lived examples. The classic passage on instruction to children is Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
But notice what God said to His people before the instruction to teach His words to their children: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5). Parents first need to have one Lord of their lives. As a parent, I must first love God with every fiber of my being, then teaching His words to my children follows.
Jochebed was the mother of Moses (Exodus 6:20). She risked her life to protect her son by hiding him for three months; she did not give a second thought to defying Pharaoh’s order to kill all the baby boys (Exodus 1:22; Hebrews 11:23). When she could no longer hide Moses, she made an ark of bulrushes, placed him in it, and floated him down the river (Exodus 2:1-4). Through Miriam’s request, Jochebed was able to serve as nurse to Moses and continue to rear him according to right principles (Exodus 2:5-10). Stephen tells us that, “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Evidently, Moses was given all the educational opportunities of Pharaoh’s palace.
However, when Moses was about 40 years old, he defended one of the Hebrew slaves from an Egyptian. “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren” (Exodus 2:11). Acts 7:24 offers this summary, “And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian.” Where did Moses get this conviction for defending the oppressed Hebrews? How did he have the zeal to choose defending God’s people over all the pomp and prestige of Pharoah’s palace? It was not in his Egyptian wisdom education in the palace, but from his mother, no doubt. Part of the reason Moses was prudent enough to choose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin was because of his mother’s wisdom imparted to him early in life (Hebrews 11:25).
Children may be benefited tremendously by a thorough education, but nothing will give them more wisdom than a godly mother who instills in them early the principles of God’s word. I am reminded of a short poem by John Greenleaf Whittier in which these sentiments are succinctly expressed:
We search the world for truth. We cull
The good, the true, the beautiful,
From graven stone and written scroll,
From all old flower fields of the soul;
And, weary seekers of the best,
We come back laden from our quest,
To find that all the sages said
Is in the Book our mothers read.
Indeed, a mother’s wisdom is invaluable. Timothy from a child knew the holy scriptures which are able to make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ (2 Timothy 3:15). His mother no doubt introduced him to the Bible. Timothy’s unfeigned faith was cultivated by the genuine faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). True wisdom can be imparted best during the earliest and most impressionable years of one’s life. God bless mothers who are spiritually attuned to God and do such a marvelous and vital work of rearing godly children.
–Mark Day