Jump Start # 3759
Proverbs 31:1 “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him”
Recently, I was looking at a chart of the kings of Judah. After the dividing of the kingdom, North and South, Israel and Judah, ten tribes and two tribes, Judah had twenty kings. The time period covers around 340 years. After that, the Babylonian captivity and their independence is lost. Of those twenty Judean kings, eight were considered “good.” A few led reforms, such as Asa, Hezekiah and Josiah. Those reforms led to the purging of idols, false prophets and the return to worship as prescribed in the Law of Moses. The longest stretch of “goodness” was 139 years, involving four successive kings, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham.
Looking at these twenty kings from a distance, the picture becomes like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Idolatrous to faithfulness to God. Back and forth. Back and forth. Good kings. Wicked kings. Good kings. Wicked kings.
In the moment, a person lives in a period of time. But, looking at the total picture, questions arise. Once things were restored, reformed and heading back to God, why did they not stay that way. Idols torn down followed by idols being put back up.
But, this is much more than a journey through O.T. history. It is a concern for us today. How about our families? Will they become this back and forth pendulum? Faithful to God followed by no interest in God. The same could be said about our congregations. Good years. Bad years. Strong. Weak. Back and forth. We often do not see it because we are in a space of time called today. We can’t see what’s coming and many have no desire to talk about the past.
The question we ponder is, “How do we keep goodness going?” Or, “how do we develop a legacy and a culture of faithfulness to God?” Is it possible to stop the pendulum from swinging back and forth spiritually?
Here are some thoughts:
First, all of us are the captains of our own faith through the choices we make. A parent cannot make the choices for their grown child. Generationally, we teach, influence, show and have conversations about following the Lord. But, in the end, it’s the choices each person makes. It is important to illustrate the goodness of God and the blessings of His people. If our faith wavers, is weak or inconsistent, then it will be hard to impress upon others the need to keep goodness going. If we can’t keep it in our selves, it certainly won’t be in others.
Our verse today, opening the chapter we commonly refer to as the virtuous woman, are the instructions of a mom to her son, who happens to be the king. She warns him about alcohol (5-6). She reminds him of remembering the “little guy” (8-9) and being fair and just in dealing with all people. She then sets forth the kind of woman that would help him. The virtuous woman (10-31), a wife who fears the Lord, is trustworthy and will do her husband well.
Interestingly, the name “King Lemuel,” is only found here in our Bibles. He’s not in the list of Judah’s kings. Who was he? Some think it’s Solomon and that was a pseudo name or nickname. If true, then his mother would have been Bathsheba. If this is Solomon, he didn’t follow this advice well. He married multiple foreign women who led him into idolatry.
Others think that this is a fictional name and is representative of what the king ought to do. Still others believe Lemuel is referring to one of the good kings of Judah.
Part of engaging the next generation in this legacy of goodness is doing more than talking. Instructing is important, but there is more to it than that. Get those little ones out of the house and go help a neighbor. Have them draw some pictures, bake some cookies and take them to one of the widows in the congregation. After services are over, and you are about the last to leave, have them turn off lights, pick up any paper that has fallen to the floor. Teach them to take care of God’s place. Show them and lead them in serving.
Second, we must praise goodness and rebuke wickedness. Hollywood has always glamorized the criminal bank robber, the one who breaks the rules, the one who takes matters into his own hands. He plays by no ones’ rules. That may look good on the movie screen, it doesn’t help setting forth a pattern or legacy of godliness and service.
When the rock star, the athlete, the actor becomes heroes in our homes, then, it’s just a step to begin following their selfish and materialistic lifestyles. However, when the talk around the kitchen table is about godly shepherds, amazing preachers, and disciples who have a heart of a servant, a different and good image is formed in young hearts. Have elders and preachers sign the inside pages of your child’s Bible. Talk about those godly men and women of years gone by. Make goodness attractive.
Learn the heroes of faith from the past generation. Tell stories. Make goodness attractive.
Third, the back and forth cycle seen in the history of Judah’s kings shows us that one can do what is right, if he wants to. Some of these good kings came for homes where idolatry was expected and desired. That would have been a terrible environment. However, young hearts rejected what they saw. They sought the Lord and wanted to return to the true faithfulness of the Lord. “I can’t help it,” doesn’t stick well with what the Bible teaches. Ahaz was a terrible idolater. His son, Hezekiah was so different. He reformed and restored. One doesn’t hang their hat on what their parents did. You choose to be who you are. You can overcome the worst and be your best.
The mother of King Lemuel advised her son carefully. Listening to sound faithful words can make the right differences in our lives. Who you listen to is important.
A pattern of goodness…year after year…generation after generation.
Roger