Proverbs 31:1-3
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What,
my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Give
not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
As I came across this portion of scripture in my reading this morning,
it occurred to me that Lemuel's mother would probably be viewed as a traitor
by most women today - including Christian women. Here is a lady, a female
like you and I, who is actually warning her son of her own sex! Yes, Lemuel's
mother tells her beloved boy not to give his strength to women. She cautioned
him not to waste his God-given position of authority. How do you feel
about sitting in on this little mother/son chat, dear lady? Does her advice
cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up? If this nameless
guardian were anything like women in our day, she would be giving her
boy quite the opposite recommendation! In fact, if Lemuel's mother's character
were similar to mainstream females today, she would ardently promote his
submission to the excessive force of a woman. Unfortunately, that would
be very dangerous counsel indeed!
Nehemiah 13:26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations
was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him
king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause
to sin.
Scripture reminds us that even Solomon, in all of his wisdom, had been
defeated more than once by a woman. Outlandish women are foreigners or
women who are "out of the land", or rather, women from heathen nations.
Ladies, if our sons are going to succeed in this life, they need to keep
company with a discreet woman of the Lord, whose homeland is heaven! A
Christian woman who truly loves God would both respect and submit to the
strength of a man - not try to steal it or compete with it! Have you thought
about teaching your son such an important lesson as this? Have you told
your boys not to court controlling women, or couldn't you bring yourself
to describe them as such? Naturally, it would help if your boy had a proper
example to help him recognize the right kind of woman to unite with. So
dear mother, what kind of an example are YOU at taking up proper residency
under the power of a man? Do you typically respond in an "outlandish"
manner when a man's strength is put into operation in your life? Wisdom
recognizes God-given order and submits to it. Do not encourage your sons
in habits that would cause them to carelessly resign their position of
king in the home to a manipulative and insistent woman. God says a man's
strength is not to be given away but to be kept and utilized properly.
If it is not, self-indulgence will pursue a man his whole life long…
1 Kings 11:1-6
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter
of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and
Hittites; [2] Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children
of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto
you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon
clave unto these in love. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses,
and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. [4]
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away
his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord
his God, as was the heart of David his father. [5] For Solomon went after
Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination
of the Ammonites. [6] And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and
went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
How sad it is to witness a devout man who took great pleasure in God's
wisdom effortlessly lay aside vast spiritual wealth for cheaper types
of satisfaction… What made such a thing so easy to carry out? Only a woman
could break down a man's desires so mightily! Ladies, if you would be
honest today, you would admit that you have deadly potential within your
female nature. Understand that whenever you challenge your husband's strength,
you are tearing down his internal barrier of protection against all ungodliness.
You cannot steal his strength in certain areas and expect it to remain
in others. If you take away a man's strength, you open him up to weakness.
He increases in vulnerability to other temptations of which you will have
no control over - nor will he, having been so crippled by your unyielding,
obstinate nature! Is that really what you want for your husband and your
sons?? It is far better and wiser for you to submit to the strength of
a man rather than subtract from it, for you stand to lose far more than
you think! Solomon will tell you that firsthand…
Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and
nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her;
but the sinner shall be taken by her.
You would think among all the women Solomon collected, he would have found
at least one that would have persuaded his heart toward the Lord. Yet,
the Bible says, "Who can find a virtuous woman?" Ladies, don't be too
hard on Lemuel's mother; she knew how difficult the search would be and
how many women of ill repute would cross her son's path in his quest for
an honorable one - one whose heart would not be a snare to his soul. She
did right in warning him not to fall prey to willful women who would wipe
away all kings; it was her God-given duty and is yours as well! These
headstrong females would target Prince Lemuel's strength and draw him
away from his supreme duties; therefore, he must diligently secure it
- as any man must do even in this day and age. Men are soft and effeminate
today because they lack proper Biblical training when it comes to keeping
a tight hold of their strength! No matter who you are, dear lady, if you
haven't supported God's plan for a man, then you are an enemy to the cross.
Thank God Lemuel's mother wasn't!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
