Proverbs 31:1-9
Who was king Lemuel? He is spoken of nowhere else; all we know about this young prince are the words of advice of his mother as well as the fact that his name means "consecrated to God." "What, the son of my vows?" cries this faithful woman. As did Hannah with her little boy, Samuel, she has consecrated this child to the LORD who had full claim to him.
As he bears this name, she feels herself responsible for instructing him as a true Nazarene. Solemn examples in Israel’s history had shown where a king could be led by women or by drink (1 Kings 11:1-43; 1 Kings 16:8-9). Lemuel is warned against these wicked tendencies (Ecclesiastes 10:17; Hosea 4:11). Then he receives some positive exhortations. He is to be the upholder of and the spokesman for all the under-privileged. It might be said that this is a very unobtrusive role for a king. But both these instructions contain the substance of pure religion according to James 1:27 – to keep oneself pure from the world (from its deadening effect and its defilement) and to care for the afflicted.
The young Lemuel remembered word for word "the prophecy that his mother taught him." If you, like him, have had the inestimable privilege of being brought up by a believing mother, take care that you never forget the teaching of your childhood.