Selfless Leadership – Proverbs 31:3-9

In a May 2019 USAToday.com article on sexual assault in the military it was reported that there was an increase of assaults of 38% from 2016 to 2018.  And not surprisingly, alcohol was in involved in 62% of the assaults.

Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.  It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.  Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.  Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:3–9, ESV)

This appears to be the words of king Lemuel’s mother to her son about how to conduct himself as king.  We don’t know anything about him or his mother, though it has been suggested that he is not an Israelite king.  It is fascinating that a woman is the source of this wisdom, with no indication that women are incapable of teaching men.  In fact, Solomon in these proverbs urges his son to listen to and obey the voice of his mother (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17).

We have seen too many men in power, and women as well, who have given themselves to extra-marital affairs or have taken sexual advantage of women or men not their spouses.  It was common in middle eastern culture for the king and other men of power to have multiple wives and concubines.  It proved Solomon’s downfall.  Lemuel’s mother says it destroys kings and detracts from their calling to judge righteously.

Strong drink also inhibits people in power from protecting the rights of the poor and afflicted.  The person of power is supposed to give words to those who have no voice, the poor and needy.  Strong drink leads to failure of memory and a kind of dissolution that makes one lose focus on the primary purpose for power.

Too many of us use power to indulge ourselves.  This is clear violation of God’s purpose for giving leadership, that is, to serve others.