Last week, I began a new series, The Proverbs 31 Male, which will be the accompaniment to my book titled The Power of Purple: Women of Purpose in Scripture. My goal over the next few months is to highlight the purpose stories of men in the Bible, but not the usual candidates who command most of our attention. We will look at the men named Mordecai, Barnabas, Apollos, Ezra, and others to see what we can learn from their purpose to help us with our own.
I mentioned last week that there is much in Proverbs 31 addressed to men even though the chapter is usually associated with the profile of a wife with a noble character, and I included the verses to prove my point:
The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him. Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:1-9).
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land . . . Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all" (Proverbs 31:23, 28-29).
What do these verses tell us about God's expectations for His male servants? Let's take a look at the answer to that question this week.
GOD'S EXPECTATIONS
It is said that there are three basic temptations for leaders to abuse their positions and they are sex, money, and power. Our fallen nature has found many ways to convert those temptations into sin. In Proverbs 31, we see at least two of those three temptations addressed: sex and power. Proverbs 31 contains the warnings of a mother to her son, urging him not to give his strength to women. If he doesn't learn to control his sexual urges, she warns him, he cooperates with a weakness that will "ruin kings."
Most of the mother's warnings, however, focus on an abuse of power. Since men usually have the stronger muscle mass and larger physical stature, and since men have also historically held most of the leadership positions, this makes sense. Proverbs 31 warns men that their power is not to be used and abused and their judgment is not to be perverted by beer or wine, or any substance that could possibly blur their understanding of social justice and their role in making it a reality. These "kings" are to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Men are to use their power to defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Now that women have more leadership positions available to them, the lessons are clear for both men and women. God grants leaders power but expects them to use their power not to abuse or take advantage of others but to empower those who have no power. Later in the chapter when the noble wife is described, we read that her husband "takes his seat among the elders" and arises to call her [his wife] blessed." Male leaders are expected to place themselves where they can use their maturity and experience to help others, especially women and the poor.
THE IMPLICATIONS
My concern and the reason for this series is that I don't see enough men rising to God's expectations for service and leadership. I was listening to the classic song Rise Up Oh Men of God the other day and reflected on the words:
Lift high the Cross of Christ, Tread where His feet have trod, As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up O men of God,
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