to the ways of her household, and each is not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. If we look in the world today, if we look in the church even, there is a general breakdown of families. Not only a breakdown of families, but the straying of many children away from the family and away from the church. And the question is, why is there this general apostasy? And the Church of Jesus Christ, there are many different ways to answer this question, of course, other reasons that we can come up with. But consider this reason for the breakdown of families and churches. There are fewer and fewer good mothers. Today. Truly virtuous mothers are lacking in the world and in the church world. And without godly mothers, homes will break down, children will stray, and the church will apostatize. Not all women, of course, are called to be mothers. Some God does call with high callings to be single, to go through life as a single woman in the workforce even. Some women may get married and God does not give them children of their own. And they have different callings in life, equally high callings. But God very often, very frequently gives to the woman children. And in giving to the woman children, he calls the woman to never neglect that high calling. To care for the children physically and spiritually and for her whole household. The virtuous woman takes this calling very seriously, it is a high calling and the most important calling. and this earth. And God uses such a virtuous woman for the health of her family, for the health of the church. Proverbs 31 describes such a virtuous woman. The writer is King Lemuel, as verse 1 indicates. And Lemuel means from God, someone who is from God. Most probably that name, King Lemuel, is referring to Solomon himself. It's another name for Solomon, perhaps given to him by his mother. We don't know for sure, of course, whether that is the case, whether this is actually Solomon, who this text refers to. But even if it's not Solomon, it's someone who God has inspired to write Proverbs 31, so that what we find here in Proverbs 31 is not merely man's words, but it's the inspired word of God. And he writes, as inspired by God with the words of his mother, that's verse one. The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. His mother had warned him against strange women. That's verse three. His mother had warned him against strong drink, that is alcohol, as he engaged in the duties of King. But in most of the chapter of Proverbs 31, his mother puts aside the negatives, the negative warnings, and brings to his mind the positive of what kind of woman he ought to marry. The virtuous woman is described here in Proverbs 31, and his mother tells him, this is the woman that you have to look for. for her prices far beyond rubies. King Lemuel remembers the words of his mother, and by the inspiration of God, he writes down this description that his mother has given him of the virtuous woman. And he also uses this, of course, to teach his own children what his mother had passed down to him. Verses 27 and 28, and many of the verses of Proverbs 31, describe this virtuous woman not merely as a woman, but as a mother, a virtuous mother. So consider this text with me under the theme Praising the Virtuous Mother. Two points. First, who she is. And then secondly, praising her, praising the virtuous woman, who she is, first of all, and secondly, praising her. Who is she? Notice four characteristics of the virtuous woman that come out in this passage from this piece of the word of God. First, very simply, but very importantly, this text shows us that the virtuous woman is a mother. simply that she is a mother. God's Word shows us that this praiseworthy woman is not just a woman and she's not just a wife. She's not only a beautiful bride, but a mother. She had children. With her husband, she conceived and she gave birth to children and took care of children and raised children. She was a mother. When verse 24 says that she looked well to the ways of her household, that household included children. That's why, as a result, her children rise up and call her blessed. This virtuous woman, with all believing women in scripture, saw children as a blessing from the Lord. And so they wanted to become mothers, and they prayed to the Lord so that they could become mothers. And they thanked the Lord when it was God's will to provide them with children so that they could go through motherhood. Psalm 127, verse 3 says, Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. No, it wasn't merely a cultural thing, though it was in those days, everyone, including the world, thought of children as a blessing. But it was not merely a cultural thing that women wanted to be mothers. This is God's unchangeable word, which says. That motherhood is a blessing that children given to mothers, to women, is a blessing from the Lord. And the virtuous woman understands this and seeks to be a mother now in this world and in a culture today that sees children and motherhood as. Silly and foolish, we must emphasize that point. That motherhood is a blessing. We need to remember that God says that. The virtuous woman, the woman that God has given virtues, that's what virtuous woman is, the one that God has given virtues, ought to be admired, ought to be praised when she is a mother. The one with children, the one even with many children, the one who marries not only for pleasure, though that's included in the marriage, but so that she may have the blessings of motherhood. Second, the virtuous woman described here is not only a mother, but secondly, she is a one who a mother who stays at home with her children, the one who watches over her household. is present with her household. That comes out in verse 27. She looketh well to the ways of her household. That word looketh well literally means that she is watching. She has her eyes, her physical eyes, observing, scrutinizing, seeing the things that take place in her house. She's on the lookout. That's the idea of the word. The word's often used to refer to guards who are on a tower. on a lookout tower or who are on the walls of the city, looking over the land and the horizon, watching carefully with their eyes directed at the country, making sure that if any of any enemy approaches, they see that enemy and guard the city and the people. This is a continuous action in the eyes of this mother is watching and watching and watching all that takes place in her home, all the dangers that can come into her home, all, all of what goes on with her family. And she's there to do so just as a guard is there at that city doing that work, watching. So is that mother. This is not old fashioned. It's not something of a different culture. God says that the woman, the virtuous woman, is that mother who keeps the home. As the idea, the keeping of the home is the idea of guarding, just like the watchman on the walls. First, Timothy five, verse 14, I will, therefore, that younger women marry their children and guide. the house. Titus two, verse five, Paul tells Timothy or tells Titus that the older women of the church ought to teach the younger women this. To be discreet and self-controlled, chaste or pure and keepers of the home, home keepers, literally. In order to do that. Yes, women have to be at home. Most of the time. We ask the question, why? Why are homes breaking down? Why are family families a mess? Why are children walking away? Why are church apostatizing? And it's true, there are a host of different reasons, much many perhaps unrelated to this fact. It may simply be God's will, his providence that certain things take place, that children do stray. But this is certainly a big reason in many circumstances as well. Mom is not home. Mom is not watching. Mom is not careful to see whether the dangers are approaching and protecting her family. She's not watching what her teenagers are watching on TV. She's not observing what kind of things are going on around her house. She's not structuring the house in such a way that the family gets the most profit from her work. The virtuous woman does this. She is a homekeeper. No, that's not only her job description. It's not only what a mother does when she goes to fill out a form at a doctor, she puts down with with with pride in her heart and she should. Housekeeper is a description of her occupation. It's not only that, what the text says, remember, is that she looketh well, she watches the ways of her household. And the homekeeper, even if she stays at home, may be very distracted, especially in our society, distracted with all sorts of things. Many things on the screen, many things on the websites, the shopping cart online, the blogs and the computer. And she's home, but she's not really there. And that's something that comes out in the text. It's something that God's Word shows us. The mother has to be not only physically there, but there with her mind, with her focus, with her interest in everything that goes on. She's watching. She's a mother. She's a mother at home. She's a mother who watches. And finally, she's a mother who is hard at work at the home. She's diligent. You can read all of Proverbs 31 again to see how this woman is described with all the work that she engages in. Not all of it, of course, is identical to the work that mothers, that women do today. There's work that we don't have to do today. Now, the second part of verse 27 says she eateth not the bread of idleness. That is, she doesn't sit around or lays around and then eat in the evening without working. She works. She cares. She cares for her house. She supports the husband so that he can get the income. And then she uses the money wisely. Her husband trusts in her. She uses that money wisely. She spends that money. And she brings in the food to her house. And she cooks that food. And she cares for her family. Not only cooks the food, but does a host of other things. And then she eats. She eats not the bread of idleness. She works diligently and hard. That does not mean that she doesn't rest. When we read verse 15, she rises also while it is yet night and gives me to her household and portion to her maidens, then we read in verse 15, she perceived that her merchandise is good. Her candle goes not out at night. We might think when we read those verses, well, so a woman's supposed to stay up late. And not go to bed early and and and wake up very early. and get four to five hours a night of sleep, have a lack of sleep, doesn't take breaks, she's always on the go, she doesn't rest at all. That's not the idea. This is not what God's word is communicating to mothers today. This is a warning that that mothers have to take heed to today, especially there is a necessary amount of rest that mothers have to have that every human being needs. There needs to be a proper amount of sleep, a proper amount of time to rest, a quiet time where you can break up the busyness of your schedule. Yes, we make sacrifices. You make sacrifices in mothers. There are times when you do get a lack of sleep. But that's not human to do it your whole life. That's not what God's Word shows us. Because without rest, you can't do your work properly. That's not only practical advice, it's biblical. If we look at Christ himself, Jesus' own life, He was a busy man going about many duties, but he took time. You read of many times that Jesus went aside for a while to get away from the crowds and the busyness of his day to pray, to rest, to have some quiet time. You remember Mary, Mary, a friend of Jesus with her sister Martha, who sat down and she sat at Jesus feet. She rested and she listened to him. She took a quiet time while Martha bustled about and she was rebuked for her much busyness. There's a time to rest. Working hard is the calling of the virtuous mother, but rest also is included so that there may be an effectiveness in the labors after it. So, a virtuous woman is a mother, someone who watches her household, works hard in her home with rest. And she does it all out of concern for the members of her household. She does this work, she does all these things with a love for the people in her home. There is such a thing as a wicked mother and a housekeeper. There are women in this world who have many children, even. They stay at home. They work hard in the home, but they're not the virtuous woman that this text describes, because they do it all for themselves. They do it all to feel good for themselves. They do it to take pictures of their homes, of their children, of their organization skills, of their side businesses that they might have, so that they can post it up on Facebook to show everyone else how good of a mother they are and how they're better than anyone else in the mother competition. And it's all for themselves. The virtuous mother doesn't do it, doesn't do this work to boast, to show how good she is. But the virtuous mother stays at home out of concern for the beloved people there. Verse 27 says, she look as well to the ways, that word ways is important, to the ways of her household. Ways can be translated to footsteps. The people that take the footsteps in her household so she's concerned as she does all this she's concerned for the life that goes on within her house She doesn't merely keep the house so that it's nice and clean and organized and picture-perfect But she does it for her husband and for her children of love for them She's going to do all she can to make her husband comfortable, to support him, to be a help, meet for him, to encourage him in his work. She does all she can to raise her children well, to make them grow up in a structured home, to give them physical growth, and most importantly, spiritual growth. That's what the ways, ways of the house should mean. She's focused on the spiritual ways especially, the footsteps that her children are taking Verse 26 refers to that right before the text. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She is the spiritual teacher of her house. Now, her husband is the main leader. Husband is still the head of the household. Husband still has the authority and has the responsibility, really, the main responsibility to lead the family, to guide the children spiritually and raise them up so that they grow physically well. Fathers, do not think that this responsibility is pushed on the mothers and it's all their work. It's not the case at all. You are the ones who are responsible. You are the head of the household and you will stand before God accountable one day. But the mothers are with them more often. That's generally the case. And mothers are to help the fathers in raising the children in this way, especially spiritually. So with her example, with her instruction, with the sending of the children to a school where they can be spiritually built up, she does most of the work. It's practically the case, most of the work to guide the children in the right spiritual way. All of this out of love for her husband, out of love for her children, but especially it stems from the love for God. It comes from a love for God, her savior. Verse 30, favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. She fears God. That's what the virtuous mother has in her heart. That's what makes her want to do these things. She fears the Lord, and that fear is not a terror, that fear is not being scared of God, but that fear is a reverential love for the Lord. It stems especially from knowing her salvation that the Lord has accomplished for her. The virtuous woman is not so much concerned about the favor of men. Verse 30 talks about favor is deceitful, beauty is vain. She's not concerned about her outward beauty, most of all. Because she sees herself as favorable in the sight of God. Not of herself. But only because of the grace of God. She sees herself as favorable and beautiful on the side of God, and she cherishes that thought. And she knows it's not because she's been a wonderful mother or a wonderful wife or a beautiful woman outwardly, but she knows that all this beauty that God sees her with is a beauty that is based upon Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ, with his perfect life and his sacrifice on the cross, has accomplished that for her. And then With that knowledge of her salvation, her precious salvation, she engages in this, this work of a virtuous mother in love for her savior, in love for her husband and her children. That's a virtuous mother. Does that mean she's perfect? No. When we read Proverbs 31, there's a danger to think that since there are only virtues listed here, this woman never made any mistakes. That can't be the case. There's no perfect woman in this world. We're tempted to think that we must be perfect like this woman, and that's not true. The women's virtues are listed, but that doesn't mean that she never failed. She must have frequently failed. She must have sinned. She must have had faults. She must not have been as diligent as she should have been many times in her life. That's the case with all women in this world, no matter how much of a front they put up. Beware of perfectionism. The virtuous mother strives to live. as we have it here in Proverbs 31. But she understands that she will fail time and time again. That's why she needs that Savior. That's why she needs Christ, to make her virtuous and beautiful in the sight of God. She can't do it on her own. So she's assured of that beauty in Christ alone. She doesn't seek to be a perfect. But she tries, strives, she struggles to live as God's word calls her to live. This should be the view of a virtuous woman. A virtuous mother. The married woman in the church should seek to be this kind of mother. The young women in the church should pray. God, give her the ability to be this virtuous mother. Husbands of the church are to enable their wives to be this virtuous mother. Parents of the church should encourage their daughters to be this virtuous mother, and they should encourage their sons to marry such a virtuous mother. And young men, I especially speak to you Those not yet married, this is the woman that you are to marry. The virtuous mother, oh, you might think marriage is so far away in life, I don't need to think about that. But this word of God talks to you young men, especially. Proverbs 31, remember, is written by King Lemuel, who has been instructed by his mother concerning the woman to marry. The woman he has to seek and find, because when he finds her, he has found someone whose price is greater than the price of rubies. Someone very rare. This is the woman. to be attracted to. This is the woman to seek after. This is the woman to marry. Someone who you know will be a virtuous woman, not only, but a virtuous mother, as shown in this text. What are you attracted to, young man? The world encourages you to look for and date and marry the seductive, the naughty, the immodest, the outwardly beautiful, the career woman pursues in her own interests. so that she can serve herself. And God says, no, that is not the kind of woman you are to date and the kind of woman that you are to marry and to be attracted to. You're to look for the truly beautiful woman in the church, the virtuous mothers. Too many times, young men, too many times I've seen, I've noticed the obviously godly woman, the beautiful women in the church who are old enough Mature enough even have a college education. They're ready to marry and you know what they're left alone There's no guy pursuing her And she doesn't get married to a man in the church. Too many times, instead, the young man are pursuing the fun, the silly, the immature and immodest woman instead, and leaving the virtuous woman alone. Verse 10, who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far beyond rubies? Young men, adjust your desires, adjust your attractions that they may be in line with God's word. When you found a virtuous woman, treasure her and marry her and the Lord. These are the women. These are the women that men must marry. These are the women who we praise today. We praise these women. We praise them. We ask the children, we ask the men to praise them because they are the truly virtuous women that God wants us to praise. This praising that you see today in this world is a different kind of praising that you should see in the church, that we should engage in. Today, the world praises mothers who neglect their households. Today, the world praises women who have no love for God and no love for their children, no true love for their husbands and children. They praise mothers just because they're supposed to, just because the calendar says that they have to, with no real love in their hearts. And they praise them simply on this day and they wait for a year and then another Mother's Day comes around and then they praise women again. That's not the kind of praising we do. Scripture shows us a different kind of praising. While our praising of the virtuous woman ought to be so different than the world's. But let's see that there ought to be a praising, first of all, there ought to be a praising of the virtuous mother in the church. It's not a command in the text, in the scriptures, but it's something still that we ought to do. Notice that it's not something that God says you must do, man. Children, doesn't say thou shalt praise virtuous mothers. Doesn't say that. You won't find that in the Bible. There's no command, but it's simply a statement of fact. Verse 28, her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Husbands, children, Boys, girls, young people, you don't have to praise your mothers today. Minister said, so you don't have to say you're a wonderful mother today. God doesn't say you must. And you know what the virtuous mothers of today don't want you to praise them simply because you must. Because people today say it's Mother's Day, and so you have to. It's not a command. It's a statement of what will happen. What will inevitably happen is a result of women living as virtuous mothers in the church. God's word says this is something that will result. If it doesn't happen, there's a problem. Either the woman's not really striving to be a virtuous mother as she should. Or most probably the men and the children, husbands are taking her for granted and are blind to her efforts. We praise them because it simply will result. God's word says it will. What does it mean to praise mothers, verse 28, her children arise up and call her blessing her husband's also praises her. You can be sure that that doesn't mean worship her. It doesn't mean glorify her as you would glorify God today. No, the only one that we worship is God alone. We worship God. We praise his son, Jesus Christ, on this day and every day for the salvation he has wrought for us. But it does mean that we say good things about the grace of God working in her. It means that we comment, we specifically tell her of the benefit that she has been to her children and to the church of Jesus Christ. We're commenting of the virtues that God has placed in her to make her that virtuous woman. She is a woman because of Christ for the price far beyond Ruby's. In front of our families. In front of others, in front of her, we are expressing hallelujahs to God. That's what the word. Praise me. Hallelujah. Not a praise to the woman, but a praise to God for the woman, for the virtuous mother. And that word blessed means to pronounce someone happy. We're saying to our mothers, to our wives, who are mothers, the Lord has given you such wonderful gifts as a mother that you must be happy. You ought to be happy. Look at the wondrous work he has done for you and in you to make you that virtuous mother. Yes, men, yes, children, it's normal. It's something that will happen to Texas. That we praise our mothers. We might say, I'm not romantic like that, I don't express myself very well or I. I know she knows, I don't have to tell her. We can give all sorts of excuses. But God's word says this is what will happen. It will happen for virtuous mothers, if you don't, the church does today. And God will one day. It's important, it's healthy that such virtuous mothers receive the praise. that this text talks about. It's important for their encouragement and the hard calling that does that God does give to them. It's a good calling. It's an honorable calling, but it's a difficult calling. So they need that encouragement, they need that praise, that God is working in them and for them. When we read verses 28 and 29, we understand that the connection between the verses is that 29 comes as a result of 28. We've talked about that connection already. Because that woman is a virtuous mother, the result is inevitably will be the praise by men, by the husbands and by the children. But you can also think of the connection of those verses in this way. Verse twenty nine that comes after twenty eight is. A means that God uses. To help. The woman become a virtuous mother. to encourage the woman in her motherhood. It's a way to encourage them, not to make them proud, not to make them look down on other women because they're not as good of mothers as they are, but it's a way to help them along in being virtuous mothers. Mothers in the church need that. Young girls in the church need to see that. So they want to be those virtuous mothers. Women need to see that it is an honorable position to be such a mother. Because the world praises selfish women. The world praises women for not having children. The world praises women for being the models and the career women and the women who neglect their children and their husbands in their homes. And the world laughs. They mock at women. who do this contrary to scripture we need we need to Create a culture in this place in this church an atmosphere That raises the position of a woman in the home To an honorable position This is what God wants in the church and when we do so God blesses that mothers who raise up godly children to work for the church. Because these children who are raised up properly by women who are at home, who are observant of what's going on, who work hard, these children grow to be the leaders, the elders, the deacons, the ministers in the church of Jesus Christ. God uses these mothers to gather the children and keep them within the walls of the church. God uses these mothers to work in the hearts of these children, faith even, so they grasp and they believe the doctrines of God's word and become faithful members here. And such mothers help their husbands working in such a way that their husbands are able to be active in the church and are able to serve the church with joy. Young women see these virtuous mothers praise and then they too want to follow the example of virtuous mothers. Young men then look for such women and marry them in the Lord. And the church grows strong. God blesses the church in this way, through virtuous mothers who are encouraged by the praise of their husbands and their children. Amen. Let's pray.