What is the meaning of Proverbs 31:5? Context of Proverbs 31:5 Proverbs 31 opens with “The words of King Lemuel, an oracle his mother taught him” (v. 1). Verses 4-5 address rulers directly: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel… lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice” (vv. 4-5). The immediate setting is a mother warning her king-son to avoid anything that dulls discernment and endangers the vulnerable (compare Deuteronomy 17:18-20, where Israel’s kings are told to keep the law close so they “may learn to fear the Lord”). The Role of Kings and Rulers • God delegates authority to rulers to uphold justice (Romans 13:1-4). • A king is to “judge fairly, and show impartiality” (Proverbs 29:14). • Kings must model righteousness; what they do shapes national life (2 Samuel 23:3-4). The Warning Against Alcohol Abuse • “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler” (Proverbs 20:1); excessive drinking clouds judgment. • Leaders in particular are told, “Do not join those who drink too much wine” (Proverbs 23:20-21). • In Proverbs 31:5, the risk is not merely personal disgrace but public harm: forgetting decrees leads to unjust rule. Consequences of Forgetting What is Decreed • “What is decreed” includes God’s statutes (Psalm 119:4) and a ruler’s own legal obligations (2 Chronicles 19:6-7). • Forgetting produces: – Moral amnesia—loss of clear right and wrong (Isaiah 5:20-23). – Administrative failure—laws unenforced or misapplied (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17). – Spiritual decline—people follow the leader’s example into sin (Hosea 4:9). Protecting the Oppressed • Scripture repeatedly commands defending the weak (Proverbs 31:8-9; Isaiah 1:17). • When rulers grow numb through drink, the powerless are “deprived…of justice.” • God condemns such neglect: “Woe to those who…deny justice to the oppressed” (Isaiah 10:1-2). Application for Today • Any position of influence—parent, employer, pastor, official—requires clear-minded stewardship. • Practically: – Exercise self-control with alcohol and all substances (Ephesians 5:18). – Stay saturated in God’s Word so decrees are not forgotten (Joshua 1:8). – Champion the cause of those easily overlooked: the poor, unborn, elderly, disabled (James 1:27). summary Proverbs 31:5 teaches that rulers must avoid the dulling effects of alcohol so they can remember God’s mandates and uphold justice, especially for the oppressed. Clear minds guard righteous decrees; clouded minds endanger society’s most vulnerable. |
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