Mother’s Day and the Philippines 2025 Senatorial Election: How are they related?
Last May 11, we celebrated Mother’s Day. The following day, Filipinos went to the voting polls for the senatorial election. Many are happy to see their candidates enter the top list. Others are dissatisfied with the outcomes, echoing a UP economist's sentiment that the middle class's voice is insignificant in Philippine elections.
For today’s chapel service, I selected Proverbs 31, for I believe that this chapter has a lot to say about these important events.
Considering that it is the mother of the king giving advice here to guide Lemuel in becoming a wise, just, and godly ruler, the message of this chapter is not only relevant for mothers but also for politicians. Note that this political advice is a form of maternal wisdom aimed at shaping the character and leadership of her son, sitting in the highest office in the land.
A few exegetical considerations before we proceed to our main theme.
One, rereading the passage, particularly verses 10 to 31, I consider it inaccurate to use the second half of the chapter as a basis to celebrate Mother’s Day. Instead, it is more accurate to use the passage to celebrate the Wife’s Day, which we don’t have. Nevertheless, even though the passage refers to a wife of noble character, we can still use the chapter to celebrate Mother’s Day, provided that the role of a woman as a wife is given priority and, secondarily, as a mother. In short, the character of a woman as a wife will determine her qualities as a good mother. The role of a woman as a wife is more basic than the role of a woman as a mother.
Two, we should be cautious in using the list of qualities of the noble wife in assessing the qualities of a mother. Though in principle, many of these insights can be applied to modern mothers. However, it is not easy to find an equivalent application of some of the details described in the passage for modern mothers. Moreover, to interpret the passage as a prescriptive task list for mothers might lead to unrealistic expectations and feelings of inadequacy on the part of mothers because of the unattainable picture of motherhood presented in the passage.
Third exegetical consideration: Proverbs 31 wasn’t even written for a woman. Yes, it was a mother’s advice, but such advice was directed to a man. In particular, a mother’s advice to a politician, a king who happened to be her son.
Fourth and last consideration, the description given to us in verses 10 to 31 is not actually describing any particular individual; it’s describing “Lady Wisdom,” which is the embodiment of a life of wisdom. In short, ultimately, the passage is not about a specific gender. Through “lady wisdom,” both women and men, wives and husbands, and mothers and fathers are given the picture of the character of a person who lives wisely.
This reminds me of a popular piece of advice during elections: “Vote wisely! ” I understand this as we are reminded to vote for leaders whose characters demonstrate a life of wisdom.
Now, returning to our central idea, since our passage talks about a mother’s wise counsel to her son, who happened to be a king, we can find an answer to this question:
How can we say that politicians follow wise counsel?
Politicians follow wise counsel if they remain vigilant in guarding their moral integrity.
King Lemuel’s mother warns him against giving his strength to women in verse 3. Most likely, this refers to the dangers of sexual immorality or being distracted by sexual indulgence, which could corrupt the decision-making and leadership of a politician.
This reminds me of a period when we had a notorious womanizer occupying the highest office in the land. The fact that he won the presidency tells a lot about our moral judgment as a people.
Politicians follow wise counsel if they remain sober and clear in their official decisions.
In verses 4 and 5, the king’s mother advises Lemuel to avoid alcohol abuse because such a lifestyle can cloud someone’s judgment. It is especially dangerous for politicians, whose decisions affect the lives of many. Imagine laws and executive orders passed under the influence of alcohol. What good can you expect from such?
Again, this reminds us of a former president who is not only a womanizer but also a notorious drinker.
Politicians follow wise counsel if they focus on serving justice while in office.
The king's mother exhorts Lemuel to stand up for the rights of the weak and destitute in verses 8 and 9. This demonstrates a fundamental commitment to fairness and moral leadership.
Nowadays, the majority of politicians lack a comprehensive understanding of the original purpose of civil administration. Such misunderstandings lead to the normalization of government overreach. They overlook the fact that the main reason God established civil government in the first place was to uphold justice, which entails safeguarding the lives, liberties, and property of its people, especially the weakest and most marginalized segments of society, from both internal and external dangers.
Politicians follow wise counsel if they possess discernment in choosing a wife
I think this is a more accurate exegesis of the text than using it as a basis for the celebration of Mother’s Day. Verses 10 to 31 were often called the "Noble Wife" passage, for they describe the qualities of an excellent wife. Finding such a wife likely serves as wise counsel to Lemuel in choosing a life partner who embodies wisdom, strength, and virtue—someone who can support his kingship and family well.
Allow me to expand a little bit on the exegesis and application of this portion of our passage.
For a politician to find an economical and noble wife he can trust is indeed priceless. Blessed is a nation whose first lady personified a life of wisdom!
Conclusion
King Lemuel’s mother gives this wise counsel so that her son will live with moral integrity, govern justly, and marry well. It reflects a mother's desire to prepare her son not only for leadership but also for a life of peace that comes from the most intimate of human relationships, which is marriage.
In closing, we have to ask this question. Why is wisdom in Proverbs 31 described as a woman?
As already mentioned, the most intimate human relationship a man can have is with his wife. Proverbs 31 tells us that this is the kind of intimate relationship we should have with wisdom.
From the perspective of the New Testament, marriage is used to describe the relationship between Christ and His church (Eph. 5:32). We (both men and women) are the “bride of Christ” (Rev. 21:2). So, the unity that the church has with Jesus is likened to the marriage relationship between husband and wife, and not between mother and child. The important insight we can glean here is the intimacy of the relationship.
Finally, Christ too is described as “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:30). This tells us that in order for you and me to live a life of wisdom personified in “Lady Wisdom,” you have to maintain an intimate relationship with Jesus—the wisdom of God!