Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Ecclesiastes 3, Don't Worry, Be Happy

The Teacher continues examining the frailty of life and its works. Earlier he has emphasized the perpetual endless cycle of life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Turn, turn, turn
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, 
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, 
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, 
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The cycles of life include times of good and bad, in a natural rhythm of the years. We weep and laugh and weep again. Sometimes we mourn, sometimes we dance. Then we mourn again. In my youth, this beautiful passage was popularized by the song Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds.

The Teacher gives us, in short rhythmic lines, seven verses, fourteen antithetical parallelisms. It is no coincidence that these verses come in a perfect seven.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-11, Eternity in the heart of man
What does the worker gain from his toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on men.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

The Teacher returns to his questions about value. Work seems to only be a burder from which man does not gain. It is a burden God places on mankind. God makes everything beautiful in its time and places "eternity in the hearts of man" -- yes, we all long for eternal purpose and value! -- and yet God also keeps us ignorant of all His plans and purposes. Is this good news or bad? Are we encouraged here or in despair?

The Hebrew word olam, translated here "eternity", suggests long periods of time, antiquity, the future. It first appears in the Old Testament in Genesis 3:22 where the NIV translates it as "forever." Eternity, time past, time future, are an enigma to us mere mortals.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-15, Find satisfaction
I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil‑‑this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.  
Whatever is has already been, 
and what will be has been before; 
and God will call the past to account.

The Teacher repeats an earlier claim: the mortal man should just enjoy the good things given him.

Ecclesiastes 3:16, Corruption
And I saw something else under the sun: 
In the place of judgment‑‑wickedness was there,
in the place of justice‑‑wickedness was there.  

The observant Teacher is very aware that there are injustices -- where there should be righteous judgment, there is wickedness and corruption.

Ecclesiastes 3:17-18, Is there judgment?
I thought in my heart, "
God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked,
 for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed."  

I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.  

The Hebrew text is not clear in verses 17 and 18 (say both Alter and Davidson) and both interpret verse 17 as a quotation, as a proverb, with a response in verse 18. It is likely that the Teacher is saying, I thought that God brings judgment and justice but still, ultimately, man dies just like the animals. This is consistent with the next passage. 

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, Like the animals
Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless.  All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

Mankind, says the Teacher, is just like the animals. We don't know what happens after death; we see no evidence that the spirit (breath, Hebrew ruach) of humans is different than that of the animals. As Genesis 3:19 says, we came from dust and we return to dust.

Ecclesiastes 3:22, Relax and enjoy what you have.
So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

We don't know what happens after death, so, relax, try to find satisfaction and joy in what you have.

Monday, October 14, 2024

Ecclesiastes 2, Nothing Worth Doing!

The Teacher  laments that all of life is meaningless; indeed even searching for wisdom (he says in chapter 1) is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, All mere breath
 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
            
"Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?"
            
I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly‑‑my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
            
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
            
I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
            
I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well‑‑the delights of the heart of man.
            
As in the previous chapter, the Hebrew word hebel, is translated as "meaningless". The word is literally "mere breath", a concrete metaphor for things that rapidly disappear without a trace.

The Teacher examines all the joys and riches of life, from laughter, through wine, great building projects, possessions of slaves and flocks, precious metals, even a harem ("the delights of the heart of man"), yet ... was this of any value?

In verse 3 the Teacher emphasizes that as he indulged in these various pleasures, he did so thoughtfully and carefully. His pleasure was not mindless drunkeness but experiments in pleasure. One can, for example, enjoy the pleasures of wine, drinking just enough to get a pleasant buzz, while taking care not to drink too much and experience the nausea of a hangover.  Greek philosophers across the Mediterranean Sea were doing this in 450 BC, analyzing human emotions, joys, pleasures. (See these Wikipedia pages on Epicureanism. and hedonism, for example.)

Ecclesiastes 2:9-11, Far greater than those before me
I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.  

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; 
I refused my heart no pleasure. 
My heart took delight in all my work,
 and this was the reward for all my labor.  
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done 
and what I had toiled to achieve, 
everything was meaningless,
 a chasing after the wind; 
nothing was gained under the sun.

The Teacher, a powerful king of Jerusalem, has access to all the wealth and pleasures one could want. He has the experience of pass kings before him. And so he engages in an experiment: What is the most pleasureable? What gives man the greatest delight? And the answer is that, in the end, they are all the same -- they are all mere breath, meaningless. The obvious lesson being taught here is that if Solomon (or the Teacher) cannot achieve meaning from all his wealth and pleasures, then these will certainly not satisfy mere common folk and like you and me.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-18, Philosophy
Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?
            
I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.  Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."  For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!  So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Since all types of pleasure do not bring satisfaction, the Teacher turns to wisdom and philosophy.  He studies wisdom and its value and -- unlike the claims of the book of Proverbs! -- decides that it too is meaningless. Regardless of what they've done, both the fool and the wise face the same fate: death and the grave.  And eventually they will be forgotten.

Verse 14 has a line that runs counter to the theme of this chapter: "The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness." Alter suggests that this proverb (which would fit perfectly well in the previous book!) is set up here to be challenged.

Ecclesiastes 2:19-20, The one who comes after me
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.  So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.  

One can work very hard on building up a program, a community, a university or even a kingdom, only for those empires to sink and decay after one's death. King Solomon, indeed, is a classic example of this as the foolish actions of his son Rehoboam led ten of the twelve kingdoms to rebel; this was followed by centuries of sporadic civil war.

In one university where I served as an administrator, I watched another administrator relentlessly collect data and statistics to make the regular accreditation visits both valuable and easy. (These visits occurred every five years. A good review was critical for the university's standing and success.) Over decades of accreditation studies, the administrator collected thousands of files of documents about the university, its history, its students and faculty. She retired on a Friday. On the following Monday I watched as workers collected the many thousands of folders of accreditation statistics and destroyed them.

In another university I saw a similar phenomenon: a university president and provost made large scale changes to the university, lifting the quality of instruction in a variety of ways. Many of the improvements by those administrators were not welcomed by longterm faculty who saw their ancient traditions challenged. After the president and provost retired, after the many public accolades about their improvements, I watched faculty calmly return to old practices with a sigh of relief.  Much of the progress has since been undone.

I believe in seeking improvements and progress. But the Teacher has some various serious warnings about our expectations.

Ecclesiastes 2:21-23, Anxious striving
For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.  What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?  All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

In verse 22, the Hebrew word rayon shows up again. Earlier, in 1:17, it described as "herding" [the wind]; here it is translated "anxious striving."

The Teacher is issuing some warnings here. From a secular, practical point of view, one's perceived contributions -- whether one's pleasures or one's artistic architecture -- may be undone by those who follow. After Solomon's massive temple project, his son's foolishness led to centuries of warfare that eventually brought down that temple.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, Just eat, drink, work
A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  

The Teacher summarizes the past experiences. Since all human endeavors are "mere breath",  then one should simply enjoy the basic pleasures available to him; one should merely appreciate the beautiful world that God has given him in his few years.

There is a strong argument to this, but it is almost completely secular. I have friends (some atheist or agnostic) who would agree that this passage summarizes their goals and describes all that life has to offer. In terms of Greek philosophy, this is a statement similar to the broad statements of Epicureanism.

This passage is a shocking to a religious Jew or Christian reading through these sacred texts. Some have argued that this passage is the beginning of an apologetic to Judaism, offering the first of two life paths. I said a little bit about that in the introduction; I will return to this idea in the last chapter.

Ecclesiastes 2:26, But maybe...?
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

This is a strange passage.... After two chapters of cynicism, the author suddenly seems to say that, well, the sinner is forced to gain wealth just so he can hand it over to the person who has wisdom, knowledge and happiness. The Hebrew word chata, translated here "sinner", simply means someone who misses the mark. It is possible (says Alter) that our cynical Teacher is saying that some get wealth, others useless work and toil -- and have no say over that. God just chooses who to bless, who to curse and attempting to sort this out is like herding the wind. Davidson allows that interpretation and says the passage is ambiguous.

One commentator argues that Ecclesiastes gives us occasional windows where we look past the sun and see things from God’s perspective.  This is supposedly one of those windows.  In that light, “wealth” might be interpreted as things of value; the godless person chases wealth and gets nothing while God hands value and meaning over to the one who pleases him. 

We should read this passage and seek to understand it, without hurrying past it, to "Christianize" it, or explain it away.  We will return to the implications of this message at the end of the book.

Sunday, October 13, 2024

The Dangerous Christian, a study in Ecclesiastes

 The Dangerous Christian, a study in Ecclesiastes

Say something about Deconstruction

Koheleth (Davidson), Qohelet (Alter)

This book has been a favorite of artists!

            “All is meaningless” begins the strange book of Ecclesiastes.  The book continues with questions and doubts, probing the purpose of life (if there is one), accepting no easy answers.  Solomon’s questions are thoughtful and dangerous.
            This inspired book is not for the complacent.  It is for the person who wants to live an examined, wise Christian life.  We will spend five weeks touching on the hard questions raised by this book.

I close my eyes only for a moment and the moment’s gone.
All my dreams pass before my eyes a curiosity.
Dust in the wind.  
All they are is dust in the wind.

Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea.
All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see.
Dust in the wind.  
All we are is dust in the wind.

Don’t hang on.  
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.
It slips away and all your money won’t another minute buy.
Dust in the wind.  
All we are is dust in the wind.  
Everything is dust in the wind. 
                                                                                    Dust in the Wind”, Kansas, 1977



The Dangerous Christian, a study in Ecclesiastes
9:45-10:45, September 15, 1996

On Ecclesiastes 1:1-11:
This is a very “unchristian” view of the world.  Why is it here?  Before answering that question, I want us to recognize, in some sense, the truth of this view.  (If we attempt to “Christianize” Ecclesiastes it will lose its impact.)

How might one respond to this recognition that “all is meaningless”?  What are the different paths people take in trying to resolve this problem?
            Let me tell you about my vacation this summer... and then play a Harry Chapin song.

            The Harry Chapin song, Halfway to Heaven, is about a man at a midpoint, a man who is halfway home and halfway through life, who stops and reconsiders what he is doing.  You won’t like his conclusion.

Assignment for next time.  Read chapters 1-3.
            What illusions do your friends and colleagues pursue?  What illusions do you pursue?  Come to class next week with at least three illusions you observe people following.  (I won’t ask you whether these illusions are yours or those of your friends!)


Review and Remarks:
            This book is probably an apologetic, a defense of Judaism!  (Tell about the comment of an international student...)
            It is important that we not simplify it or attempt to brush it aside.  It is a hard book; there must be something important to learn from it.  (Tell about the wino’s accusation...)
            Do you believe in the importance of air?

Let’s talk about illusions we have and that we live under.

For next time:
            Read chapters 4 - 6. At the end of chapter 3 and chapter 4, Solomon talks about evil and oppression. 

Discussion questions for next time:
            How does evil contribute to our discussion about the purpose of life? 
            We thank God for good things.  Should we thank him for bad things?


For next time
            Read chapters 7-9.

Discussion questions:
            What do your friends and colleagues think is the meaning of life?  (Ask them!)
            Solomon claims “there is nothing new under the sun,” and “what has been will be again” (1:9).  In what ways do things change?  In what ways do they stay the same?

Discussion questions:
1.         What do your friends and colleagues think is the meaning of life?
2.         Solomon claims “there is nothing new under the sun,” and “what has been will be again” (1:9).  In what ways do things change?  In what ways do they stay the same?


Discussion questions:
1.         What do your friends and colleagues think is the meaning of life?

2.         Solomon claims “there is nothing new under the sun,” and “what has been will be again” (1:9).  In what ways do things change?  In what ways do they stay the same?

Let’s look at the following passages:
            Ecclesiastes 8:15-17
            9:1-3
            9:4-6
            9:7-12
            9:13-18
3.         Is it better to be wise, or not?  Why does Solomon appear to run down wisdom?
4.         What are the advantages of thinking about death and chance?

Let’s read James 4:13-16

Next time: Read chapters 10-12.  What is the conclusion of the book?  (We will finally come up for air!  And I have an upbeat song to play for you.)

1.  What is the conclusion of the book?

2.  One of the wisest things one can say is “ _  D O N’ T  _ _ _ _ “
3.  Why don’t we understand God?  (What is it we really expect of God?)


            There is something deeper here than merely the meaning of life.  Think of all the passages in the Bible which say something like: “You see ... but God sees...”.  Examples: The anointing of David (I Samuel 16:7), Elisha’s vision of a great army (II Kings 6:16,17), Paul’s statement’s about the mind of God and the foolishness of earthly wisdom in I Corinthians 2, ... 

4.  Should Christians be risk-takers?

Thank You
by Ray Boltz (from the album of the same title)

I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me.
We walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.
You turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came.

And he said, “Friend, you may not know me now,” and then he said, “But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School, when I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start
and one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart.”

“Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am so glad you gave.”

Then another man stood before you, he said, “Remember the time
a missionary came to your church, his pictures made you cry.
You didn’t have much money but you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave and that’s why I’m here today.”

“Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am so glad you gave.”

One by one they came far as the eye could see,
each life somehow touched by your generosity
Little things that you had done,  sacrifices made,
unnoticed on the earth, in heaven now proclaimed.

I know up in heaven you are not supposed to cry.
I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes
as Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord;
He said, “My child, look around you, for great is your reward.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord;
I am so glad you gave.”

=== Extra (repeated?)
More on evil and oppression:
Ecclesiastes 5:8-17
            If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.  The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
            Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.   As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?
            The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.  I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him.
            Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.  This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?  All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.


Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
            Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
            When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Ecclesiastes 1, Vain Cycles

Proverbs offers a first year sequence in the life of Wisdom. But following Proverbs is a fascinating book that makes it clear that wisdom can be more complicated than the simple black-and-white of Proverbs.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, Meaningless!
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" 
says the Teacher. 

"Utterly meaningless! 
Everything is meaningless." 

The book begins in despair. The Hebrew Qoholeth, translated "Teacher" here, is "an assembler of sayings," It is from this word that we get the Hebrew title to this book, Qoholeth; the Greek translation, based on ecclesia (assembly"), is Ecclesiastes. The author is a "son of" David. Traditionally this is understood to be Solomon but the Hebrew would allow a "descendant of" David, a king of Judea in the Davidic line. 

One more important bit of Hebrew: The word hebel, translated here "Utterly meaningless" ("vanity of vanities", KJV) is a word for "breath" or "vapor". A breath or vapor is something that disappears rapidly, leaving no trace. Alter translates the word as "mere breath," a strong image on the ephemeral illusions this book intends to confront.

Ecclesiastes 1:3-7, Circles and cycles
What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?  
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.  
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.  
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; 
round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.  
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. 
To the place the streams come from, there they return again.  

Numerous circles of life are described here, generations, sunrise/sunset, the wind, the cycle of water. So far, except for the first line, we merely have some observations. But the Teacher does not see these circles of life as positive. 

Ecclesiastes 1:8-9, Wearisome
All things are wearisome, more than one can say. 
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.  
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; 
there is nothing new under the sun.  

The cycles in verses 3 to 7 now are seen as tiring and wearisome. Why should man try to achieve anything, if everything that comes is just a repeat of the past? Nothing is new. We make no real impact on the world.

Ecclesiastes 1:10-11, Forgotten long ago
Is there anything of which one can say, "
Look! This is something new"? 
It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.  
There is no remembrance of men of old, 
and even those who are yet to come 
will not be remembered by those who follow. 

This is a very “unchristian” view of the world.  It is tempting to hurry and "explain away" this passage but I think it is important to let this message of Scripture sink in. (If we attempt to “Christianize” Ecclesiastes, it will lose its impact.)

How might one respond to this recognition that “all is meaningless”?  What are the different paths people take in trying to resolve this problem?

The Harry Chapin song, Halfway to Heaven, is about a man at a midpoint, a man who is halfway home and halfway through life, who stops and reconsiders what he is doing.  You won’t like his conclusion....

Alter argues that for the Israelites, who emphasized being remembered by their ancestors (see their genealogies!), being forgotten is a deeply disturbing idea. The Hebrew reader is being slapped in the face by the claims of the Teacher. We, too, should feel the impact of these radical statements.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-15,
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. 

What a heavy burden God has laid on men!  I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.  

What is twisted cannot be straightened; 
what is lacking cannot be counted.

Whether the Teacher is Solomon or some later king, like Hezekiah, the writing is from the point of view of one who has all the wealth and resources to ask questions about life. Exploring wisdom, attempting to understand life, all this is burdensome, says the Teacher -- indeed, it is a burden he blames on God!

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18, Herding the wind
I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."  Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.  

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; 
the more knowledge, the more grief.

The Teacher has grown in wisdom more than any previous king of Jerusalem. One envisions looking back at a long line of kings. If so, this is not Solomon but a descendant who is incorporating all that Solomon taught. (Davidson argues that the text has Aramaisms and other linguistic tags that point to a date much than Solomon.)

Alter translates holelah (here "madness") as "revelry." The word appears in Ecclesiastes four times and does not appear in the rest of the Old Testament. It implies wild partying, an emphasis on pleasure and decadence.

"Is there value in wisdom?" asks the Teacher. One might assume he has read -- and most likely written -- much of Proverbs, and yet he asks this question. The answer given here is that even wisdom is "chasing the wind". (The Hebrew word rayon is translated  "herding" by Alter.) Wisdom and knowledge only bring sorrow and grief; catching them is like trying to herd the wind. 

The philosophy described here might be similar to nihilism

Are you depressed yet? We will continue herding the wind tomorrow, in chapter 2.

Friday, October 11, 2024

Proverbs 31, Wisdom from a Queen

We end the book of Proverbs with some additional sayings from unknown sources.

Proverbs 31:1, King Lemuel
The sayings of King Lemuel--an oracle his mother taught him:

The identity of King Lemuel is unknown. His name means "belonging to God."

Alter translates the first line as "The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother reproved him." The Hebrew word massa could either be a place name -- it is possible that there was an Arabian kingdom of that name; Genesis 25:13-14 gives Massa as a descendant of Israel -- or it could mean "burden" or "tribute", thus the NIV "oracle."

Proverbs 31:2-3, Vigor spent on women
 "O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, 
 do not spend your strength on women, 
your vigor on those who ruin kings.

Here the instructions for the son come from the mother, not the father! The mother calls her son, "Son of my womb, son of my vows," with the last phrase indicating that you probably made some vow before or at his birth, as did Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. The existence of a vow is consistent with the son's name "belong to God."

The queen warns her son away from "women" (prostitutes? concubines?) who distract and bring down rulers. Solomon should have heeded such advice.

Proverbs 31:4-7, Wine and hard drink
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel-- 
not for kings to drink wine,
 not for rulers to crave beer,
 lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, 
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
 Give beer to those who are perishing, 
wine to those who are in anguish;
 let them drink and forget their poverty 
and remember their misery no more.

Alter argues that "beer" here is grappa, a stronger drink distilled from grapes (Judges 13:14.) Kings need to rule with sober wisdom and justice. Let alcohol soften the pain of the poor and perishing, but not kings!

Proverbs 31:8-9, Speak up for the vulnerable
 "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."

Speak up for the poor and needy, says the queen.

An acrostic: The rest of the chapter, 22 verses, is an acrostic on the value and importance of a wise wife. These 22 verses might be from a separate anonymous source (say Alter and Kidner) and the Septuagint does indeed break up this chapter here. However, I can certainly see a queen stressing the value of a woman as described below. She would want to (1) push her son towards one like this and (2) emphasize the characteristics she herself has modeled. 

Proverbs 31:10-12,
 A wife of noble character who can find? 
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her 
and lacks nothing of value.
 She brings him good, not harm, 
all the days of her life.
 
A wife of noble character will be described here as a good teammate of her husband and a good administrator.

Proverbs 31:13-16, Businesswoman
She selects wool and flax 
and works with eager hands.
 She is like the merchant ships, 
bringing her food from afar.
 She gets up while it is still dark; 
she provides food for her family 
and portions for her servant girls.
 She considers a field and buys it; 
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

This woman purchases cloths for sewing, purchases and prepares food, gets up early to meet the family needs, engages in land purchases. She has her own earnings and uses them to purchase and grow a vineyard. Since she provides for her servants, there is considerable wealth here.

Proverbs 31:17-19, Vigorous
 She sets about her work vigorously; 
her arms are strong for her tasks.
 She sees that her trading is profitable, 
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff 
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

This woman meets all the characteristics of the wise man described throughout Proverbs. She is industrious, throughtful, hardworking. Although she has wealth, she is humble enough to do a fair amount of the work herself.

In verse 19, Hebrew words yad ("hand") and kaph "fingers" appear here as part of a parallelism describing the woman's work. They will appear in the next verse in opposite order.

Proverbs 31:20, Open arms
She opens her arms to the poor 
and extends her hands to the needy.

In addition to being industrious, the woman reaches out to the poor and the needy. She is compassionate.

The NIV translation loses a poetic chiasm in verses 19 and 20, repeating two words for arm/hand/palm.
    A: Her yad holds ...,
    B:      grasps... with kaph,
    B:      opens her kaph ...,
    A: extends her yad to .... 
The word kaph is also the name of the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet; the symbol does remind one of a hand or open palm, thumb and fingers opening to the left (with maybe a coin in the center of the palm?)
Proverbs 31:21-25, Covers her household
 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
 for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
 She makes coverings for her bed; 
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
 where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
 She makes linen garments and sells them, 
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
 She is clothed with strength and dignity; 
she can laugh at the days to come.
 
Even in the worst of winter, in a rare Palestinian snowfall, the woman's family are comfortable. She has the right material to clothe them at all times and, indeed, the clothing is elegant. Her husband can confidently sit among the elders at the city gate; she contributes to his honor. And indeed, she herself is clothed in dignity. With all of this preparation, she is not afraid of future days.

The Hebrew word shani, translated here "scarlet", is an elegant, rich color. It appears in Exodus 25:1-9 in the description of rich material (both purple and scarlet thread) provided for the Tabernacle in the wilderness.

Proverbs 31:26-27, Wise speech, careful instruction
She speaks with wisdom, 
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
 She watches over the affairs of her household 
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

This woman follows the instructions of Proverbs, with wise speech, careful instruction, energy and hard work. That beautiful word hesed is used to describe her instruction in the second line, here translated "faithful" by the NIV.

Proverbs 31:28-29, Praise from her family
 Her children arise and call her blessed; 
her husband also, and he praises her:
 "Many women do noble things, 
but you surpass them all."

The woman's wisdom and leadership is recognized by her children and her husband. She receives the respect she deserves. Alter says that the Hebrew in the last verse is emphatic, the husband says, "but you -- You, surpass them all!"

Proverbs 31:30-31, A model woman
 Charm is deceptive, 
and beauty is fleeting; 
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
 Give her the reward she has earned, 
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
 
Desired feminine attributes like charm or beauty can be fleeting. But commitment to YHWH and His wisdom and justice lead to honor "at the city gate", that is, among the city leaders.

As Alter points out, this chapter deviates considerably from the previous 30 chapters, in which a man gives instructions to other men. The final instructions of the book come from a woman and is about women.