PARENTING/DISCIPLINE IN PROVERBS - Ch. 23
*No, I've not quit my study. I've been reading and writing in my notebook but haven't had time to type my thoughts up. I'm going to try to post several in the next few days. I have resisted the urge to "type" up my thoughts immediately and skip the journal...because the writing and then retyping is an aide to meditation for me.
23:12 "Apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge."
~Apply the very core of my being to personal discipline - I must be trained, corrected, instructed by God
~I must be careful which voices I listen to. Are they words that bring knowledge? Listen Up! Are they words based on the speaker's fear, condemnation, foolishness, presumptions, un-Christlike worldview? I must not take careless words of others to heart.
23:13 - 14 "Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from sheol."
~I don't have time to rewrite what has already been written about rod, discipline, child.....if you're not familiar with my thoughts, you can click parenting and scroll down to Oct to see those studies.
~This is the ONLY one of the "rod verses" that mentions STRIKING a CHILD with a rod. In 26:3 fools are mentioned - not children.
~ Child here is a youth.
~In my mind this could be symbolic because rod could be symbolic - but I'm not sure how you "beat" someone with symbolism.
~I believe this verse could also be exaggerating to make a point....much as is used earlier in this chapter in verse 2 where we are told that a man of great appetite should put a knife to his throat. I reached this conclusion because the second half of this verse is NOT literally true. You CAN kill a person with a shebet. You can crush skulls, maim predators etc.
I have other thoughts - but really this will boil down to how you believe the word "rod" should be interpreted. Nonetheless, this verse is NOT saying that we have carte blanche to "beat young children with rods". Child = youth of marriageable, battle age
23:15 "My son, if your heart is wise my own heart will be glad."
~MY heart rejoices as I see my children begin to walk in wisdom
~The years of youth show the results of consistent shepherding, mentoring of a child from infancy
23:17 "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always."
~My heart must be trained to constantly live with the Lord ever before me - there is no room in a heart of worship to envy unrighteousness
23:26 "Give me your hear, my son, and let your eyes delight in my way."
~Can I be trusted with the heart of my children? If not, I'd better confess and repent!
~Are my ways such that I can unequivocally say to my children - go ahead, "delight in my way"?
~I hurt more than myself when I wallow int he flesh instead of walking in the spirit
(OK began this hours ago...but hey...it's a start)
2 comments:
Hi DeEtta,
It was wonderfully freeing for me when I realised that Naar referred to a youth not a child or (Heaven forbid) a toddler. I was able to resist the pressure I was under to parent 'biblically' when I realised there was nothing 'biblical' about strking a young child.
That does not take the pressure off parents with little ones though in any way.
If your Naar was so badly behaved that they would have recieved a beating in Biblical times (and almost died?) that must mean the parents had not taken their earlier parenting responsibilities seriously enough, I would think.
Anyway, I am enjoying your trek through Proverbs.
YES! My thoughts as well.
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