Courageous Joy

"Rod"

I began my "serious" study by looking at the word rod. I did this because the rod verses are most often quoted to me right after someone asks me what I would do in a specific situation. :::snort:::

For example:
Gertrude: What would you do if your child reached for a hot oven?
Me: I would say "hot" in an alarmed voice, and move her.
Gertrude: How can you teach a child to leave an oven alone without spanking her?
Me: I would understand that developmentally she will explore, a 2 year old needs me to be WITH her, I would react strongly each time she neared the oven (BTW maybe a gate is in order).
Gertrude: spare the rod spoil the child

Or

Gertrude: What would you do if your child began to fuss about leaving the library?
Me: (because this happened LOL) I would get down on his level and say "I know you don't want to leave the library and that you love it here. It is time to leave now. If you fuss you will not be able to come next time." Then I would tell him "it's time to leave". If he fussed, he'd not be able to come back next time. (In our case Zander came and said later in the van "I'm so, so, so, so GOOD!"
Gertrude: I'd spank. He who spares the rod hates his son.

I wanted to check out ALL the rod verses carefully. I expected there to be many. Below are my findings. I have deliberately NOT read any of the books that folks have suggested when they heard that I was doing a study. I look forward to reading them when I'm done here....which is why I'm going to bite the bullet, come out of the closet and share my thoughts. So I can read again. LOL

NOTE: I do NOT claim to have perfectly behaved children. I do NOT claim to be an expert. I do NOT claim to be a "model family" for parenting. I only am sharing what I've studied.

For those who want to know my background. I grew up in a wonderful pastor/missionary home. Spanking was practiced. I love my parents and am not damaged. We did spank our first couple of children, because that is what we thought the Bible said. The more we studied and the more we saw what WORKED and produced wholehearted, honest children we began to focus more on HEART issues and less on OUTWARD behavioral issues. Those who know our children will tell you that they are well-behaved. We don't spank a lot and haven't for years and years. At this point I would say that I don't spank and Mike says "there are times when it is needed" but I've not seen one of those times in a long time. We do have a couple of STRONG WILLED children. The first time around we religiously applied Dobson's principles and spanked nearly non-stop for several years. We almost broke his spirit. It is only lately that I see that old spark emerging. We currently have another strong willed child. He's 4. We don't spank. We allow for him to be a child. We also use a lot of positive reinforcement and creative techinques. I "shadow" him - he is with me most the time - always when we are out so that I can see when he needs me to teach and train him how to react in a situation. It is harder than the spanking route but we are seeing quicker results with a child who still has quite a bit of spark left. LOL He's not what some would consider "well-behaved" but those who take the time to know him would tell you that he is a lovely child who happens to be very high energy. Someday he'll be as well behaved as his OLDER siblings (but see at 4 you can't expect young adult behavior).

Please understand this study was a process. It will be a process to share it. I start only with definitions in this post. In a topical study I define key words, take those definitions to key passages and then check the rest of the Word to see if what I have found is consistent.

~There are four words used in the Old Testament for rod and one in the New Testament. I will spare you the definitions of all five.

The Hebrew word used in connection with children is "Shevet or Sebet or Shebet".

Strongs # 7626

Strongs: a branch, a stick (for punishing, fighting, ruling and walking), a staff (striking - killing predators), chastening a fool (and 4 references with children), rod of a shephered, rulers scepter, family, division. Symbol of authority (Amos 1:5,8), weapon of war (Ps 2:9)

"Shevet represents in a symbolic way rules of authrotiy from the messiah" (Ps 2:9, Is 11:4)

Most common translation is TRIBE


Dr. Zodhiates (OT Bible Dictionary): Rod, scepter, tribe; common shepherd's tool (Ezekial20:37, Ps 23); weapon (2 Sam 23:21), beating cumin (Is 28:27), shaft of a spear (2 Sam 8:14), discipline for slave, fool and son

Most common use: symbol of authority, rulership - tribe


Theological Wordbook of the OT: All of the above
Shephred uses Shevet to count and inspect sheep. YES!!! What a beautiful word picture. The shepherd would stretch out his rod and the sheep would pass over or under it...he would count and inspect each sheep INDIVIDUALLY! (Lev 27:32; Ezek 20:37)

Used to protect sheep(ps23:4, Michah 7:14)

Instrument of "remedial and penal" punishment for slaves, fools and sons

remedial - special course to overcome defeciencies (assumes prior training; being 2 is not a defeciency :::snort:::)

penal - legal punishment

In Proverbs shevet is a symbol of discipline (preventative (verbal rebuke) and corrective (physcial))

Mark of authority, tribe


Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius- Hebrew-English Lexicon #986b
used figuratively - for chasetisement
Shephereds implement (muster and count sheep)
truncheon - scepter, mark of authority, symbol of conquest
tribe

Conclusions: definitions need to be taken back to the context of various verses to determine which definition fits the context.

A shevet was a thick, tall branch like staff, it was used as a weapon, to protect and as a walking stick.

Shevet is most often meant to "symbolize" authority and tribe (family).

Shevet is seen as a "symbol" of discipline.

It appears that spanking may be used for remedial and penal uses. Since most of us are not administering legal punishments to our children that wouldn't fit in the parent/child role. As far as remedial - this would be the camp Mike is in. There are times, AFTER training has occured and taking into account that children ARE children and not mini-adults, that remedial training may be needed. When we've taken the time to be with our children, training them, praying with them and mentoring them we've not hit a spot where we needed to spank. However, at this point of my study I am not convinced that this means that spanking should be the main tool of discipline in a young child's life. They've not been trained at that point. I'm also not sure that it is the best tool. But it may be one tool where remedial conditions exist....if you choose to adapt the view that the rod is to symbolize physical spanking of some sort. At this point in the study I wasn't making conclusions so I won't share them here. I believe we need to look at each verse in context to determine which definition will fit best.

Shevet is most often used in speaking of discipline of slaves and fools. It is mentioned in connection with "children" four times in the book of Proverbs.

Even those who say they literally (as opposed to figuratively or symbolically) apply the definition of rod; don't. No one I know is beating their child with a thick branch. All of us have chosen the rod to symbolize "something"...be that a "glue stick", "mr. whacker", ruler, belt, hand, OR authority, family, discipline.


With this preliminary understanding of the word translated "rod", I read Proverbs. I noted each verse that specifically spoke to parenting. Hundreds of verses would apply to parenting, but I looked for the ones that seemed to speak to child discipline. I noted that the word "discipline" is used far more often than "rod" in the book when speaking of children. I began to suspect my study would never end and I would study discipline after rod. :::snort:::

I NEED to say this. Even when we spanked religiously and instantly....the children's HEART was the issue. I believe whatever child training method you are using this MUST be the focus....and I believe this is modeled by God in His treatment of His children. Where I've seen spanking work well - long term - in other words I've seen the children leave home and continue to hold to the beliefs and values of the family....it has been in families where it was combined with TRAINING, praying, shepherding, mentoring....focusing on HEART and not BEHAVIOR....we must go beyond the behavior of our children to their hearts. When we do this - spanking can be a tool that is used and I've seen it turn out o.k. I've also seen families that begin spanking at a very young age and see spanking as their only tool or main tool of discipline. I see perfectly behaved youngsters...sometimes a bit more rebellious young adults and often 18 - 25 year olds who splatter. Not always - but often.

Please know it is NOT my purpose here to say that if you spank you do not love your children. It is not my purpose to say if you don't spank you hate your child. It is my purpose to share what I've found as I've studied. And yes, to encourage all to go beyond behavior to heart when disciplining our children. By the way - not sure when discipline came to mean physical spanking.....but that's another word for another day. {bg}