Catch the Drift

(Proverbs 29:15 KJV)  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Now we have more instructions on rearing children, instructions that are rejected by our culture.  The “rod” (7626) is considered criminal by some people today.  That does not seem to be the way God views it.

The word “rod” (7626) is also translated “tribe” and “half-tribe”.  It has the idea of a branch that is heavy and useful for many things from clubs to spears.  It was also once attached to the trunk and thus to the root, giving it a badge of authority.  In a sense this means to use the divine leadership given to you as a parent, pastor or teacher to guide and develop the young.

And “reproof” (8433b) is viewed as damaging to self-esteem by the secular world.  The problem is not that the world feels that way.  The problem is that the church has adopted the worlds view.  We see this not only in children, but in the discipline of adults.

So?  Beware conforming to the world’s standards and expectations.  It is often a slow drift and we need to do regular checks.  Are we making our decisions based on the words of Moses, Jesus and Paul or are we listening to Dewey, Freud and Darwin.  Keep your boloney detector on.