Proverbs 23:13-14

The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about disciplining your child:

Proverbs 23:13-14 (ESV)

Do not withhold discipline from a child;

if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

If you strike him with the rod,

you will save his soul from Sheol.

I was raised on the truth of this verse. My parents still believed in the rod and still believed that current discipline will solve many future problems. I didn't understand it then and still struggle with the execution of it today. Solomon is teaching us a lesson that is vital to the society in which we live. We don't have to use this blog space to chronicle what happens when parents fail to discipline their children. But we do have to make sure we see the truth in the reality of discipline. The combination of Godly discipline through parental discretion WILL prevent a child from choices that could lead them to the grave (Sheol). Discipline now will not kill someone but may stop them from killing themselves or others later. We might see plenty of abuse today that is not Godly discipline by parents who are simply trying to inflict harm. But the truth of the verse as fulfilled by Godly parents bears remembering and repeating. Discipline prevents disaster.  Think about the Priest Eli in 1 Samuel.   Notice what God’s word says about the way he parented his boys:

1 Samuel 3:13 (ESV)

And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

God wants us to discipline our children.  Failure to do so amounts in shame for the parents and worse harm to the child.