Proverbs 17:25 (ESV)
A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
Note the following proverb as it contrasts with the proverb above:
Proverbs 15:20 (ESV)
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Again we have Solomon echoing one of his major themes of the book. He started out writing the book of Proverbs for the sole purpose of engaging his son in wise behavior. Most of them, if not all of them, were written for this purpose (see Proverbs 1:1-8; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1; 5:1; 6:1; 7:1; 10:1-2). Solomon wants his children to follow God because he knows the danger when we don't. Not only is it dangerous for the son but it also steals the joy of the parent (see Proverbs 17:21). It is grief to the father and bitterness to the mother to have a child that does not fear The Lord (that person is called a fool in Psalm 53:1). Seeing your children reject God and His blessings bring a bitterness to the soul nothing can heal. Only God and His grace can offer a balm that will lighten the load of grief such a burden can carry. A wise son brings joy and a foolish son brings grief. Very simply, yet so painful. Imagine Issac and Rebekah’s hurt with their son, Esau. They both played a part in this, but Esau rejected God. Notice what the writer of Hebrews says about him:
Hebrews 12:15-17 (ESV Strong's)
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Esau brought grief to his father and bitterness to his mother.
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