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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000. (see text) |
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Chapter Thirteen: |
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A Child Without Wisdom
If one had to select one factor which, more than all others, has contributed to our culture's fall in the second half of the Twentieth Century, it has to be this. The surging influx of violent crime, teenage and illegitimate births, adultery, divorce, dishonesty, irreverence, slothfulness, abortion -- all stem from just one sin, namely, the failure of parents to raise and instruct their children properly in the ways of the LORD their God. Another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel. Granted, parents are up against the best -- or rather, the worst -- of false teachers: the media, in glorious, truer-than-life Technicolor, vomiting forth its own, seemingly irresistible brand of godless, morally relativistic hedonism, has hypnotized the vast majority of our youth -- and indeed, a considerable portion of adults, as well -- into believing the rubbish it so splendorously represents as truth. With the libertine gods of License and Entitlement at their side, they fearlessly champion all that is contrary to God while shamelessly ridiculing all who dare oppose their meretriciously pagan self-indulgences. Two words are all that matter: Me and now; all else is inconsequential. Our society, with its legislature and judiciary brazenly manipulated by the media, actually prides itself that it has managed to raise at least one -- possibly two or more -- generations entirely devoid of any type of morally-imposed, ethical restraint. Indeed, in its own eyes, such achievement is meritorious of praise and acclamation. So well has it achieved its goals that no amount of its own, self-proclaimed, quick and easy "fix-it-all-with-more-federal-funding, new and better schools, programs for this, and programs for that" now matters in the least. As long as we allow our children to be taught that society (particularly the government) owes them a life, license and multitudinous good times, and that morality, chastity, hard word, self-denial, compassion kindness, meekness, patience and obedience to God are things to be ridiculed, we don't stand a chance of stemming the already, seemingly-irreversible tide of godless immorality that's sweeping our nation and culture into the sewer. If left on its present course, I've no doubt that by the time the children of today reach their middle age (the unfortunate few actually cursed to live that long in the society that awaits them), they will have experienced a declension into the depths of depravity, the likes of which cannot be imagined -- even today. Little less than the animals liberals imagine we've descended from, they will eat, sleep and procreate at will in a world entirely void of morality, responsibility and restraint. Concepts like marriage, earnings and private property will have likely dissolved into distant memories no more relevant to that day than nickel matinees and two cent postage. If anyone doubts this, they need only look at life just four decades ago, and compare it with today. One needn't have accumulated a dozen PhDs to recognize the trend and the geometric intensification by which it's grown. Offenses which, only four decades ago, would've incurred the indignation of the population and the ostracism of the offender, are today not even recognized as offenses. Today, school children are better armed than their adult, pioneer ancestors of centuries past. Their schools, where it is illegal to read from God's word, distribute condoms and illustrate methods of deviate intercourse to teens. We've already seen what happened to the generation that grew up apart from the knowledge of God in Judges, chapter two. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. (Judges 2:19)(NIV) Clearly, their parents were at fault for not having properly instructed them in the ways of the LORD, and unlike today, they had no godlessly immoral media culture to compete with.
Parents are to command their children to obey carefully all the words of [God's] law, not "present them with options, from which they can make informed decisions". Note that the words suggest and recommend do not appear in the passage above, nor indeed, anywhere else in all of Scripture, relative to God's laws, precepts and decrees.
Two passages from epistles of Paul further commend parents -- specifically fathers -- to neither embitter nor exasperate their children, but rather to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (chiefly Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21). This, by no means, denigrates parental discipline as clearly taught elsewhere in Scripture, but merely seems to infer that fathers exercise fair and consistent judgments in dealing with their children, so as not to discourage them from their training and instruction in the Lord. Several passages from the book of Proverbs plainly teach that biblically-sanctioned, parental discipline not only permits, but strongly encourages the use of a rod (Hebrew: shebet, meaning stick, rod, scepter or staff). Specifically how and where this rod is to be applied cannot be construed from these passages, but that it should be applied is never in doubt.
Today, the notion that parents should, in any way, actually strike their children is abhorrent to many. Of a liberal persuasion, these tend to be the same persons most adamantly opposed to any form of punishment to anyone for anything. Indeed, when someone mutilates, murders, rapes or robs they will generally blame parents, spouses, society, or virtually anybody and everybody but the perpetrator of these ghastly acts for the perpetration thereof. But, the word of God relates a different view of accountability and justice -- both to adults and children (the Bible's views of accountability and justice will be dealt with at greater lengths in chapters seventeen and fourteen of this volume, respectively).
* chiefly I Samuel 2:27-34 Here, Eli, the priest, is also held accountable for the sin of his sons**, as his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. (** Neither Hophni nor Phinehas escaped punishment for their sin; see I Samuel 4:11.) This is clearly demonstrative of a parent's higher degree of accountability where it concerns the discipline of their children. Because Eli had failed to restrainhis sons in their sin against the LORD, he too was held responsible and made to bear a portion of the punishment (chiefly I Samuel 2:31-33). This concept of a parent's added responsibility toward the discipline of their children can also be found in the law of Deuteronomy, chapter twenty-one.
I can only imagine how the liberal, children's rights advocates of Moses' day reacted to this required lapidation of their stubborn and rebellious children. No doubt, they reacted much as their counterparts of our day do at the mention of corporal punishment for children. Granted, a smack with a rod is far less permanent that a stoning to the death; nevertheless, both are incorporated into God's word as methods for dealing with rebellious children -- one an admonishment, the other a command. And, as with every other passage of Scripture, the word of God minces no words: You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. Indeed, I become fearful myself at the thought of my parents having had, not the option, but the command from God to stone me to death had I been profligate or a drunkard (the Hebrew words used here are zalal and cobe'). I guarantee, it would've only had to happen once and a whole community would be kept in line for a generation. Today, it seems we've gone to the opposite extreme, as parents who discipline their children can easily find themselves dragged into court, facing charges of abuse. I know God's word forbids children from striking their parents, but I'm aware of no divine regulation prohibiting the reverse. Contrarily, as already illustrated throughout this chapter, the word of God encourages the rod of correction, and even occasionally -- in extreme instances (according to the law God gave Israel through Moses) -- demands the lapidation of the profligate and drunkard.
The Hebrew word here translated as "strikes" is the word nakah, meaning to strike or beat. But, striking or beating one's parents isn't the only infraction for which children were to be put to death according to God's law to Israel.
The word translated here as "curses" is the Hebrew word qalal, meaning abate, make bright, bring into contempt, curse or despise. Clearly it is not in one's best interest to curse one's parents. "'His blood shall be upon him.'" And, in passing, it's interesting to note that the Lord Jesus quoted this law Himself in Matthew fifteen, verse four, where He's at odds with the Pharisees for invalidating the word of God with their tradition. Apparently, Jesus did not think this law "too harsh", or some "oversight" on God's part from the past (see Matthew 15:1-9). Many today (Christians included) would, no doubt, like to rewrite these and many other difficult passages from God's word which are contrary to their presuppositions of a lenient God. They would rather choose to ignore them altogether, claiming that "God didn't know what He was talking about. After all, we're much more enlightened today. We don't go around stoning our children anymore." We burn, sever, cleave, hack, mangle and mince them in the womb -- and even expect the government to pay for it. We allow all manner of vile, abusive, murderous vermin to walk the streets entirely uninhibited, without even the slightest hint of guilt or remorse. We have more fornication, adultery, blatantly unashamed homosexuality, illegitimate births and sexually transmitted disease than ever before in our history. There is rampant increase in the number of child perpetrators of violent crime, animals living safer lives than many humans, and epidemic sloth -- as evidence by the current breed of welfare parasite who neither toils nor spins, living at the expense of those who must stressfully labor for every cent they get. Welcome to contemporary America. This is enlightenment! No, we don't strike our children anymore!! (Can't you tell???)
"How unenlightened can one get? Children today know far more than their parents ever did (evidenced clearly by the lower scores in every area of academia). Come on. Get with the times!"
"These passages are so embarrassingly outmoded. Doesn't the Bible contain anything more neoteric to our present age of enlightenment?"
"At last! A sign of contemporary enlightenment!" If I didn't know better I'd say this was a prophecy being fulfilled in the halls of Washington as this very moment (at the time of this writing). Nonetheless, if one were to look at this passage in light of the actual context, it's easily ascertainable that such is not a sign of enlightenment, but rather divine wrath and judgment upon an arrogantly rebellious and disobedient people. (I've already covered this somewhat in chapter seven with my comment on Isaiah 3:12. The same is applicable here, as well.) But, having now touched upon the instruction and advice God's word gives to parents, does the Bible have anything to say to children?
Perhaps some of the best advice ever given from parent to child anywhere can be found in David's words to Solomon in I Chronicles 28:9 -- "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." (NIV) Apparently, Solomon had been paying attention somewhat, as his own paternal advice -- as found throughout the book of Proverbs -- is right on the mark (see chiefly Proverbs 4:1-27 and 23:19-35). That some of David's children (Solomon included) -- and for that matter, some of Solomon's children, as well -- didn't turn out all that well, indicates that perhaps the rod of correction may have been employed all too sparingly in the royal households of David and Solomon. Whatever the case, the advice is worthwhile for those who will heed it.
The passage above from the twelfth chapter of Hebrews is a quotation from Proverbs 3:11-12 in reference to God's discipline of those who are His children.
Apparently, things were different in the First Century, where everyone underwent discipline, and fathers who disciplined their children were respected (not locked away in jail) for it. How sadly we've fallen from an "unenlightened, outdated" concept as this. Instead, we are governed by children, living in a society that's relinquished control of the nest to the nestlings. As in Isaiah 3:4, such can only be viewed as a presage of doom. Our society, on the precipice, willingly abandons its only lifeline to safety, to embrace the lies of a godless tomorrow. We pride ourselves in the multiplicity of our achievement, yet perilously ignore the lessons so arduously learned by those who've come before us. Like them, we too will be swept into the abyss from which there is no escape. If we continue to pursue this course we've chosen, we damn not only ourselves, but successive generations, as well. The way to salvation is true; its lifeline secure. We neglect it to our own peril, and that of the children who follow.
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