Proverbs 30:17 Stones or prayers

“The eye that mocks a father,

that scorns an aged mother,

will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,

will be eaten by the vultures.

Many of us are shocked at the verses here and at the ones in Deuteronomy, which state:

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. Deuteronomy 21:18-21

These were written to the Hebrews, who were under the law of Moses, and serve as an extreme warning to young people. God meant business when He told children to respect their parents.
This seems truly harsh to us in our era, but there were important reasons why this was necessary:
                  1. First, it was to demonstrate the exacting requirements of the Law, a perfect and unforgiving standard.
                  2. Second, it demonstrates the need for grace that would eventually be made known on the cross.
                  3. Third, should rebellion take root, the very heart of the gospel would be at risk since the prophecies of the Messiah coming to and through Israel could be undermined should rebellion become rampant and society could fall apart -- causing the prophecies to fail.
There are also safeguards built into this law:
     1. It refers to a son, not to a daughter.
     2. He is stubborn, rebellious, gluttonous and a drunkard.
     3. Only the parents can do this, and they must agree on the issue.
     4. He is brought before the elders, and investigation is held.
     5. There is no case on record where this law was used and upheld.
     6. This law (by its mere existence) would have discouraged youth from these vices.
(Courtesy of John Haley's book, Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible, Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1992, p. 288.)
Under God's grace, instead of His law, we find these instructions for children:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour your father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.  Ephesians 6:1-3

And we find these instructions for us, as parents:

And you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Ephesians 6:4

 If we are Christians and we want to live as Christian parents, then we should start by having daily devotions with our family -- daily reading the Word and praying. Take the children's concerns and prayers to heart, and show them by example that we should rely on God.

Have we prayed with our children (or grandchildren) today? Have we read the Bible to them or with them? 

Proverbs 28:24 Waste not . . .

Whoever robs their father or mother
    and says, “It’s not wrong,”
    is partner to one who destroys.

²⁴ Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.

 Isn't it interesting when you can study one verse in the Old Testament, and another that is similar in the New? We can do that today, by looking at this verse, and at Matthew 15:5.
In Matthew, Jesus was teaching that it was wicked of children who thought it was no duty of theirs, to help maintain their parents. They did not feel it was their responsibility to help them, to provide for them in their infirmities, or to pay for their needs when their livelihood was spent.
Here in Proverbs, Solomon is noting the wickedness of those who think it is no sin to rob their parents. Rob them? We can't imagine, right?
But there are those who will plead and wheedle for things they want. They will perhaps threaten them, or they will waste the resources of their parents by running into debt and relying on them to "bail them out." 
Sometimes the children will make light of their ways; they will say that their parents have plenty enough to go around, and might as well share it. Or they will say that it will be theirs soon anyway, when their parents pass on, so why not get it now?  But Solomon says that no matter what they say about it, the child who treats his parents this way, is the companion of a destroyer --- no better than a thief or a highwayman --- a robber.
And indeed, one has to wonder, what else will this person do, that would rob his or her own parents?

Now, here is today's application. And I am warning you ahead of time, to go and get the bandaids, for I had to use some myself . . . my toes got stepped on, and I had to get on my knees about this.

We have a heavenly Father who freely gives us blessings. Are we being wasteful of those blessings? Are we robbing our Father? 

Do we plead and wheedle for what we want? When He grants us the desires of our hearts, do we praise Him for it, or do we shamelessly waste those blessings? 

Do we use the blessings as precious resources that we can use to change our world and bring glory to Him, or do we waste them, and then ask Him to "bail us out" of our situation, or worse, out of our sin?  

Do we make light of our sins or do we repent and turn from them? Are we robbing our Father of the glory that is rightfully His?

We may need some extra time today for thoughtful study and prayer. I know I did.

Proverbs 23:12-16 3 tips for parents

12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. 
14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. 
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; 
16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

I really like how Matthew Henry's commentary groups these verses together -- it makes a lot of sense to me.  He says that in these verses we find:
                         1. A parent instructing a child
                         2. A parent correcting a child
                         3. A parent encouraging a child
Our children and our grandchildren need to have God's Word placed in their hearts, in their minds and on their lips daily.  Why? For instruction and correction, and for the Spirit to utilize to help them in the future. The rod of correction won't hurt him or her, if done in a loving manner, not in anger, but the Bible is key even in that situation:
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
If we keep the nurturing and the attitude of being an example to our children uppermost in our mind, I think it will be hard to go wrong. If we avoid doing things because of our own opinion, or our friend's opinion, or our boss's opinion --- and instead rely on God's Word, we will stay on the right path.
When I read these verses I feel that Solomon is saying that after instruction and correction, it is vitally important to encourage our children. We need to make certain that they know when we notice they did something right. We need to point out and praise the good, the honest, and the caring things they do and say.  We've had people say, laughing, that our family is the "hugging-est" family they've seen -- and I am not embarrassed about that; I'm happy! Hugs can comfort, encourage, and love someone through a rough spot!
As parents, we are joyful when a child chooses wisdom and righteousness, just as Solomon said in verse 15 --- and when that child speaks wisely, how glad the parent is! We also feel relief and gladness when, having chosen to do wrong, our child turns away from the wrong - and does what is right.
Just imagine God’s joy when we trust in Christ or when a Christian turns from sin!
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.

Prov 17 : 6 Family Ties

Pro 17:6  Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Some of you are aware of the painful situation that exists in our family --- one of our children is estranged from all of us; he has not spoken to us (or to his siblings) for three years now, and has resisted our efforts to reconcile. I first approached this verse with some dread . . . it is difficult to think of grandchildren that I may not see, or be able to hug and love.
It is indeed an honor to parents when their children and their grandchildren walk in the virtues that they have tried to model and teach. It is a blessing to live long enough to see those new families established, and to observe them serving and honoring God.  It crowns a long and full life.

As I studied, however, and as my weekend (last) unfolded, I looked at this verse with fresh understanding. Let me explain. Late on Saturday night, my husband and daughter had just dropped his mom at her house, making sure she was snug and safe, and then they headed toward home (thirty miles away). Minutes after they left, she called in a panic and said her cat had knicked her hand with one tooth (whether it was accidental or he was irritated, we'll never know) and she could not stop the bleeding. Hubby turned around and went back when called, and doctored her hand for the night. (It was pretty large, and looked like it might need stitches if it wasn't handled correctly.) Concerned that it would be difficult for her to change the bandage with one hand and poor eyesight, I made the trip on Sunday, to clean and re-dress her wound. I took her to a local cafeteria for some prepared foods to stock her fridge, and washed up the dishes I found, so that her injured hand would not need to get wet. After I opened her Bible for her and set out her plate of lunch, I started for home.

As I drove away, I was glad that I could help her. I felt contentment because I had been able to minister to her in my own limited way. I had to stop myself from thinking about her other children who live far less than thirty miles from her, but who show less concern for her --- well, there is less action coupled with the compassion. (Remember earlier this week?!)  I stopped, though, and asked for Him to forgive me for those thoughts, since that is their concern, not mine. Mine is to do what Scripture and my heart tells me is right, and "do it as unto the Lord."

I'm not saying all of this to get a pat on the head. Please don't take that away from this post. This is the point I am trying to make, but that Matthew Henry said, far better than I can say:

It is an honour to children to have wise and godly parents, and to have them continued to them even after they have themselves grown up and settled in the world. Those are unnatural children who reckon their aged parents a burden to them, and think they live too long; whereas, if the children be wise and good, it is as much their honour as can be, that thereby they are comforts to their parents in the unpleasant days of their old age.

I believe this is what the second half of the verse means. And I am so grateful that He has blessed me with the opportunity to serve, to comfort, and to honor her.

Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve others in some small way.  I take as my example the way You ministered, when You were here on earth. Help me to show Your love and be Your hands and feet, right here where I live.