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?
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.
whoa! this is something to definitely think about.
ReplyDeleteMercy! I never thought about it that way. OUCH!!
ReplyDelete