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Proverbs Some translations wrongly say "do not despise," but the better reading is "reject not." The Rabbis say, "What God sends upon you has a beneficent purpose; do not refuse to put it to proper use." They point out that the word "loathe" carries the thought of "to spurn," or "feel a loathing for" and "so create a feeling of resentment and rebelliousness." Beginning of wisdom [is to] fear the Ever Existing One. While "fear" could sometimes be softened to "be held in honor," the overwhelming thought is to be afraid of God. This could also have the thought of "to shudder," "to be in awe," or "to hold in deference." Even though everyone in a nation is not born again, the Bible can and does have an effect on the culture and the mores of the society. Be aggressively teaching-disciplining your son while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying (Prov. 19:18). There has never been a more spoiled and selfish generation than now in America. This of course is not true of all young men but enough to cause us to be terribly concerned. The verb "teach" is in an intensive form in Hebrew and really makes the matter urgent for fathers ... As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool that repeats a folly (Prov. 26:11). The Rabbis point out that, "the food that is ejected from the stomach is indigestible; but a dog, being senseless... The key word here is "boast." Waltke points out that the word can mean "excessive exaggeration," "spontaneous" or volunteered bragging. In the vernacular we might say one who speaks as a loud mouth about what he is going to do tomorrow. The state now dictates how a child can be disciplined even at home. However many do not know it but in many states in the U.S. reasonable corporal punishment is still allowed. In Texas permission ... |