 A wise son hears his father's instruction,
but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. 3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. 4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. 5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. 7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. 8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. 9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. 11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. 13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. 17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. 18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. 20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous. 23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice. 24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. 25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want. Meditation Wealth of wisdom overflows into all of life, from the heart and into homes. A wise child of God welcomes the skill of godly living in our wealth, words, work, and relationships. Today we dig deeper into wisdom’s proposal to delight in discipline. Proverbs 10:17 has already invited us to welcome rebuke in our walk so our feet may stay on the path of life, a countercultural teaching consistent with the rest of Scripture. Discipline from love is not punitive but restorative, leading to a harvest of righteousness for children of God who are secure in the steadfast love of the Lord (Hebrews 12:5-11). Love marks the wisdom used in authority in relationships, too. Parents misuse 13:24 all the time, justifying beating with a misunderstanding of “spare the rod.” Wise parents are tender (4:3) while understanding “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, and it will take more than words to dislodge it” (22:15). A wrong understanding of rod will ruin the fruit of family. “Rod” in 13:24 is the same root word as scepter in Esther 5:2 when the queen approached the king with her rescue plan. The scepter is the universal sign of authority and parents withholding authority are not loving their children. Wise parents embrace the responsibility of their authority and use it to help their children grow in wise living. Love stewards authority through discipline to fertilize a fruitful home. Richly Dwelling -Do you delight in discipline? Why or why not? -Our Father disciplines those He loves. Judgement for our sin came on Christ at the cross. Discipline directs our sanctification. Where are you being disciplined by the Lord? How can you be more open to His love? -What relationships do you need to reorient your authority in love, accountable relationships focused on sanctification on the one hand and protecting from sin on the other? What will this look like? Key Verse 24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. Comments are closed.
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