Chasten Your Son While There is Hope - Proverbs 19:18

In the book of Proverbs Solomon said, “He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again”, and in chapter nineteen and verse eighteen of Proverbs Solomon said, “chasten your son while there is hope” where we read,

Chasten your son while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying.

The verse begins, “Chasten your son while there is hope, ...” Solomon began with the words, “chasten your son” or “discipline, instruct and admonish your male offspring and progeny” “while there is hope” which means “during the time there exists expectation, outcome and the thing longed for”. Solomon instructed parents to discipline their male offspring during the time there exists “hope” for them.

The verse goes on to say, “and let not your soul spare for his crying.” Solomon continued with the words, “and let not your soul” or “and do not allow or permit your, the parent's, heart, mind, will, desires, living being, conscience and seat of emotions and affections” “spare for his crying” which means “hold up, ease or be lean on behalf of his, the son's, death, perishing and execution”. Solomon said parents were not to allow their heart, soul and mind to be lenient because their son might be lead to death.

When we meditate upon Solomon's words in this verse, we see how parents are to discipline and instruct their children, and even when they resist with tears and emotional responses, parents are to continue correcting them to save their lives. God loves us, and He loves children. (See Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16) He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we surrender our lives to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will teach us how to instruct and discipline our children so we will lead them to salvation in this life and the eternal life to come.

Next time Solomon says, “a man of great wrath shall suffer punishment”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".