I guess you need to read Proverbs 1:1-19 to get a feel for what I'm about to blog on now. I just sat down to read some Proverbs and this stuff just started coming to me, so I wrote it down and thought to ramble about it on my blog..
So, right away Solomon goes into affirming the role and authority of the parents to the child (son). Especially the role as a teacher/instructor for morality and character. I hope you don't get buzzards that go off about this, I'm aware that unfortunately some parents take their role of authority/teacher in their children's lives and misuse or abuse it to their own selfish agendas, to the child's detriment, but that is not what I'm referring to here. Anyways, I'll try not to sidetrack too much here...don't have much time...
So getting back to it, these parents, or the writer/Solomon goes into explaining how there is evil and sin in the world, and the son will be faced with this, telling him to not be enticed by it. There's no rosy-colored glasses or Pollyanna portrayal of the world we live in with this scripture. The writer brings/introduces how the world operates/functions to the son (or daughter), BEFORE the opportunity comes to the son without have had this introduction or a "oh...by the way, son" from the father and the mother, I'm assuming in the home...before the child/son is independent of the father and mother, but somewhat close to the time the son is going to be living more independently...(I'm assuming he's not saying this to a toddler)...
The admonition to the son is to listen and to not forsake what his PARENTS teach and instruct him in. I noticed that was it...the father and the mother, were exlusively mentioned here. Not the Sunday school teacher, not the Preacher, school teacher, grandparents, etc., though all these people may play a valuable role in a child's life, it is the PARENTS' instruction and teaching here that are being esteemed and highly valued. I didn't take this, necessarily as an admonition to the child, but rather to the father and the mother!...that's including me! Doesn't this seem like there exists, an assumption that the father and the mother are taking seriously their role by being active and engaged in the child's life by giving instruction and teaching to their child(ren)? Otherwise, why emphasize the authority and credence of the instruction and teaching of the father and the mother?
Moving on..
It isn't the primary job (that came to my mind while reading this at least) of the parents to shelter the child from the evil world by diluting evil and hoping their son (or daughter) never runs across this and/or avoiding the reality that evil is indeed out there and it will present itself to the child, asking or tempting him/her to be a willing and glad participant. The author doesn't appear at all to take the approach of thinking their child is above being enticed into sin, especially sin that is well thought out, premeditated and carried out. NO! This author goes into instructing the child that he may very likely be confronted and tempted by sin. Otherwise, why stress this point and do so in the beginning of the book of these proverbs?! The author, as a parent, figuratively takes the son by the hand in an imaginative journey or stroll down the path of the life lived in sin and, takes him to the pending and inevitable, eventual end result of living this type of a life.
The writer lays it all down for the son to see what lays ahead if he were to take that path. He doesn't avoid the topic, fearing it's too inappropriate or feels uncomfortable to discuss. He doesn't avoid the topic because he believes he is too good of a parent and therefore his son is above this sort of thing happening to his very own son...he doesn't avoid the topic because he doesn't know where to turn or how to introduce this maybe uncomfortable issue...NO! He brings up this issue and topic to his son, as uncomfortable as it may be, because he loves his son and knows and understands humanity and the nature of mankind, while loving and risking any pride, and choosing to not take any chances that it isn't "necessary" to talk about such things with his son, he dives right in.
Is there a lesson we, who are parents now, including myself, can walk away with? Or is there at least something here to consider seriously regarding our role as either a mother or a father? Well, I guess you can answer that for yourself, but I indeed am answering for myself in saying, -YES.
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