"Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child."
In Proverbs 13:24 we read, "Those who spare the rod, hate their children, but the one who loves their child disciplines them diligently." The question is, do we tale this literally, is it a directive or a metaphor?
The use of the word rod in this passage is the same one used in the 23rd Psalm where we read, "Your rod and your staff comfort me." We may rightfully assume that the rod of a shepherd is at least similar in type and use to that in the verse of Proverbs.
Clergy and laity alike use this verse to justify the beating of children, but the use of the rod by shepherds did not generally include beating the sheep. The fact is, the rod and staff were the two tools utilized by shepherds of the day. The staff, which we are most familiar with, has a "crook" or "hook" on the end which was used to stop running sheep, help pull sheep up from rocky places when they'd fallen over, and so on. The rod was used when corralling the sheep to insure they went in the direction they were supposed to go. It wasn't used to prod or poke, but to direct along the length of the shaft.
Sheep were a valuable asset of the shepherds; in fact, without the sheep there would be no shepherd, so the flocks were well cared for. A damaged or injured sheep was a liability, since it was considered polluted or impure. The shepherd were who were owners of the sheep and took good care of them and used the tools of their trade as they were meant to be used...to guide, to direct, and to teach (the literal meaning of discipline). However, there were scoundrels who were simply hired to look after the sheep. They had little concern over the welfare of the animals, so they would use their tools in whatever way suited them. These were the ones who might lose their tempers and beat a lamb with a rod just to demonstrate they were more powerful and could force their will upon it.
Children are of more value and smarter than sheep, and they learn better! If a sheep is consistently directed, they learn what is expected and generally conform. However, if they are abused and beaten they not only stop responding, but they look for every opportunity to escape...even when escape may put them in grave danger.
To "spare the rod" is indicative of a parent who does not discipline their child, that is, to teach, guide, and direct. This is the parent who doesn’t love their child. To spare the rod doesn't mean a parent should beat the crap out of their children, rather they are, like shepherds who value and care for their sheep and keep them from danger, are to value, love. protect and care for their children by using the tools of good parenting to teach responsible behaviour and appropriate morality.
People, it would be wise not to accept everything you are taught about the bible by the "theological experts" without checking out the context of what you read. Try to understand what you read in the bible from the view that "God is LOVE", the Holy Spirit may teach you something different than what you have been told by the programmed event-coordinators. But you must realize, you are going to have to open your closed mind in order to accept a different perspective, for even the Holy Spirit cannot teach you anything if you have a closed mind.
The use of the word rod in this passage is the same one used in the 23rd Psalm where we read, "Your rod and your staff comfort me." We may rightfully assume that the rod of a shepherd is at least similar in type and use to that in the verse of Proverbs.
Clergy and laity alike use this verse to justify the beating of children, but the use of the rod by shepherds did not generally include beating the sheep. The fact is, the rod and staff were the two tools utilized by shepherds of the day. The staff, which we are most familiar with, has a "crook" or "hook" on the end which was used to stop running sheep, help pull sheep up from rocky places when they'd fallen over, and so on. The rod was used when corralling the sheep to insure they went in the direction they were supposed to go. It wasn't used to prod or poke, but to direct along the length of the shaft.
Sheep were a valuable asset of the shepherds; in fact, without the sheep there would be no shepherd, so the flocks were well cared for. A damaged or injured sheep was a liability, since it was considered polluted or impure. The shepherd were who were owners of the sheep and took good care of them and used the tools of their trade as they were meant to be used...to guide, to direct, and to teach (the literal meaning of discipline). However, there were scoundrels who were simply hired to look after the sheep. They had little concern over the welfare of the animals, so they would use their tools in whatever way suited them. These were the ones who might lose their tempers and beat a lamb with a rod just to demonstrate they were more powerful and could force their will upon it.
Children are of more value and smarter than sheep, and they learn better! If a sheep is consistently directed, they learn what is expected and generally conform. However, if they are abused and beaten they not only stop responding, but they look for every opportunity to escape...even when escape may put them in grave danger.
To "spare the rod" is indicative of a parent who does not discipline their child, that is, to teach, guide, and direct. This is the parent who doesn’t love their child. To spare the rod doesn't mean a parent should beat the crap out of their children, rather they are, like shepherds who value and care for their sheep and keep them from danger, are to value, love. protect and care for their children by using the tools of good parenting to teach responsible behaviour and appropriate morality.
People, it would be wise not to accept everything you are taught about the bible by the "theological experts" without checking out the context of what you read. Try to understand what you read in the bible from the view that "God is LOVE", the Holy Spirit may teach you something different than what you have been told by the programmed event-coordinators. But you must realize, you are going to have to open your closed mind in order to accept a different perspective, for even the Holy Spirit cannot teach you anything if you have a closed mind.
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