How to Conduct Your Life III

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

10

10-11 Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines

    or cheat orphans out of their property,

For they have a powerful Advocate

    who will go to bat for them?

11

12 Give yourselves to disciplined instruction;

    open your ears to tested knowledge.

12

13-14 Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones;

    a spanking won’t kill them.

A good spanking, in fact, might save them

    from something worse than death.

13

15-16 Dear child, if you become wise,

    I’ll be one happy parent.

My heart will dance and sing

    to the tuneful truth, you’ll speak.

-Proverbs 23:11-16 The Message

for their Redeemer is strong;

    he will plead their cause against you.

12 Apply your heart to instruction

    and your ear to words of knowledge.

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;

    if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

14 If you strike him with the rod,

    you will save his soul from Sheol.

15 My son, if your heart is wise,

    my heart too will be glad.

16 My inmost being will exult

    when your lips speak what is right.

-Proverbs 23:11-16 ESV

Verses 10-11 studies: Redeemer refers to someone who brought back a family member who had fallen into slavery or accepted the obligation to marry the widow of a family member.

3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” -Ruth 4:3-10 ESV

God is called a redeemer.

6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. -Exodus 6:6 ESV

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth. -Job 19:25 ESV

Verse 12 study: People who listen will gain knowledge. It’s a sign of strength. It is not a weakness to pay attention to what others say. On the contrary, people who want to listen will learn faster and grow in their life. If we refuse to be set in our ways, we can continually expand our knowledge without limits.

Verse 13 study: “He will not do die” means that such corporal punishment will not unduly hurt him or that by discipline, he will avoid death.

Verses 13-14 study: The tone of discipline is affected by the affection expressed in verse 15. Many parents are reluctant to discipline their children at all. Some parents believe it will ruin their relationship with their children and stifle their development. Correcting will not kill your children. Instead, it may prevent them from making foolish decisions and mistakes.

Beat him with a rod means to spank a child with one’s hand or an instrument of sufficient strength to not injure the child. The Bible teaches us about spanking. It is to stem them from an attitude of love and patience. It’s necessary because foolishness in children can come too late in a child’s life to be effective. It is needed for nurturing spiritual development.