NOTES for Pro 13:1-25

Interesting, when did the idea to punish children appear? It is probably the fruit of the Age of Enlightenment, when was originated the secular humanism, making its slogan the ancient sentence: "man is the measure of all things ". When man becomes the standard, then it happens to suppose that he is initially ideal and only a bad education can spoil him. The biblical opinion is completely the opposite. Human nature is deformed by the fall, which is why every man is a sinner «from the womb of his mother”.

And although education cannot change the human nature, it can help all the same the child to learn to distinguish bad from good. It is necessary to encourage him for what is good, and to chasten for what is bad. Parents, who don’t help their children to find moral guides, indeed show their indifference to the way the life of their children will be made up, and it is anything, but only not the love.

But there is another thing, completely unexpected, this verse has even a prophetic sense: the perfect Father, loving in perfection His Son, Who committed no sin, does not free Him nevertheless from chastening for the sins of other people. "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Prov. 3:12).

It is interesting when the idea appeared that children must not be punished at all. It is the fruit of the Enlightenment era, when secular humanism arose and made its slogan the ancient phrase: "Man is the measure of all things." When man becomes the standard, one has to suppose that he is ideal from the start and that only improper upbringing spoils him. The biblical view is completely the opposite. Human nature is distorted by the fall, and therefore every person is a sinner "from his mother's womb." And although upbringing cannot correct human nature, it can help a child learn to distinguish bad from good. For this, he must be encouraged for what is good and punished for what is bad. Parents who do not help their children acquire moral guideposts in fact show their indifference to how their children's later life will turn out, and that is anything but love.

But there is another, entirely unexpected, even prophetic meaning in this verse: the perfect Father, perfectly loving His Son, who committed no sin, nevertheless does not spare Him from punishment for other people's sins. "For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and He delights in him as a father in his son" (Prov. 3:12).