The Old Testament

The Old Testament
Detective Robert R. Surgenor

We've discussed how the Bible teaches us that corporal punishment in child rearing is an important part of parenting. When God created us, He knew exactly what instructions to write in His manual. Not only have we received direct orders, we have been provided with examples showing us the results of man's obedience or disobedience to the rules.

When I first started researching the subject of spanking, I was unaware of how much of God's word dealt with that very subject. I have nowhere near the knowledge that my dad has acquired since he began preaching in 1964, so using him as a resource was a blessing. I began to discover amazing things about spanking children for misbehavior, especially in the Old Testament.

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:4. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Even the Old Testament (things written aforetime) contains information about corporal punishment that we should heed. We are given examples of certain parenting methods used by famous Bible fathers, and the results of those methods.

In First Samuel we read of one of the Bible's "non-spanking" parents, the priest Eli, who felt that he could "reason" with his children. Was his "reproof" effective without any "rod?" In 1 Samuel 2:23 we read of Eli speaking to his sons, "And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress." Eli is rebuking his sons verbally. He asks them why they are acting in such a manner and then advises them that what they are doing is wrong. God then spells out the results of this "rodless" correction in 1 Samuel 3:12. God says "For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." Why did Eli's children turn out "vile?" The answer is loud and clear. The verse states "he restrained them not." Eli failed to punish his children when they misbehaved! Eli had the habit of talking and not acting.

In 1 Kings we read of Adonijah, one of King David's sons, who grew up with an attitude of no fear. In fact, his lack of respect for authority caused him to attempt to overthrow a perfectly righteous government. Why did he grow up with this type of attitude? 1 Kings 1:6 states "His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?" In other words, David did not "displease" his son by demanding accountability for his actions. If you check the meaning of the word "displease" in the original Hebrew text, you will be amazed to find that the word "`atsab" (pronounced "aw-tsab"), means to "be in pain." This verse implies that the lack of corporal punishment, resulting in a lack of pain, caused Adonijah to grow up with an attitude of no fear of authority. David, one of the godliest men in the Bible, was a non-spanking parent. The result was a son who was out of control.

What about the parent who demands respect for their authority? Is there any place in the Bible that addresses this aspect of parenting? Need you ask? In Genesis 18:19, the Scriptures tell us of Abraham and his parenting skills. God says of him, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Do you recall the story of Abraham and his son, Isaac? Genesis chapter twenty two contains one of the greatest stories of parental authority and the obedient child ever in the human race. Isaac's respect for his father's authority reached to the limits of allowing himself to be placed on an altar to be sacrificed. Abraham's respect for God's authority caused him to do as God ordered, without question. Unfortunately, two major problems I am observing in today's youth are these, no respect for parental authority, and no fear of God.

How much time do we have to instill these values into our children? Proverbs 19:18 gives us an indication that time is of the essence. The verse says "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Chasten, in the original Hebrew is "yacar" (pronounced "yaw-sar") which means to discipline, instruct, and admonish. We are to chasten while there is yet "hope." The word hope, in the original Hebrew is "tiqvah" (pronounced "tik-vaw"), meaning an "expectation of an outcome." Experience shows us that a child left to himself during the early years grows up to be unmanageable. We are to discipline our children during the years when we can expect a positive outcome, before they are teenagers, before they reach adolescence, while they are young, "while there is hope." These are the years when the parent can make an impression on the child's mind and soul, and expect a positive outcome. A child should be disciplined the very first time there is an obvious defiance of authority or conscious violation of a known rule. The age doesn't matter. The intent of the child does matter.

God suggests in this verse that the parent not be swayed by the actions of the child. I believe that this verse encourages parents to spank their child even if it appears that the child is remorseful for their actions and that the negative behavior has ceased. Read this verse carefully. The second portion states "and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Spare, in the original Hebrew is "nasa" (pronounced "naw-saw"), which means to "forgive" or "accept." In cases where a spanking is the obvious method of discipline for the offense, a parent should not forgive the child or accept an apology without carrying out the prescribed discipline. What if the child is genuinely remorseful? "Let not thy soul spare for his crying."
Has God's manual for mankind ever been wrong?