Spreading hate: Part 3

This is a continuation of Part 2, discussing the following article:

Spare the Rod: The Heart of the Matter

So far, we've had the author of the article, a self-confessed feminist and social justice advocate, provide definitions to Hebrew words which do not align with how an actual concordance of Hebrew words says those are defined. We've then been going through the "problematic" verses and replacing what was literally there with her incorrect definitions, and we're not supposed to notice how magically this all works out to support her narrative regarding her opinions on parenting.

We continue with that.

And, the last two ‘rod’ verses, found in Proverbs 23:12-26 read:
“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Do not withhold discipline verbal instruction and teaching, reasoning together from a child young man; if you punish guide, trigger his conscience, favorably impress, entice/entrance them with the rod wisdom, leadership, protection, they will not die follow a path of destruction.
Punish Guide, trigger his conscience, favorably impress, entice/entrance them with the rod wisdom, leadership, protection and save them from death following a path of destruction.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth and do not sell it—wisdom, instruction and insight as well. The father of a righteous child young man has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways.”

Get the drift? Do you see the deception and lies at play here, where she re-writes scripture as she sees fit, ignoring what God has actually said in favor of what suits her own convictions?

Eve did the same thing in the garden, and look where that got us.

Such a beautiful image of a father tenderly and diligently sharing his wisdom with his son, isn’t it? Clearly, applying these scriptures to small children is not in line with a literal interpretation. It actually makes more sense to apply them to the disciples, which is exactly what Jesus does with his twelve ‘sons.’

Words are a part of it, but they aren't all of it, or the end of it. When words fail, actions matter, and ultimately, just like with Israel, it doesn't matter of a child understands why so long as they comply in a timely fashion. Understanding requires time, and we don't always have that on our side.

Applying these scriptures "from the age of infancy to adolescence" is completely "in line with a literal interpretation", unless we just throw out what words actually mean in favor of what we want them to mean, and then scriptures will tell us anything we want them to tell us because we're just making it up as we go anyway.

Beyond translations and interpretations, though, and of far greater import, what seems to get lost in the spanking debate is that Jesus brought grace and mercy as his methods and message for a reason. The purpose of the law in the Old Testament was to highlight the need for a Savior because humans simply cannot live perfectly.

Yes, let's not dwell on perverting scripture and talk empty platitudes that don't really apply at all, because The Law was also how mankind reconciled with God, not just how the need for reconciliation was demonstrated in the first place.

Jesus' death was not just to bring God's love, but also to provide us a path out of God's wrath, God's final judgment and punishment of, sin.

Neglecting to bring up that God will judge all sin, and that those who "died in their trespasses" without reconciliation, will suffer judgment for their rebellion, is a nice way to keep the tone light and jovial.

No need to worry about eternal damnation because God loves me, right? WRONG.

God's love does not excuse our sins, but provides a means by which a debt we could not repay is lifted. The debt still exists, we are just no longer responsible for paying it, Jesus Christ is and did on the cross already.

Humans who go to hell rejected a free gift, and deserve the judgment and punishment God deems appropriate for them.

Jesus came to fulfill the outward requirements of the law that highlighted man’s sins and replace them with an inner heart change. He demonstrated in many ways that the law (outer governance and control through fear of punishment) was no longer to be a rigid yoke with its heavy burden of cleansing and rituals and sacrifices and punishments, but instead was to be a kingdom of the heart, of mercy not sacrifice, because the sacrifice was Himself.

Jesus cut out the "middle men" of the temple, and all the rituals and traditions related to temple worship, and that's pretty much it. He replaced an existing arrangement with one that was more personal, but the ultimate goal, the expected result of this, wasn't new.

God always wanted "inner heart change", when Israel demanded a King, God stated that it was not a rejection of the earthly, but a rejection of God ruling over their hearts.

Jesus did not offer anything that hadn't already been offered before, he just lowered the "barrier to entry".

Jesus stopped the people from stoning the prostitute (John 8:2-11) which was a requirement in the Old Testament. (Deuteronomy 22:21-22)

Jesus Christ was in a position to forgive the sins which would have prompted The Law to exact punishment in the first place. Nobody else is in this position. Everybody goes through, or rejects, Jesus Christ.

If she continued to live in sin, her eternal fate would have been unchanged.

Jesus healed people and traveled on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14) which was punishable by death in the Old Testament. (Exodus 31:14-17 and Numbers 15:32-36)

Jesus was the one the Sabbath was to be kept in honor of, so again, being above The Law, he could choose how it would ultimately be applied.

Jesus consorted with ‘sinners’ and ate with them (Luke 15:1-2) despite the admonitions in Proverbs 13:20. (the same book in the Bible with the ‘rod’ scriptures)

He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed. - Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)

All sinners are fools, but not all fools are sinners.

Jesus showed again and again that if we accept him as our Savior, we are called to be “ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)

This works great for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Nobody is borne accepting that, but instead, we are all born rejecting God from the start, due to arrogance and ignorance.

As such, children are at even greater risk of sin, and greater efforts should be put forth to constrain and guide their behavior so that they do not continue in sin, whether they can comprehend the temporal consequences, let alone eternal, or not.

We'll break here and continue in Part 4.