Proverbs chapter 23

vs 12

There you go. This saying, so oft repeated, is saying 12. Let's see how long I remember it. It basically just says, "Gain wisdom."

vs 13

So, if you're hitting your children so hard they die, you're not doing it right. Discipline should be a good thing.

vs 14

Punishment should be salvific, not deadly. A whap on the hand instead of a kettle of boiling water being pulled down on the face, or a hot iron, or kicked to death by a bull. The world is full of plenty of dangers besides violent parents.

vs 15

A wise son makes their father happy. Just think how much happier a father is to see their son happy and successful, even if it's just doing the same dead-end job they did - better than seeing your son do drugs, have a string of girls, and spiral into lonely death.

vs 16

I'm sure there is something really special about hearing your children grow up and speak the same truths you follow. Makes you feel like you did something right as a parent, and gives you security knowing when you leave the world, they're looked after in that regard.

vs 17

Damn, but this can be hard sometimes. Some sinners have a really fun looking life. I mean, plenty have awful lives. But those who are doing what we struggle with, and not seeming to suffer at all - that is chocolate covered crack.

vs 18

That's where our minds should go, then, when we see those people doing our chocolated-coated crack. We have a hope. There's a future for us, it's bright and eternal and better. Unfortunately, sometimes it can also seem like a tiny little speck on the horizon. Especially when things are bad. That's when we need to start getting apocalyptic.

vs 19

This saying gets some build up. Hope it's good!

vs 20

Wait, meat? WTF? I mean, alcohol, sure. Everyone knows the evils of the booze. But meat? Come on. I'm guessing that meat was hugely expensive back then, so the idea of spending a big night out on the booze and slaughtering a goat or whatever is basically just the ancient equivalent of partying every night.

vs 21

See, it has to do with poverty and laziness. So alcohol and meat aren't the issue - it's the waste and profligation of both.

vs 22

Erm... moving on...

No, I should look at this. Your parents are generally those people of the previous generation with whom you have your closest bond. So it would be unwise to ignore their advice on things. Even in today's world of technological overturning every five years or so, where there's no way you would look to your parents to tell you how facebook works, they still need to be listened to, because as we know, the more things change the more they stay the same.

vs 23

This how valuable it should be. It's like your children - you'd buy them if they were kidnapped, but you'd never sell them to pay the grocery bill.

vs 24

This has sort of been said already. I guess the message is both for the father and the son. If you want to make your father proud, be wise. If you want to be proud of your son, train him in wisdom.

vs 25

The message here is of course mainly to the son, because Solomon is writing to sons. But the parents should rejoice in wisdom in their children, more than anything else. Just as they should value wisdom for themselves more than gold, so parents should want wisdom for their kids more than anything else.