In this picture I had just finished 4 hours of very hot yard work, bathed and now sitting under the grapevine, in front of the fish pond studying for that evening’s Bible Study.
“My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother;” (Prov. 6:20)
With this advice, Solomon obviously was not living in our day but if he was living in our day and I could speak to him I would ask him about what he wrote here. The reason I would ask is because I am thinking about what a son does when his father has nothing worth listening to, which is frequently the case today. Also, what if the mother had nothing to teach. My question to Solomon, and I do emphasize that it is my question to Solomon, what he would suggest.
I don’t know exactly what he would say but he might say that this is a general guideline for children because a good parent, and I emphasize, “a good parent”, would not intentionally give his\her children advice that would hurt them. They would give them the kind of advice that contains every survival skill that is possible to help them make it through this life.
The problem is that too many of them are not making it through life and many of those who are making it are doing so just barely. I am convinced that Godly mentoring from skillful Christian parents could extend many lives and make them effective adults for God’s glory.
I wonder what Solomon would say. What answer would he give?
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