Unprepared for Parenting (Ezzos, Pearls, Etc.) *Public*Support and information for those affected by the Ezzos, the Pearls, and other punitive and adversarial methods of child-rearing. A public forum. Before posting here, please read this sticky and keep guideline 23 in mind:
23. No posts harshly dissecting parenting moments of others since we desire to humbly cultivate a heart attitude of grace and not judgment towards other mamas. We all struggle at times as parents and have much to learn, and GCM's focus is to provide tools and information for each of us to parent more effectively. Posts voicing some frustration regarding choices made by others can be okay, but it needs to be within the overall context of seeking understanding or ideas for better responses in the future.
Yeah I know we've heard these verses ad nauseum from spanking advocates, but I realised something about them today...
Quote:
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod
and save his soul from death. [c]
What can a parent do to save his child? He has about the same chance as he does to save himself. But this "rod" whatever it is has the potential to save the child's soul from death. It can't possibly be spanking because that would be something the parent can do to save his child. Only God can save our children, and the only thing we can do is lead them to Him.
In light of this, what do you think the rod could mean? (I only know for sure what it is not...) I have been reading "A Shepherd's Look at Psalm 23" which presents the rod as the Word of God - which would definitely fit in well with these verses... is there any scriptural basis for this interpretation?