Proverbs 19:26 – “He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.”
This verse, like 10:1, “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother,” and 15:20, “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son despises his mother,” repeats a common motif of Proverbs. Sons can make fathers and mothers happy, or they can bring them shame. (So can daughters, but Solomon writes to a son, so daughters will have to read themselves into “son.”)
Here is Solomon’s point: Sons, you may not realize how you affect your parents (or teachers), but you have the power to make them happy or miserable. Sons should remember their power over their parents when they contemplate whether to obey the introductory exhortation of Proverbs. “Hear, my son, your father’s instructions, and forsake not your mother’s teaching (1:8).” Hearing will be good for sons, but it will also be good for father and mother. It will bring them happiness! A son refusing to hear brings sorrow. At its worst, such refusal ends up with a son who brutalizes his father and mother, shames them, and causes relatives and friends to reproach the parents as well as the son.
Every society faces the problem of “elder abuse.” In time, a son always becomes stronger than his father and can push him around, even to the point of violence and blows. Likewise, a son (or a daughter) can sometimes appropriate his mother’s house and property, perhaps abusing a trusting mother’s grant of power of attorney to, in the words of the proverb, “chase her away.”
How can father or mother hold up their heads when their own son treats them so? He brings shame, literally a “bad odor,” on his parents. He also brings a reproach. Whether fairly or unfairly, people gossip about such ill-treated parents, saying, “That’s what happens when you don’t train your children properly.”
The outrage of elder abuse exists in our day and existed in Solomon’s time. As a child, Solomon watched it happen. His older brother Absalom stole Israel’s throne from his father David and tried to kill him. Elder neglect drew Jesus’ ire when He condemned the Pharisees for devising pious-sounding schemes to evade helping fathers and mothers by declaring their property “Corban,” that is, dedicated to God (Mark 7:11). Paul, sadly, needed to remind the church that children owe parents support in old age (I Timothy 5:4, 8). The worst case of dishonoring father and mother is a son who beats his father and turns his mother out of her home. Let such a son know ahead of time that he will not only make his father and mother miserable; he will also bring them public shame and reproach. Maybe that consequence will give him pause before he hits his father or sends his mother away. Maybe.
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Dr. Bill Edgar, former chair of the Geneva College Board of Trustees, former Geneva College President and longtime pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
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Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Sep 2, 2020
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Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary delivered the spring 2021 Commencement address at Geneva College on May 10, 2021. Here is an excerpt of that message, entitled, "Every Good Work," from 2 Timothy 3. This excerpt first appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Geneva Magazine.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
As busy as college students are, it can be profoundly beneficial for them to seek out and engage in a routine Bible study. Diving deeper into their faith, exploring what the world’s challenges mean to them, and creating a Christian-based path forward can give any college student the direction he or she needs to achieve their best life. Still, it’s not always easy to make that decision—instead of a night with friends or yet another study session for a high-level math class, go to Bible study instead.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
What should someone with wealth do? Solomon writes, “Pay attention to it and know its condition.” He uses the example of sheep and goats. Wise parents blessed with wealth will teach their children how to work to maintain it. Wise children will accept the burdens of responsibility that go with family wealth, always remembering that riches do not last forever.
The Book of Proverbs has no use for the gullible, viewing them as willful fools. Even when everyone else can see a hateful, deceitful person for what he is, the gullible choose to believe gracious words.
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
How should leaders deal with difficult situations in difficult times? Geneva College’s John Gallo and Jenna Bieber provide a guidebook for leaders. "Lessons from Cain and Abel to Guide Leaders Through Turbulent Times" walks readers through the account of Cain and Abel to teach leaders the importance of justice, mercy, harmony and equality.
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