May 27, 2013 – Proverbs 28:21 - 29

God says show partiality or favoritism because people will do anything for a piece of bread.  I was trying to figure out what that really meant.  I think it means that unless you stand for something and have foundation that you really believe in, then you will just blow where the wind takes you and anyone can sell you on anything.  That is really the biggest problem with the world today and this belief that there is no truth and moral relativism.  It basically means that you have no partiality and you can be convinced of anything.  The reason that is important is because if a person becomes a leader and is convincing, you can be convinced to do anything.  Obviously the best example of this is Nazi Germany.  There are studies out there that show it isn’t too hard to make normal people do horrible things to strangers.  Imagine how easy that would be when the people you are convincing don’t really believe in any firm set of moral values.  It doesn’t me we are living in Nazi Germany, but it means is that the steps to there are maybe not that far and it could happen very quickly.

It is always hard to read that you must punish your children, but this seems to say that rebuke is for everyone and when you rebuke, in the long run the person will be thankful.  But 29:17 would make a very odd father’s day card.  Correct your son and he will bring you comfort and delight your soul.  It is something we hate to do but must do and it will bring us comfort and delight.  I wonder sometimes if I was “corrected” enough growing up.  It seems like, looking back, most the worse things I did, I got away with and the things that did me in trouble weren’t that bad and punishment not that harsh.  I just wonder.