This Parent’s Purpose for Kids————
The Westminster Larger Catechism rightly teaches that “man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.” While that is the big picture goal for us and our kids, what are several benchmarks, characteristics, or goals that will indicate you are done* and your children are ready to launch out on their own. Fill in this list independently of your spouse and then compare notes. (Doing it independently first is not designed to create controversy or a "gotcha" moment.
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* In the strictest sense we are never “done” raising children, but when they launch out on their own our role in their life changes.
1. The purpose of this exercise is to bring the insights of each spouse into the mix to add perspective and completeness to the final list.
2. It is really important to be in harmony (even though they may not be identical) on your goals for your children.
3. As a result, time should be spent with each other working through Scriptural (and practical) goals for your children (and even some specific goals or aspirations for each individual child). It will be time well spent.
4. It is reasonable to expect these to be improved and adjusted as you grow in understanding.
5. (Ask your parents how they think they did raising you. What were their goals? How do they think they did on them?)
I. Purpose of the series—
To grow in our understanding of the book of Proverbs and apply it specifically to our parenting.
Strong's H1121 - בֵּן( (bēn) son, grandson, member of a group. 55xs in Proverbs
Occurring almost five thousand times, bēn is basically but not exclusively a reference to the male offspring of human parents. It is also used idiomatically for children generally, for descendants, i.e. grandsons, for male offspring of beasts, for age designation (e.g. “son of eight days,” Gen 17:12) and for people or items belonging in a category or group (e.g. “sons of prophets”). A synonym is yeled “child.” —TWOT
Proverbs 1:1; Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 1:15; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1; Proverbs 3:11-12; Proverbs 3:21; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 4:3; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 4:20; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 5:7; Proverbs 5:20; Proverbs 6:1; Proverbs 6:3; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 7:1; Proverbs 7:24; Proverbs 8:4; Proverbs 8:31-32; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 10:5; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 14:26; Proverbs 15:11; Proverbs 15:20; Proverbs 17:2; Proverbs 17:6; Proverbs 17:25; Proverbs 19:13; Proverbs 19:18; Proverbs 19:26-27; Proverbs 20:7; Proverbs 23:15; Proverbs 23:19; Proverbs 23:26; Proverbs 24:13; Proverbs 24:21; Proverbs 27:11; Proverbs 28:7; Proverbs 29:17; Proverbs 30:1; Proverbs 30:4; Proverbs 30:17; Proverbs 31:5; Proverbs 31:8; Proverbs 31:28
1. Personal application of its truths and skills to our own lives.
2. Understanding key truths and skills to marinate our children in.
3. Glean principles of parenting.
II. Authorship & Date
A. Authorship
A collection of proverbs. It is typical of Hebrew literature to name the work after its most eminent contributor--in this case, Solomon.
· The bulk of the proverbs (375) are attributed to Solomon. We know from I Kings 4:29-32 that he wrote some 3,000 proverbs.
1. Meaning: peaceful, (Hebrew: Shelomoh)
2. David's second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Samuel 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father on the throne in early manhood, probably about sixteen or eighteen years of age.
3. Early Prayer for Wisdom (1 Kings
4. His history is recorded in 1 Kings 1-11 and 2 Chr. 1-9. During his long reign of forty years the Hebrew monarchy gained its highest splendor.
5. Downfall initiated by disobedience Deut. 17.16-17 comp. w/ gold—1Kings 10.14-25; horses 1 Kings 10.26-29; wives 1 Kings 11.1-8 (esp 4)
· Wise men (plural, 22:17; 24:23)
· Agur (30:1)
· Lemuel (31:1)
B. Date
· Most of the proverbs themselves date to Solomon (10:1; 25:1),
· according to 25:1, the book itself was put together either during or after the time of Hezekiah (c. 700 B.C.).
· The arrangement of the Proverbs plays an important part in their meaning and message.
III. Genre of Proverbs
1. Based on the epistemological* foundation, the fear of the Lord (1.7): It is more that just good sense (not natural theology without God) *the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity
2. Inspired and authoritative: Though understood in light of its special genre
3. More concise and brief— (The big idea without all the exceptions and conditions) Must be aware of how and when to apply the saying, etc. Proverbs 26.4-5
4. Frequent use of imagery and figures— (Simile/explicit, “is or like” 26:18; metaphor/implicit 11.22; personification/ attributing human qualities to what is not human 9.1-6; synechdoche /a part represents the whole 16.31; hyperbole/overstatement-exaggeration 30.3
5. parallelism— synonymous (same thought with different words), antithetical (contrast), synthetic (second verse expands the thought)
IV. Outline
I. Series of Fatherly Talks (1-9 / 1.8 “My son…”)
II. First Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs ( 10-22.16 / 10.1 The proverbs of Solomon...)
III. Thirty Sayings of the Wise ( 22.17-24.22 / 22.17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise...)
IV. More Sayings of the Wise (24 / 24.23 “These things also belong to the wise…)
V. Second Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs Copied by Hezekiah’s Men ( 25-29 / 25.1...which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.)
VI. The Sayings of Agur Son of Jakah (30 / 31.1 The words of Agur…)
VII. The Words of Lemuel that His Mother Taught Him ( 31 / 31.1 The words of King Lemuel…)
