The Disciplined Life: Proverbs 19:16-23

As Christian mothers, we've all heard Prov.19:18 taught, but usually it has been completely excised from it's greater context, and as a result, is less than useful. It's a great idea, but there are no specifics about how to implement it. So instead, many draw from man-centered wisdom to fill that gap of application ... or they just start making things up! Too much teaching tends to jump from Book to Book, verse to verse. There's no connection, other than theme perhaps, and no "big picture". I'm learning to primarily STAY within a particular passage and glean what is being taught in that context.

Read through Prov.19:16-23 a few times and pay attention to the FORM it takes. Recognizing its form helps you get the whole picture. These verses are in the form of a Chiasm (k-eye'-asm), which is significant to Hebrew poetry. Instead of rhyming, as our poetry often does, Hebrew poetry utilizes parallel forms, comparisons/contrasts, repetition of thought, lots of play on words [oooh... I REALLY need to learn Hebrew one of these days!]. A Chiasm is made up of verses mirroring thoughts. Follow the Chiastic pattern with me in this passage, and see if you don't get more out of it...

First note that A (v.16) and A1 (v.23) "bookend" the passage with similar thoughts - These are the KEYS to "The Disciplined Life": Obedience to God (v.16) and Reverent Fear of God (v.23). Now see how the rest fits in - it gives a beautiful illustration of WHAT we teach, HOW we teach and WHY we teach our children "The Disciplined Life".

A (16) Obedience to God's Way of Life Has Eternal Consequences [WHY]
B (17) Teach them to Have Compassion for the Poor, the Needy [WHAT]
C (18) Discipline your Children When They are Young [HOW]
C1 (19) Allow consequences for their actions [HOW]
D (20) Teach them to Submit to Instruction [WHAT]
D1 (21) Teach them to Acknowledge the Providence of God [WHAT]
B1 (22) Teach them Honesty: Better to be poor & honest [WHAT]
A1 (23) Reverent Fear of God Has Eternal Consequences [WHY]

So the Chiastic Pattern is: A - B - C - C1 - D - D1 - B1 - A1. [It would help if this format allowed me to Indent, but it doesn't.] Basically 16 & 23 are a couplet, 17 & 22 are a couplet, 18 & 19 are a couplet and 20 & 21 are a couplet and all are built around the same Theme - The Disciplined Life. Cool, huh?

Now there's passage to build a lesson... and a life around!!