06/29/2021
Proverbs 22:6
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (NIV)
Proverbs fits within the genre of wisdom literature, and offers statements about how to conduct life wisely. This book represents the written record of an oral tradition of wise sayings with uncertain origins.
I love reading the book of Proverbs and have been drawn to this particular scripture since I became a mother five decades ago. Now I am a grandmother of five precious children.
Proverbs does convey a clear view of reward and punishment connected directly to God, but it is not a book of specific commandments with resulted promises. In fact, regarding this Proverbs 22:6, some Jewish scholars teach that parents are to recognize and support the development of their children’s God-given talents, teaching their children to honor God with their abilities, and skills. Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and all teachers of young children, choose the combination of wisdom and love in starting children on their paths toward maturity.