“A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!”
I’ll be at a rodeo all day today. Three of my grandchildren are roping and riding—and generally amazing their old granddad with how well they handle a horse. Did I mention they’re 12, 7, and 6? I’ll hear some great rodeo tunes: Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Chris LeDoux, Waylon, Johnny, and so many more providing the soundtrack. The smell of sawdust, cut wood, and classic barbecue all come together to create an amazing environment for kids, their grands, and every age in between. So what in the world does this have to do with Proverbs—and this verse specifically? I assume Solomon would’ve been a rodeo fan. But more importantly, he clearly understood horses and donkeys. Whips, bridels, and rods are all things I didn’t understand until I started going to my grandkids’ riding lessons. They used whips and occasionally the rod. But they loved their horses. The idea that a foolish or ignorant person needs the same kind of painful discipline as these animals is disturbing—and sad. Of the three forms of discipline mentioned in this verse, the rod is the most forceful. It implies someone who is stubborn and rebellious. Sadly, that hits home for me. Too often, it seems I need more discipline from the Lord just to learn the most basic lessons of living rightly in His Kingdom. When a whisper in my spirit should be enough, it too often takes a rod at my back. Today, let’s accept God’s discipline as loving—and let’s learn. #BeTheEdge
“because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:6 NIV
