If you are like me, we really do not like our "dirty laundry" aired in public view. And it may be true in some cases that the public has no clue what your "dirty laundry" consists of though many would not be too timid to venture a guess. But what about those past events of our lives that are known both publicly and privately and even those that are known just privately. Consider that instead of covering them from view and burying them from sight, one might actually use them to teach the next generation.
Consider with me the text Proverbs 6:20-35. These verses form a complete unit and though 20-23 seem like they can stand on their own, they actually are to be interpreted in light of verse 24 and those that follow. Solomon is teaching his son about adultery. Now for a moment, side-step the issue of Solomon's multiple marriages. What in Solomon's past could be so important to teach such a truth to his son. I contend that it is what happened between his mother and father. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and as a result, the child conceived died and Solomon was the subsequent child born from the union of David and Bathsheba. But why the connection between verses 20-23?
Deuteronomy 17:17 sheds some additional light about why kings were not to multiply wives and the basic reason for avoiding this is that the women, instead of God, would become the focus of the husband(king). David's mulitple marriages led to his downfall with Bathsheba or more biblically referred to as an adulterous rendevous. David kept not the Word of God and women became his focus. As a result, he fell into sin, which when the shockwaves would finally settle, would cost David more than he ever expected to pay.
Solomon himself was aware of the struggles that led to his own kingship. Surely the truths that the sins of the fathers would be visited upon the children was a truth Solomon had experienced. It indeed was tragic(sinful) what happened in David's life but it was suitable to use such an event to express to the younger the need for remaining faithful to the commands of God and what remaining faithful to those commands would protect us from. In this case, it would be protection from adultery.
Mistakes from our past may be embarassing, but they are certainly capable of becoming teaching moments where we do not extol our error but rather explain how it is that we went astray. Particulary, we abandoned the Word of God and when one abandons that anchor, his/her ship may flounder among many ports of call with unexpected/unintended outcomes.
Lastly, we would do well not to repeat the mistakes of our fathers. Had Solomon only paid attention to his own teachings and the Word of God, he would have avoided the idolatry that crept in under his watch and his children would not have had to endure the hardships that resulted from his own sins.
Yes, our pasts are Suitable for Teaching...not just the next generation...but our very own.
It took the church a while to figure out why they were considered to be elitists. They did not understand why visitors would walk up to the front doors and then turn around and leave. They considered themselves friendly but noticed the whispers around town.
