Proverbs 29:17-21

Proverbs 29:17-21
English Standard Version​
17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
    he will give delight to your heart.
18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
    but blessed is he who keeps the law.
19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
    for though he understands, he will not respond.
20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
    will in the end find him his heir.

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A disciplined son should honor his father and mother and take care of them as they get older.  They also shouldn't have to worry about him as the LORD will lead him and protect him if he belongs to the LORD.  This gives rest to the souls of parents and delight to their hearts.

When the people no longer listen to the Word of God, and the preachers of Word of God no longer speak against the moral decay in their culture, then the disease of sin is allowed to spread unchecked.  We see the effects described in Romans 1 where no longer are sinners happy to simply be allowed to enjoy their sin in darkness, but they want to bring it out into the light to be celebrated and want to force everyone else to sin and be rebellious as well.

It is not enough (usually) to simply correct a servant with words alone.  I'm assuming we're talking about a situation of willful rebellion here and not a simple mistake, due to the context of the passage.  If words of correction are all he receives, the message may be received, but don't expect any course correction.  The wicked servant will keep on sinning because they do not fear their master.

Watch out for a person who constantly tries to take back his words because he spoke too soon.  Such a person is worse than a fool who at least meant to speak his foolishness.  Speak thoughtfully and say what you mean and mean what you say, even if someone tries to twist your words.

Don't treat a servant like a child or you will end up putting the person that was supposed to serve you in your will as a coheir with legitimate heirs (or you may forgo having legitimate hears and have this servant inherit your entire estate).

Note:  Solomon speaks of servants, and I have kept that language or master/servant here.  However, since most of us reading this live in a culture where we think of slavery when we read such words, let me reframe your thinking to say that it is not all that different from the relationship between employer and employee--just the employees do not usually live in your household and work in your house and work with your crops and animals.  However, it was a system where the master took care of all the needs of his servants and in exchange, the servants should have served the master obediently and faithfully.  This relationship is still there between God and those who are His servants (those who are His children by Adoption).  He has treated His servants and His children, and one day we will be co-heirs with Christ.