CHASTEN_OF

THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD

PROV. 3:11-12; HEB. 12:5-11

We are told here to shrink not away from, hide not from or hate not the chastening of the Lord. We are not to be tired of being corrected by Him. We want to remain the objects of God's love. Therefore we must accept the certainty of His chastening and correction. In Rev. 3:19 God says "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten". However, not all correction and chastening come through punishment. Correction and chastening can come through the study of God's word. II Tim. 3:16 says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness". However, when we are rebellious and fail to take heed to God's word, punishment or a spanking is an effective means of chastening.

Why does God chasten man? What is the purpose? What is to be accomplished by chastening man?

1. Heb. 12: 5-11

Verse 6 - Chastening shows God's love for us.

Verse 10 - Chastening causes man to partake of God's Holiness.

Verse 11 - Chastening causes man to walk uprightly.

2. I Cor. 11:31-32

We are chastened so that we (Christians) will not be condemned with the world.

3. Job 33:14-30

2. Ps. 89:30-32 - God chastens man when we forsake him.

3. 2 Sam. 7:13-14 - God chastens man when we sin.

4. Lev. 26: 14 - 26 - God chastens man when we stubbornly rebel.

Ways in which God chastens man

LEV. 26:27 - 39 gives seven ways in which God chastises man.

1. Verse 29 - Parents would eat flesh of their children.

These people would be eating their children because their supply of food had been cut off. In verse 26 God explains that He will break the staff of their bread, or cut off the supply of their food. This could be through famine, drought or a war in the land. These parents rather than choosing to die themselves would eat their own children.

For us in modern times this could represent a drying up of finances, and/or destruction in the family unit based on a lack of resources and selfishness of the parents. Children sometimes suffer when parents seek to meet their own needs at the expense of the children. (Abuse, divorce, drinking and partying with resources)

2. Verse 30 - Destroy high places.

High places were sanctuaries that were established up in the mountains or hill. These sanctuaries would normally house idol which the people worshipped. The Children of Israel picked up this custom from the canaanites who remained in the land. God's command to Israel was that they were to have no other gods before Him. If they would not keep this command and remove the gods themselves, God Himself would bring about the destruction of these places of worship.

Jesus endorsed two commandments and said that all of the others hang on these two. In Matt. 22:37 Jesus said "thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all they mind". He then says in John 14:15, "if you love me keep my commandments". So if we love God we will not put other things or people before Him. If we do, God , like He did in Israel, might choose to remove those things, destroy those relationships and bring to nought all those desires that we cherish more than Him. If we love Him we will not even allow ourselves to be the person that we put before God. In other words we will yield our wills to Him. Jesus said in Matt. 16:24 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. If we are going to be called followers of Christ, there is a price to pay; a yield will.

3. Verse 31 - Make your cities and sanctuaries waste and desolate

The cities in this day were normally fortified with large wall. Because the cities were fortified the people felt safe. When a war occurred one evidence of victory was the destruction of the place of worship.

We might relate this to our day, by seeing ruin and destruction in our dwelling places and places were we have in the past found security and safety. This could be destruction in our neighborhoods, in our schools and in our churches.

4. Verse 31 - not smell the savor of sweet odors (incense offerings)

The incense offerings represented the prayers of the people. So God is saying here that He will not consider their prayers and offerings to be desirable. We know that Prov. 15:8 says that "the sacrifices (or prayers) of the wicked in an abomination to the Lord, and Prov. 28:9 says that " he who turns his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination". But we generally think of these scriptures in relationship to sinners. But hear God says that He will chastise His people by not considering there prayers.

5. Verse 32 - Bring the land to destruction in the face of your enemies.

The nation of Israel had invaded the promised land literally swatting any people in their way. By the time they got to some countries, they had such a reputation that the people simply gave up and moved on or committed themselves to being slaves in Israel. God is saying here that He would cause their fame and fortune to dry up and where they had once been exhalted in the eyes of their enemies and neighbors, He would now make them ashamed and pitiful in their eyes.

For us, we have come off to college, some have graduated and have good jobs, good relationships, and the potential to have very good and rewarding lives. To many that we have left back at home, we either have made it or have the potential to make it. We are looked up to, and in many cases have become role models for those who travel behind us. God has brought us a long way. It would be a shame for Him to now abase us to the point of shaming us in front of those who once thought highly of us. We would not want that in our individual lives, nor do we want to see that in USF. This fellowship has been around for a long time, and we have enjoyed success on this campus. Along the way we have had opposition, but because God has always been our focus and because we have had students who have loved God and were truly committed to serving Him, God has brought us through. We still have opposition and those who would like to see the Fellowship brought down. We must continue as a group and as individuals to put God first that we not be brought to destruction in the face of our enemies.

6. Verse 33 - Scatter you among heathens and bring war upon you.

In modern times this could be viewed as God saying that He would plant us in the midst of our enemies and cause no peace to surround us. The fact that we are planted means that we can not moves even though we may want to. He will not open a doorway for us to move or make provision for a move. Now I am not saying that every time you find yourself waiting for God to move on your behalf that He is chastising you, but that it is a means that He might use.

7. Verse 36 - Send faintness of heart

God would cause one to become weak-kneed, anxious and fearful even when there is nothing to fear. We will become uneasy and frightful even when there is nothing to be worried about. When we have not don't that which is requested or desired by God, we lose our confidence in and become fearful of what His response will be. We wait to be punished, become afraid to make request of Him and in fact we would like to disappear from Him and hope that He will decide that no punishment is merited. We become fearful of what will happen next.

These are only some of the ways that Israel would be chastened and as we read through the Old Testament and look at the history of Israel, we can see that God kept His word to them. They saw every form of this chastisement. However, it is nice to know that God warned them first. From this we should learn that we must take heed to His warnings, lest we find ourselves being chastised.

What are the results of chastening?

1. Is. 26:16 - It causes one to pray and seek God's face.

2. Ps. 38:1, 18 - David is basically saying here in verse 1, please Lord don't whip me any more. He goes on in verses 1-12 to explain the problems that arose within his flesh and his life after his sin with Bathesheba. Finally in verse 18 he says he will declare his sin. In other words chastening brings about repentance. If we will not repent and turn from our sin on our own, then God will whip us until we do so.

3. Job 5:17-27 - Chastening brings happiness. In the midst of the chastening one may not feel happy, but when God's purpose is fulfilled and deliverance has come, then one is happy. When we realize that through chastening the Lord has kept our feet from entering the gates of hell and has again perfected a little more of His character in us, we can not help but be happy.

When God chastens us it is not because He just wants to jerk us around on a string. His chastening is always with our good in mind. No one likes to be whipped. But in truth there is a simple solution to not wanting a whipping. If you don't want to be chastised, then behave. Otherwise, Heb. 12:5 exhorts us not to run away from or hate the chastening of the Lord.