LESSON TWELVE - LORD'S DISCIPLINE
Perth Fellowship
LESSON TWELVE
DISCIPLINE FROM THE LORD – A SIGN OF LOVE
(Revelation3.19, Hebrews12.5, 6)
God disciplines humanity in different ways (Job36.10-11). God’s discipline (visitations) comes in two different categories.
1. God’s dealing with the mankind in general.
With the intention of bringing the people to repentance and faith in Christ, the Spirit of God visits all human beings individually (Job37.7, John16.8, 9). God gives all good things to everyone with the hope that they would recognise Him by seeing the good things in their life (Acts17.25-27, Romans.2.4).But most of the people could not see the loving God behind all these good things and continue in their rebellion (Hosea 2.8). God gives time for repentance to everyone (Revelation2.21, Daniel4.29). Gods dealing with each individual is different and beyond the ability of the human brain to comprehend it (Ecclesiates7.14).
If man does not respond to His good visitations, God deals in different ways to bring them to repentance (Read. Job 33.14-30).
A. God speaks (Job33.14)
God will speak to the conscience of each and every one either through the Bible or through the mouth of someone. Sometimes it may be through the preaching of someone, reading of some literature or through some other ways.
B.God gives a dream or a vision (Job33.15-18)
God speaks through visions and dreams to lead man to repentance.
God gave a dream to Nebuchadnezzar to terrify him and to bring him to repentance. As an interpretation of the dream, Daniel told the king to break off from the sins and to show mercy to the poor to escape from the wrath of God. But the king did not heed the advice of Daniel.
C.God chastens (Job33.19-30)
When the above mentioned visitations from God fails, He Chastens (disciplines with punishment or with pain) the man.In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, as the third step, God permitted physical suffering. God gave twelve months for him to repent but he did not submit to God. He became mentally ill and became like an animal and after much suffering, he was wise enough to come to the repentance (Daniel4.28-37) .This is not the same with every human being. King Ahaz did not repent even when God gave him difficult situations. (2Chronicles28.22).The same truth is given in Revelation too. (Revelation 16.8-11)
Similar things can be seen in Amos 4.6-12
Scarcity and poverty (V6)
God will bring people to very difficult financial crisis with the hope that they will look unto Him for help. If He fails to attain the goal, He will take them to a more difficult situation (Psalms7.12).
Adverse situations ( hostile surroundings )(V7,8)
Natural calamities, drought etc. which can be controlled by God alone are some of the visitations of God to bring the people to repentance. People around us may become hostile and God will make your situations difficult so that you may turn to God. (Lamentations 1.17, Judges 3.12, 6.1-2)
Failure in all areas of the life (V9)
Where ever one tries for victory and success, always it is met with an unexpected failure. All the fruit of the labours are consumed by the enemy. All the savings were gone for medical treatment. Still if people are not repentant, God would treat more severely
Plagues (V10)
God sent painful and severe diseases to people and some of the youngsters are died untimely and still people many times do not repent.
More destructions(V11)
God would sent more serious destructions like what He did in Sodom and Gomorrah. Some people are escaped miraculously from the near death situations. Still people fails to repent.
Facing death.(V12)
Even after all these visitations of God, if people remain unrepentant, what is awaited is elimination. (Luke13.1-5, Job 36.7-12)
This is a general pattern of how God deals with humanity. God does these things for every human being two or three times (Job33.29)
In the case of unrepented sinner He does all these things to bring him to repentance.
2. God’s dealing with His children.
In the case of His children if they are not rightly judging themselves and not yielding to the voice of the Holy Spirit, He does all these things in a way different from that of unbelievers. Hebrews chapter.12 gives a detailed description of how Lord chastens His children to partake His Holiness. (V10) Cleansing or holiness always comes through the washing of the word (obedience to the word) and when His children are failing to abide in His Word He chastens. (John15.3, Eph5.26, 27)
Specific cases of chastening of the Lord with believers in Old Testament
2Samuel. Chapters 11&12
David committed adultery and murder. When he repented, God forgave his sin. But he could not escape from the consequences of sin. God’s chastening fell upon him and as a consequence of this, he met with the following things in his life
1. Perpetual war in his household
2. Incest in his house
3. His own wives were ravished by his own son Absalom
4. The child born out of Adultery also died
Judges. Chapters. 14-17
Samson was a great man of God, powered by the mighty demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. He yielded to the promptings of the flesh and surrendered his life to Delilah. God chastened him in a fearful way making an example to the believers who are fallen to the promptings of the flesh. Both of his eyes were plucked out and was chained by the enemy.
Joshua Chapter.7
Akhan disobeyed the Word of God by keeping the things in his house which were destined for destruction. Israelites failed to identify the source of their strength which was obedience to the Lord. God chastened the camp of Israel by causing them to be defeated by a weak enemy. Thirty six Israelites lost their lives.
2Samuel. Chapter21.
Saul had broken the covenant by killing the Gibeonites with whom Joshua made a covenant of peace. God chastened the land by sending famine for years.
2Samuel Chapter24.
David estimated his own strength by enumerating the number of military personel.God chastened the Israel by sending a pestilence to the land and seventy thousand people were killed
Judges.Chapter2
Israel went behind other gods and idols. God chastened them by handing them over to thieves and looters
2Chronicles33.
Manasseh rebelled against God and God hand him over to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
2Chronicles36.
Zedekiah broke the covenant which he made in the name of the Lord and Lord punished him in a fearful way by letting him see the execution of his own children and then his eyes were plucked out by the Babylonians
2Kings Chapter5.
Gehazzi tried to make money in the name of the Lord and Lord chastened him with leprosy
2Chronicles Chapter26.
Uzzah entered the office of a priest which was prohibited for him as per the Word of God. Lord chastened him by giving him leprosy
Specific cases of chastening of the Lord with believers in New Testament
2Corinthians 1.8-10
Here Paul had to pass through certain situations in life where he was disappointed to the point of death. Paul himself consider it as a chastening from the Lord, in order to destroy his dependence on self. Lord would deal similarly with His children if similar self-dependence is found amongst His children.
1Corinthians11.23-31
In Corinthian church some of the believers showed irreverence to the body and blood of Jesus by partaking unworthily in Lords Supper. Lord chastened them with weakness, disease and physical death.
It is our duty to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and be obedient to the Word of God to lead a life with little chastening from the loving Lord.
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