Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Blessed is the man whom the Lord corrects and disciplines and chastens, and whom He teaches out of His law. That correction is for doing wrong, and by it He teaches more careful study and obedience of His word. To be so taught by God is a privilege.
This chastening is loving parental correction, not meant to destroy but to teach. As a true parent who knows what is best, God asks His children to bear only what is for their good, and would gladly give all the comforts of this life and the joys of the world to come without suffering if blessing could come that way. He judges and disciplines His people so they will not be condemned with the world. In the counsel to the Laodiceans it is a merciful call to let Jesus enter the heart and to become fruitful through purification, exposing sin so it will be repented, confessed and forsaken.
What He teaches out of the law is its obligations, to be searched, believed and obeyed, turning wanderers from straying. God's law itself provides the instruction through which a person is taught. Receiving this teaching requires willingness and earnest attention and not despising chastening. Those who do not want to see or understand the obligations of the law have not yet been sufficiently exercised by chastening.
The instruments of this correction include severe and prolonged suffering, persecution and oppression, trials and affliction, and pain and disease with the judgments and consequences of sin. Sickness is in general the result of violating natural law, so pain and disease are God's effort to show wherein health and life have been forsaken through departure from harmony with and obedience to His statutes. This answers why God's children must endure trials and affliction while those with no thought of God go free: where self is allowed to rule Satan rules, where love prevails Christ rules, and chastening brings wandering children under Christ's rule. Affliction exposes sin, warns that the way of sin is the way of death, and stands as the last call of the Father's love to search, repent, confess, forsake evil ways, and live rather than die.
Those who trust God and do not despise His chastening find quietness of mind amid trouble, receive rest from the Lord, and learn to follow righteousness, for He will not cast off His people. God will ultimately give His people rest while destruction comes upon the wicked, and the upright in heart will follow righteousness.
Blessed is the man whom the Lord corrects and disciplines and chastens, and whom He teaches out of His law. That correction is for doing wrong, and by it He teaches more careful study and obedience of His word. To be so taught by God is a privilege.
This chastening is loving parental correction, not meant to destroy but to teach. As a true parent who knows what is best, God asks His children to bear only what is for their good, and would gladly give all the comforts of this life and the joys of the world to come without suffering if blessing could come that way. He judges and disciplines His people so they will not be condemned with the world. In the counsel to the Laodiceans it is a merciful call to let Jesus enter the heart and to become fruitful through purification, exposing sin so it will be repented, confessed and forsaken.
What He teaches out of the law is its obligations, to be searched, believed and obeyed, turning wanderers from straying. God's law itself provides the instruction through which a person is taught. Receiving this teaching requires willingness and earnest attention and not despising chastening. Those who do not want to see or understand the obligations of the law have not yet been sufficiently exercised by chastening.
The instruments of this correction include severe and prolonged suffering, persecution and oppression, trials and affliction, and pain and disease with the judgments and consequences of sin. Sickness is in general the result of violating natural law, so pain and disease are God's effort to show wherein health and life have been forsaken through departure from harmony with and obedience to His statutes. This answers why God's children must endure trials and affliction while those with no thought of God go free: where self is allowed to rule Satan rules, where love prevails Christ rules, and chastening brings wandering children under Christ's rule. Affliction exposes sin, warns that the way of sin is the way of death, and stands as the last call of the Father's love to search, repent, confess, forsake evil ways, and live rather than die.
Those who trust God and do not despise His chastening find quietness of mind amid trouble, receive rest from the Lord, and learn to follow righteousness, for He will not cast off His people. God will ultimately give His people rest while destruction comes upon the wicked, and the upright in heart will follow righteousness.