Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 3 Prov 3:11-12 Lesson 6, The importance and benefits of having God’s Wisdom resident in our souls.

Prov 1-9, culminates with the warning of Divine discipline and correction in vs These also introduce the 6 th Lesson.

The Father’s love for His son wants him to be blessed, vs. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and Divine discipline, vs , is one way God makes that possible.

Notice that only the Lord can give the reciprocal rewards found in the even verses. Therefore, we know these commands and blessing are from God and are His desire for His sons.

The commands all reinforce the purpose of the book of Proverbs, which is to demonstrate wisdom’s worth, and motivate the believer to pursue wisdom by obeying what has been written.

“Reject” MA’AS, “to despise, to abhor, to refuse, to reject.” QAL JUSSIVE. The Jussive expresses the desire of the Father for His sons to receive discipline for learning and be blessed.

“Reproof”, TOKACHATH, “correction, or argument.” In legal context, an “argument” as a formal statement of one’s position, to refute the contentions of others.

It is a good thing, and the person who ignores it will personally live to regret it, lead others astray, be classed among the stupid and eventually die. Prov 5:12ff; 10:17; 12:1; 15:10.

Personified as a woman, “Wisdom” chides those who have rejected her rebukes, Prov 1:23, 25, 30.

“Reprove” YAKACH, Hiphil Imperfect, “to decide, judge, prove, to be right, to chastise, to correct.” Causative action, because of the love of God the Father for His children.

Prov 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.”

Prov 15:31, “He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”

The parallel New Testament passages include: Heb 12:1-11; Rev 3:15-19; Cf. Deut 8:5; Prov 13:24.

The five commands had to do with not being arrogant and thinking you know what is best for your life, both physically and spiritually.

Anyone who fails to realize these mandates, and instead acts in ignorance and arrogance will receive the discipline of the Lord.

God’s discipline is design to teach by means of punitive action to correct the son so that he will enjoy the blessings of God.

Job 5:17, “Behold, how happy (blessed) is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

“Happy” אַשְׁרֵי ESHER - μακ ά ριος MAKARIOS, happy or blessed. The root word ASHAR means “to go straight.” Therefore, when we accept the discipline of the Lord we will be blessed / happy, +H.

Prov 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.”

Prov 23:12-14, “Apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge. 13 Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. 14 You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol.”

Prov 13:24, “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

Divine Discipline aims to restore the afflicted to proper conduct (cf. Deut 11:2), as the simile for the punishment, “like a father, the son,” shows.

Although the reproof may be harsh, it is actually a sign of the Lord’s love, not of His wrath, for it concerns those “whom the Lord loves.”

C.S. Lewis noted, “When we complain of our sufferings we are not asking for more love, but for less.” cf. Job 7:17-19; 10:20

Do not ever be discouraged when you get out of line and you get spanked. You are still here and God has a purpose for your life.

He loves us and even when He spanks us it is what He is that counts. Because He loves us it hurts; it corrects us; it results in blessing.

Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, November 6, 2012 Tape # Proverbs Chapter 3 Divine Discipline, Part 1 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012 Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, November 6, 2012 Tape # Proverbs Chapter 3 Divine Discipline, Part 1 Prov 3:11-12; Heb 5:1-11; Rev 3:15-19 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012