"For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."
Proverbs 3:12
As Solomon teaches his son, he wants to help him understand that he can always trust Jehovah (Proverbs 3:1-12). He is always a good God and kind to His child. By remembering “my law” and “my commandments,” he promised “long life” and “peace.” By recalling “mercy” and “truth,” he can expect to “find favor and good understanding” before God and man. But the main thing is to keep trusting Jehovah.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Yes, by trusting the LORD, He can get you to your goal by smoothing out the obstacles along your path (vv. 5-6). And by honoring Him, He can see to it that your material needs are met (vv. 9-10).
“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).
The Child of God must understand that this good God, when He sees we need it, also brings His child discipline (vv. 11-12).
“My son, don’t reject the LORD’S discipline and don’t be angry when He corrects you. The LORD corrects the one He loves, just as a father corrects a child he cares about” [1] (Proverbs 3:11-12, HSB).
When the LORD chastens us, there are two things His child needs to remember about their attitude toward this discipline.
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For He maketh sore, and bindeth up He woundeth, and His hands make whole” (Job 5:17-18).
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Hebrews 12:5-6).
God does not want us to “despise” His chastening when He brings it. This word despise means “to neglect, regard slightly, make light of, despise” it (Mounce). [2] God gives us His discipline, and we are not to hate it! Also, when God disciplines us, we are not to “faint” under it. That is, we should not “be weary, exhausted, faint,” or “lose courage” (Mounce) [3] under His chastening. His discipline is not designed to wear us out but to build us up. Instead of “fainting,” God’s chastening shows us that we belong to Him, we are His child, and that should bring rejoicing to our hearts as we accept His loving hand working on us.
“Despise not the chastening of the Lord – The word musar signifies correction, discipline, and instruction. Teaching is essentially necessary to show the man the way in which he is to go; discipline is necessary to render that teaching effectual; and, often, correction is requisite in order to bring the mind into submission, without which it cannot acquire knowledge. Do not, therefore, reject this procedure of God; humble thyself under His mighty hand, and open thy eyes to thy own interest; and then thou wilt learn especially and effectually” [4](Clarke – ACC)
“Physical punishment and verbal correction are hard to accept, but they demonstrate God’s loving concern. The same is true of a parent’s discipline of his children (cf. Deut. 8:15). Loathing such discipline—thinking that God disciplines because He enjoys causing pain—overlooks the benefits that come from such correction” [5] (BKC).
God’s love brings discipline and correction to us as we need it.
Quote: “To ask God to refrain from giving us discipline would be to ask Him to love us less (Job 7:17–19; 10:10)” [6] (CSB).
[1] HSB is the Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[2] MCG – Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] MCG – Mounce, ibid.
[4] ACC – Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. The emphasis is mine.
[5] BKC, Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 912). Victor Books.
[6] CSB, Stabnow, D. K. (2017). Proverbs. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 957). Holman Bible Publishers.