THE AUDITORIUM SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

FEBRUARY 18TH, 2007

PROVERBS 3:11-12

THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD

Introduction:     God blesses His children physically (8) and materially (9) when they live for Him, and trust Him.

I.     What is the chastening of the Lord?

     A.     It is both a New Testament and Old Testament concept.

          1.     Our text verse - Proverbs 3:11-12

          2.     Psalm 94:10 and Deuteronomy 8:5

          3.     Hebrews 12:6-7 and Revelation 3: 19

     B.     Chastening is both punishment and correction.

          1.     “To correct by punishment; to inflict pain for the purpose of reclaiming the offender.”

                -     (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

          2.     Chastening is pain with a purpose.

          3.     When the son strays from fearing and trusting God, then he can expect God’s correction.

II.     “Despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction.   (11)

     A.     To “despise” means to hate, and carries with it a ring of bitterness.

          1.     Do not hate the chastening of the Lord.

          2.     Do not become bitter over the chastening of the Lord.

     B.     To “be weary of his correction” means to borderline quitting on God because of correction.

          1.     Like a child threatens to run away from home when punished, sometimes God’s children threaten to run away from God when punished.

          2.     It’s easy to mistake punishment for hatred.

     C.     This is why it is so important for parents to punish correctly, and to reinforce the love they have for their children.

III.     Solomon immediately focuses on God’s love for his son.   (12)

     A.     “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth.....”

          1.     Notice that God’s love does not change during the process of correction.

          2.     Notice that correction is the result of God’s love.

     B.     God’s chastening is proof of God’s love.

               -     God loves me too much to allow me to go away from Him unchecked.

IV.     Solomon compares the love of God during correction to the love of a godly father during the correction process.   (12)

     A.     “even as a father the son in who he delighteth.”   (12)

          1.     Solomon will later say that a father who does not correct his son “hateth his son.”

                      - (Proverbs 13:24)

          2.     A person who hates correction will die.   (Proverbs 15:10)

     B.     Notice that the father “delighteth” in his son even in the midst of correction.

          1.     Parents are not perfect, and neither are the children, and it’s a mistake for either to believe the other should be.

          2.     It’s along this line that Paul is speaking in Ephesians 6:4.

V.     In what ways can a father provoke his son to wrath?

     A.     By correcting out of anger rather than love.

     B.     By making the discipline too severe, and too critically verbal.

     C.     By punishing the son for the same things you do yourself.

     D.     By refusing to say “I’m sorry” when a mistake is made.

Conclusion:     You cannot successfully correct your children if your refuse to correct yourself.