The Rod of Discipline

2 Samuel 7:14 - "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men."

In Second Samuel chapter 7 the Lord is speaking to David through Nathan the prophet, and here in verse 14 He is speaking concerning Solomon and the relationship that He depicts here is a very unique one, that of a father to a son. It's not too common in the Old Testament that the Lord is referred to as Father, but those few times that it does it gives us a picture of the closeness of the relationship that our God desires to have with us. But here I find it interesting that after the Lord declares "I will be a Father to him and he will be a son to Me" He goes on to talk about discipline, as though this were the strongest proof of sonship. He says "When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men." This may strike us as odd, but the rod of discipline is actually presented in much of the Bible as a proof that we are sons and daughters of God.

In Psalm 23:4 we read - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." This is a psalm that most of us can probably quote by memory, and yet have you ever stopped to consider this strange statement, "Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me"? Why would the Lords rod be a comfort to the believer? The writer to the Hebrews says that God is a loving Father who disciplines His children. He therefore makes the point that if we are without discipline then we are illegitimate and not actually His children at all. The fact that our Heavenly Father disciplines us is a proof that we are His children. Isn't it a comfort to know that God loves us too much to let us get away with sinning? If you can go on sinning without any consequences then I would caution you to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. Another reason that the Lords rod is comforting is because we know that He is using it in our lives to purge us from sin and make us more like Himself. Again, the writer to the Hebrews says that He disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. In Psalm 89 the Lord is talking about His faithfulness toward David and his descendants, and once again He talks about the relationship as between father and sons. And in verses 30-33 He again brings up this issue of discipline saying - "If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, if they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness." God declares that the result of disobedience is discipline. Namely, punishment with the rod. When Gods children disobey Him He punishes them with the rod. God spanks His children. But the Lord takes special care to connect His discipline to His love. He says "But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him." It's the Lords love for His children that motivates Him to discipline us. By disciplining us God shows us that sin always has consequences, and those consequences are painful.

In the Old Testament the Lord often used pagan nations to judge the people of Israel for their sin and rebellion against Him. Isaiah chapter 10 is one such instance where God declares that Assyria is His rod. He declared that Assyria was the rod He would use to discipline His children, but He also goes on in that chapter to say that He is going to hold Assyria accountable. And if we go through that chapter and contrast the Lords discipline of Israel with His judgment of Assyria we see some striking differences, but it all really boils down to the fact that when the Lord disciplines His children it's not to destroy them but it's a discipline out of love in order to draw them closer to Himself, whereas when He judges a people that do not belong to Him, that relationship is missing and the same restraint is not shown. A rod is not meant to destroy but only to discipline. When the Lord disciplines His people He uses a rod, but when He judges Assyria no rod is mentioned. Though it may not seem like it at first glance, the rod is actually an instrument of love. Therefore the instruction is given in Proverbs 2:11-12 - "My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights."

Hebrews12 is the classic New Testament passage on the Lords discipline, and there we read in verses 5-11 - "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

God uses Himself as the example for earthly parents. Many in our culture today are declaring that parents should not spank their kids, but this flies in the face of the clear teaching of Gods Word. And those who hold to this opinion are actually making themselves out to be kinder than God. If God, the perfect Father, spanks His children who are we to say it shouldn't be done? The book of Proverbs clearly shows the connection of love and discipline, not just between our Heavenly Father and His children, but also between earthly parents and their children. Proverbs 13:24 says - "He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently." One thing I love about the Word of God is that it is abundantly clear. Some people say that the Bible is hard to understand. It's true that there are difficult passages, but by and large the Bible is very clear. The problem isn't that the Bible is hard to understand, the problem is that it is all to readily understood and men, women, boys and girls don't like what it has to say. When the Bible says here that if parents withhold the rod of discipline from their children they hate them, it means just that. Some people don't spank their children and they claim that the reason why is that they love them too much to spank them. But the Bible says the very opposite. "He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Just as our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, Proverbs 22:15 says - "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him." Sin hurts, and even children need to learn this. In fact, Proverbs 23:13-14 goes on to say - "Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol." Now, this doesn't mean that if your faithful to discipline your children then they will without a doubt get saved. But it does show that even early on children can begin to learn through discipline that the wages of sin is death, and the discipline of the rod helps to instill that reality that sin always has painful consequences. Proverbs 29:15 says - "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." Despite what popular opinion says, love and the rod of discipline are tied together. Our loving Heavenly Father disciplines His children, and loving parents do the same thing.

Proverbs 2:11-12 - "My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights."