God’s discipline may seem severe, but it is ultimately a display of His righteousness for our good.In His discipline, God displays His glory, the seriousness of sin, His tender concern for us, and His commitment to mature us.
God’s discipline is so perfect His own Son was matured by it:
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8 NASB)
If we do not understand God’s discipline of Israel, we will struggle to understand His discipline in our own lives.
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. (Hebrews 12:5–11 NASB)
God’s discipline is a statement of His involvement.As sons and daughters of God, we experience His discipline as part of His process to bring us to maturity.[1]God refers to Israel as His firstborn son among the nations,[2]and God disciplines all His sons whether they are individuals or nations. Lack of discipline is a sign we are not true children of His:
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:8 NASB)
[1] See Romans 8:18–19.
[2] See Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1.