Monday, July 30, 2007

Psalm 89:29-45

29 I will establish his offspring forever
and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my rules,
31 if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with stripes,
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

38 But now you have cast off and rejected;
you are full of wrath against your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
you have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have breached all his walls;
you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 All who pass by plunder him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
and you have not made him stand in battle.
44 You have made his splendor to cease
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with shame. Selah

There is little doubt to me that physically disciplining a child is Biblical. I don't want to put down parents who don't do it and use other means of discipline with their children, but I do think the scriptures allow it. Look at this Psalm it is used as a picture of how God will deal with us in relation to his law. The Proverbs are filled with admonishing parents to discipline their children and many times they are clear it means physically. That is one part of parenting that just sucks.

Now the point of this Psalm is not about disciplining our children but rather our discipline when we fail to keep God's law. He reminds us that yes it will happen but he will not remove his love from us. He has made promises that he will keep. He will get us through even the hard times.

Then there is the effects of our sin, pain that is brought about not through discipline but rather disobedience. What is wild to me is the effect of our sin talked about here is not what it does to us, but rather how it leads us to forsake our neighbor. We wreck them, God's anointed one, we have become the weak link that makes our community vulnerable. Often times in the church you see that the person who is freely embracing sin might be getting by in his life but it is causing havoc for everyone around.

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