What Does Proverbs Say For Today Part 13
Correction
1 Correct = v. t.
to make right; to remove errors from; to rebuke; to amend. adj. right, lacking fault or error; exact, accurate; proper.
Correction = n. the act of setting right; an act of
discipline.
Corrective = adj. tending to set things right.
“My son, do not despise the
chastening of the Lord, nor detest
His correction; for whom the Lord loves
He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he
delights. For the Commandment is a lamp, and the Law a light;
reproofs of instruction are the way of life. He who corrects a
scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms
himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and
he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and
he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase
in learning. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of
understanding (Lit. lacks heart). He
who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but
he who refuses correction goes (leads)
astray. Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates
correction is stupid. A wise son heeds his
father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Poverty and
shame will come to him who disdains (lit. ignores) correction, but he who
regards a rebuke will be honored. He who spares his rod hates his son, but he
who loves him disciplines him promptly (early).
A fool despises his father’s instruction, but he who receives (keeps) correction is prudent. Harsh
discipline is for him who forsakes the way, and he
who hates correction will die. Hell (or Sheol)
and Destruction (Heb. Abaddon) are before
the Lord; so how much
more the hearts of the sons of men. A scoffer does not love one who
corrects him, nor will he go to the wise. The ear that hears the rebukes of
life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own
soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction
of wisdom, and before honor is humility. Understanding is a
wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.
The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips. Rebuke
is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool. Chasten your son while there is
hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction (Lit. to put him to death, a Jewish tradition on his crying). A man of great
wrath will suffer punishment; for if you rescue him, you will
have to do it again. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern
knowledge. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of
fools. Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the
inner depths (Lit. rooms of the belly)
of the heart. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
the rod of correction will drive it far from him. Do not withhold correction
from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell (or Sheol). A whip for the horse, a bridle
for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back. The great GOD* who formed everything gives the fool his hire
and the transgressor his wages. A faithful man will abound with
blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. He who is
often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will
suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. The rod and rebuke
give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings
shame to his mother. Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will
give delight to your soul. A servant will not be corrected by mere words; for
though he understands, he will not respond.”
(Proverbs
3:11-12; 6:23; 9:7-9; 10:13, 17; 12:1; 13:18, 24; 15:5, 10-12, 31-33; 16:22-23;
17:10; 19:18-19, 25, 29; 20:30; 21:11; 22:15; 23:13-14; 26:3, 10; 28:20; 29:1,
15, 17, 19)
*Heb. difficult in v. 10; ancient and modern translators differ greatly
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” “Behold, happy is the man whom GOD corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. You should know (consider) in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your GOD chastens you. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your GOD, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” “For if GOD did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (Lit. Tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, …bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, …then the LORD knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed…” Proverbs 3:11-12; Job 5:17; Deuteronomy 8:5-6; 2 Peter 2:4-6, 9-10. Job, Moses, Peter and all the writers of the scriptures knew that GOD corrected out of Love so that we would not have to face His righteous judgment. King David says in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The shepherd’s rod and staff are to protect and correct the sheep2, King David understood that protection and correction must go together. Our Heavenly Father gives us His SPIRIT and His Word to correct and protect us, the result of ignoring them is His judgment. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (training, discipline) in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore (NU omits therefore) before GOD and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who will judge the living and the dead at (NU and by) His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” That’s why JESUS tells us in Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gr. Gehenna).” Both for us to be bold and so the lost can be saved.
There are two types of correction in the Bible; one is to train or redirect away from bad behavior, the other is to punish bad behavior. To train and redirect is GOD the Father’s Love for humanity and we see this in every book of the Bible. To punish is the Just and Righteous GOD’s last option before destruction for the lawless and His Love for the obedient. There is no reward for the obedient if GOD does not fulfill judgment against the lawless, this is referred to in scripture as wages, reward or recompense. “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked.” “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift (free gift) of GOD is eternal life in CHRIST JESUS our LORD.” Psalm 91:5-8; Romans 6:23, study Psalm 91 and Romans 6.
Other
scriptures to study James 1:1-8; Psalm 19:7-11; 94; 141:5; 2 Peter 2; Job 26:6;
2 Chronicles 6:29-30, 36:15-16; Amos 5:10-15; Micah 7:9; 1 Timothy 6:9;
Ecclesiastes 8:10-14.
