or be weary of His reproof,
for the Lord reproves the one He loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.” NRSV
There is an age-long discussion, even between the dearest of saints on whether or not God punishes His children. Included in that discussion is the idea that God might cause us to suffer if it is for our good. Or conversely, we suffer because of our own choices and God merely allows the consequences of our own actions to teach us.
I believe that God does use the suffering in the world—suffering which exists as a result of sin (ours or others)—to teach us, to mold us, to move us into His perfect will.
Joseph is a perfect example.
Joseph was the favored son of Isaac. His brothers, enraged by his preferred place in the family, threw him into a well and then sold him into slavery in Egypt, far away from his home and his culture. There, Joseph worked his best and lived an exemplary life. Only to be wrongly accused of rape and thrown into prison for an unknown number of years. In prison, Joseph determined to continue to do his best and was promoted to the prison scribe. Finally, he was freed—not because he wasn’t found guilty—but because God gave him supernatural knowledge that was needed by the Pharaoh. So Joseph, a former shepherd, former slave, a convicted rapist, and a foreigner, was raised to the position equivalent to Prime Minister in a culture where foreigners, shepherds, and slaves were disdained, lived out his life in ease . . . and very likely complete solitary.
Until his family came to Egypt.
Obviously, Joseph did nothing outwardly to warrant such a life. And yet, if we study Joseph, we see, in the beginning, a young man who has become arrogant and conceited because of his special place of love and his special prophetic abilities. The end of the story, however, is a far different picture. Joseph, now older but with the power to exert revenge on his mean brothers, says this:
“Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good . . .” (Genesis 50:20 NRSV).
Joseph was able to look beyond what had happened to him. The events of his life changed him . . . through the Lord’s discipline.
Revelation 3:19: “I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent” (NRSV).
We all know that there are many things in our lives which need changing. Even if we are outwardly living a life that is “Christian,” our motivations are such that we need to still learn patience, love, humility. The Christian who stops learning, who stops aggressively looking at their own life, is the Christian who is heading down the wide path, something none of us want to do. We are either learning to excel in obedience or we are practicing sin. There is no middle ground. And the Lord is eager, in His love for us, to help us learn obedience and this through His discipline (His teaching). Unfortunately, I’m sometimes like that stubborn mule. It takes a good whack to get me to pay attention.
I’m glad that the Lord doesn’t give up on me nor lets me go my own way of rebellion, but rather thinks of me constantly and wants to bring good into my life, not the good as I define it, but the good of being a shalom-peace with Him:
“You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you” (Psalm 40:5a NRSV)
© 2008 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. International copyright reserved. This study may be copied for nonprofit and/or church purposes only without permission when copied in its entirety (including this notice).
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