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The Sanctified Use of the Rod

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• Psalm 94. We come today to the last installment on our study on the family. This will be number 12. And we'll be looking at Psalm 94, verse 12. And of course, the title of the message is "The Sanctified Use of the Rod." So notice Psalm 94 and verse 12. David makes this statement. I'll quote it again later. "Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teacheth him out of thy law." Now note that statement. Blessed is the man whom thou what? Chasteneth and teacheth him out of thy law.

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• Very quickly, let me just review everything that we've covered so far and just try to tie it together for you. Lord willing, I hope you remember that the first two messages were on the dominion aspect of the family, demonstrating from Scripture how God ordained the family to be an instrument of dominion. Then we looked at creation differences between men and women, how that God had created us differently, not only physically, but also emotionally and judgmentally as well. Then we looked at God's intentional order in marriage and showed from 1 Corinthians 11, it is God, Christ, man, and woman.

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• Then we began to look at individual roles. We looked at the role of a wife, saw that the key word was submit, and then expounded on that in two separate messages. Then we looked at the role of a husband, found that the key word is love. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." And then we looked at the role of the children. Distinct messages, and there were two key words for children.

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• The first one was obey and the second was honor. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise." And then we looked at God's role for fathers. Ephesians 6 and verse 4, "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord." So I showed you the negative, where God says, provoke not your children to wrath. Then I showed you the positive, to bring them up in the nurture and the chastening of the Lord. And I pointed out the fact that Ephesians 6:4 is a very simple and straightforward statement. It doesn't take a giant intellect to understand that statement. But I pointed out that you could, as a father, provoke your children either to immediate anger or delayed anger. And I gave you several areas in which that could be done. But then when God said, bring them up in the nurture and the chastening of the Lord, "bring them up" was the Greek word for nurture, literally nurture them up in the nurture.

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• And that key word was paideia, the chastening or the child training and the admonition of the Lord. And so I dealt with child training from Hebrews chapter 12 and also the word admonition. Admonition has to do with verbal instruction, while chastening then would refer to the rod. And of course, you remember I quoted Micah 6 and verse 9 where the Bible says, "Hear ye the rod and him who hath appointed it." But before that, the Bible said the Lord has spoken. So His word comes first. And if we refuse to hear His word, then the rod always follows.

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• So God is teaching us that even in our lives, not only as children, but as adults, that same principle holds true. In fact, the rod has been appointed for a number of reasons, but one of them is found in Proverbs 13 and verse 15. And let me just quote it because there the Bible says that the rod enforces a particular lesson, and that is this, that the way of the transgressor is hard. The ways of the transgressor are hard.

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• In other words, if you sin, then you're going to suffer. Now, there are principles that are laid down in the Word of God which control the use of the rod. You're going to hear me say this several times today, but let me emphasize it right now. The rod is not to be employed upon our whims, our desires, our emotions, and our dispositions. It is to be employed only upon the principles of the Word of God. Let me give you some key statements before we even begin looking at Scripture today. I would say that, first of all, we need to maintain in our minds and we must remember that the rod is an instrument and not an end in and of itself. Let me say that again. The rod is an instrument and not an end in and of itself. Listen carefully.

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• A violin applied to the backside of a child will no more make him a musician than a rod applied to the backside of a child will make him holy. You hear me? I'm just simply trying to say it is not just the instrument. It is true the instrument must be used, and it must be used correctly. By that I mean biblically. But it must be used with the blessing of God upon it. And when the blessing of God is upon that rod, then the child upon whom that discipline is exercised will learn the simple lesson that he who sins must suffer. So the rod then is to be used to conform the child to the will and the Word of God.

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• Now, the interesting thing is this. There are examples in the Bible of fathers who did not chasten, discipline, or restrain their children. And if you are not able to restrain your child when he is a child, you're certainly not going to restrain him when he is an adult. Let me show you. Hold Psalm 94, but look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Samuel chapter 2. 1 Samuel chapter 2 and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 29. 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 29. Look at what the Bible says. 1 Samuel 2 and verse 29. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 27 just so you can see the context. 1 Samuel 2 and verse 27.

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• "And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy fathers, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear my ephod before me? And did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?" Now look what God says to Eli. "Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded to my habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people." Now the boys were stealing God's offerings. Without me reading the context, the law of God required that when the offering was boiling, they could take a flesh hook of three prongs and reach in and whatever they brought up belonged to them. But what the priest would do, they were sending their servants to the people before they offered, and they said, you give it to us now, because the priest will not have it sodden, but raw.

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• In other words, we want a steak to put on the grill. You give it to us now, and if not, they took it by force. I want you to note here, God just simply says that you're honoring your sons above Me. But look in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 3 and verse 13. Here, the Bible clarifies that even greater. 1 Samuel 3 and verse 13, look what God says to Eli. He says, "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile." Help me out now. "And he what? restrained them not."

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• Evidently, he didn't restrain them as children. And he certainly didn't restrain them as adults. You've got to remember that Eli was the head honcho at that particular time. And God says, I'm going to judge him because he restrained not his children. If you'll turn right over to 1 Kings chapter 1, 1 Kings 1. I believe that's the passage that I want. 1 Kings 1, yes. You remember David was called a man after God's own heart. And although David is certainly held up in Scripture many times as a man who wanted the things of God, the truth of the matter is this.

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• He was pretty much a failure as a father. If you look in your Bibles, the first Kings chapter 1 verse 5. "Then Adonijah, who was David's second son after Absalom, then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he prepared him chariots and horsemen and 50 men to run before him." Watch verse 6. "And his father had not displeased him at any time, in saying, Why hast thou done so? And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him after Absalom." Note what the Bible says about Adonijah. His father had not displeased him at any time. Just simply, let Adonijah have his way. I hope you know that both Absalom and Adonijah were wicked, undisciplined men. In all probability, some of David's other children turned out the same way. But I want you to know the same David who did not restrain Adonijah and Absalom, learned this simple lesson of Psalm 94 and verse 12 later on in life. Let me just quote it for you again.

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• David says in verse 12, "Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teacheth him out of thy law." You know, I think of David and I think of ourselves. Sometimes we learn the truth, but we learn it too late. And you often wonder if David had learned this truth previously, how his children would have turned out. But let me show you something else that David learned. Look in Psalm 119 because it is in the same light that David gives this same information. Notice Psalm 119 and verse 67. David is speaking, Psalm 119, verse 67. And he says this, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." Wow. Before I was afflicted, that is, Lord, before you got a hold upon me, I went astray. But after you got a hold upon me, now I've kept your word. In other words, I learned that he who sins must suffer. Look in verse 71. Same psalm. David said, "It is good for me that I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes."

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• Wow! It's good for me that I've been afflicted. Why? That I might learn thy statutes. Look in verse 75. David says, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hath afflicted me." If David had known these truths earlier in his life, his children may have turned out differently. But the truth is David learned these things probably much later in life. And you've got to remember that once there were things were written for time were written for our admonition and our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope.

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• Now let me begin by giving you several statements and several truths from the Word of God concerning the use of the rod. First of all, number one. The rod is God's and does not belong to man. The rod is God's rod and does not belong to man.

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• Now, I hinted at this truth previously, but let me say it now very plainly. Since the rod belongs to God, that means it is to be used according to God's terms. It is to be used in accordance with God's law. The discipline of children is sanctified and regulated by the Word of God.

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• Now, there are individuals who try to say that it is unchristian to whip and or discipline a child physically, and that we should just merely love them. Well, I've heard that argument. You've heard that argument. But let me ask a simple question. Is God the Father our example in all things? And you know the answer to that is yes. I could also ask the same question another way. As Christians, shall we not conform the discipline of our children to the Word of God? And the answer would be yes. Well, you see, the problem is, well, those folks who make the statement that we should never, ever whip our children physically, we should just love them. Number one, they don't even know what love is, not the biblical definition of love. And certainly, number two, they do not know how to apply biblical love. Let me just show you. Turn in your Bibles.

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• Follow me, please, to Deuteronomy, Chapter 8. We're going to look at several passages. I'm just showing you, first of all, that the rod is God's and God does use a rod. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 5. Look what the Bible says. Deuteronomy 8 verse 5, "Thou shalt also consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." What? "Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." Does God chasten us? Yes. Does God use a rod? Yes. Look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 14. 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 14. Notice what the Bible says. 2 Samuel chapter 7 verse 14. God says this concerning Solomon. God says, "I will be his father and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men." Wow. "I will chasten him with a rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men."

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• Does God use a rod? Yes. Does God chasten? Yes. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 9 and verse 34. Right before the book of Psalms, the book of Job, Job 9, and look if you would please at verse 34. Everyone knows the truth of Job's suffering. Look at Job's request. In his prayer to God, he says this, Job 9 verse 34, "Let him, that is God, take his rod away from me and let not his fear terrify me." Was God using a rod upon Job?

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• Well, of course he was. And so Job is asking for God to take it away. Turn in your Bibles to Job 21 and look there beginning with verse 7. Job 21 verse 7. Notice what God says. Job 21, beginning there, verse 7. Job is asking a question, and I'm going to point this out later from the New Testament. Job 21, verse 7, "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, or mighty in power?"

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• "Their seed is established in their sight with them and their offspring before their eyes. Watch, their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them." Wow. Well, why in the world is not the rod of God upon the wicked? The truth is, they're not God's children. Which we'll find out a little bit later. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 89. Psalm 89, just showing you the rod is God's and God does indeed use a rod. Psalm 89 beginning there verse 31. Psalm 89, verse 31. Look what God says. "If they break my statutes and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes." Does God use a rod? Yes, He does. Turn over in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 32. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 32. Notice what the Bible says. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 32, "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."

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• Note, but when we are judged, we are chastened, we are whipped of the Lord, that we might not be condemned with the world. Now, I'll save this one verse for last, only because I know that you don't need to look it up. Many of you can quote it. You remember what David said in Psalm 23 and verse 4? "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Now, if a rod is used for discipline, how could a rod comfort him? Well, the answer to that, you'll remember, is found in Hebrews 12 and verse 8, where the Bible says, "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons." The rod comforts us in the fact that when we're whipped for sinning against God, we know that we belong to God.

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• Now, it's just like this. If we know that we do wrong and God whips us, we are His. If we can sin against God and get by with it, then we don't belong to God. It's that simple. So how can the rod of God comfort us? The rod of God comforts us in the sense that when we're whipped, we belong to God. God does not whip the devil's children. He whips His own. So, first of all, the rod is God's rod.

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• Secondly, let me point out, the rod is not to be used in anger. Wow. Let me ask you a question. Does God chasten us in anger? Let me answer it. If He did, there wouldn't be many of us left, would there? I want you to turn to Psalm 103, and then we're going to look at two other passages in Psalm. Psalm 103, beginning there of verse 13. Psalm 103, verse 13. Look what the Bible says.

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• "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are but dust." Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. What's that mean? That means He knows exactly what we can take and what we can't take. And God does not chasten us in anger.

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• In fact, if you will turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 6 and then we'll go to Psalm 38. I want you to see what David says in his prayer. Psalm 6. And then we'll go to Psalm 38. Psalm 6. And then Psalm 38. Look in Psalm 6, beginning there with verse 1. David says, "O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed." Notice, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Then if you look at Psalm 38 verse 1, David asks the same thing again, "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." Now, if God does not chasten us in anger, then we are not to chasten our children in anger.

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• The problem with child chastening in this day and time, many of them never ever get chastened, but the few who do get chastened usually are chastened only because they made their parents angry. Humanly speaking, when you and I get angry, we have already lost control. If God lost control while He chastened us, what would be our end? No. You remember what David said, and we've already read it in Psalm 119 and verse 75.

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• Let me just quote it. "I know that thou in faithfulness hath afflicted me." God didn't afflict David in anger. God afflicted David out of faithfulness. The point I'm trying to make is this. Our discipline should be done in faithfulness to the principles of the Word of God, in faithfulness for the good and the benefit of our children, and in faithfulness for our desire to see them to be mature, gracious, kind, and obedient children.

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• We don't whip them because we're angry. You know how to avoid anger in discipline of a child? Well, you say, sure I do. I have to control my emotions. Well, that's certainly part of it. But you know, most parents have not understood this. But we need to be able to speak one time. And the child obey. And if the child has heard us and we know that the child has heard us and the child has understood and the child does not obey, then the child should be disciplined at that point. You should not continue to have to speak until you get angry enough to whip the child. You don't whip the child out of anger. You whip the child for a violation of the Word of God. You know, I tell people, as you listen to children today, how they talk back to their parents.

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• And sometimes even cuss them out. I talked back to my father one time. I can count on my one finger how many times I talked back to him once. That was it. And I learned a very valuable lesson. You don't do that. Not if you want to grow to be mature. You don't. But I heard a story years ago, and this is so apropos today. About two little boys who were out playing in the yard.

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• And so the mother steps out on the porch and she calls, "Johnny, supper's ready, come on in." The little boy just continued playing and ignored his mother. Finally, she stepped out again and she said, "Johnny, supper's on the table, come on in." He kept on playing. His little buddy asked him, he said, "Didn't you hear your mother?" He said, "Of course I heard her." Well, he said, "Why don't you go on in?" "Oh," he said, "I've already learned I don't have to obey her until she puts her mean voice on." In other words, he didn't have to obey her until she got angry because he knew that when she got angry, she'd whip his butt. But until she got angry, he could disobey her and it'd be all right.

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• Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. When we allow our children to disobey and to continue to disobey until we get angry, we are basically teaching them to disobey. And we're teaching them the only time we're going to whip them or chasten them is when we get angry. No, we don't chasten them because we get angry. We chasten them because they violated a principle in the Word of God.

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• Remember, the rod is God's. And the rod is not to be used in anger, it's to be used in accordance with the law of God. Thirdly, God's rod is to be used diligently and consistently. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 13 and verse 24. Proverbs 13, verse 24. Proverbs 13.

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• Verse 24, when I say God's rod is to be used diligently and consistently, I'm trying to tell you that diligent, consistent use of the rod is an expression of genuine love and concern for your child. The Bible says in Proverbs 13 and verse 24, look at it. "He that spareth his rod, hateth his son. But he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes." Now note what the Bible says. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son. But he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. Now the Hebrew word for betimes is shakar, and it literally means early, earnestly, diligently, and consistently.

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• You know what one of the biggest problems for parents is? Is consistency. Because so many of us are ruled by our emotions rather than principle. If we're on edge and our child does something wrong, we'll jerk him up and whip him. If we're having a good day and we're feeling good and the child does exactly the same thing again that's wrong and wicked, we'll let him get by.

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• Because we don't feel like whipping him. You see, what I'm trying to show you is this. God is saying, He that loveth His child, chasteneth them consistently, earnestly, early. In other words, He does what needs to be done, not just simply because He feels bad or He feels good. No, there's a principle involved. And do you realize, when we allow our children to be whipped for doing it one day and not be whipped for doing it another day, they're learning that we not only lack consistency, that we lack conviction for the truth, and we lack an understanding of the principle of the Word of God, and truth and reality does not really matter. What really matters is how we feel. That's what the child is learning.

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• No, God says, consistently. You know what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4 and verse 2, God says, "Moreover, it's required of a steward that a man be found faithful." Everyone in here would confess that children have been given us as inheritance of the Lord and we're merely stewards over our children. Well, God requires us to be faithful in disciplining our children, we must be diligent. So the rod is to be used consistently. Look, if you would, fourthly in Proverbs 19, and here's the fourth point, the rod is to be used in season while there is hope. Proverbs 19 and verse 18, the rod is to be used in season while there is hope. Proverbs 19 verse 18, look what God says, "Chasten thy son while there is hope."

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• "And let not thy soul spare for his crying." Now, the Hebrew word for hope is the word tikvah, which is translated as hope or an expectation or the thing that I long for, an outcome or a ground of hope. So God is saying, chasten thy son while there is a ground of hope, while there is an outcome of expectation. What does it mean, then, to chasten thy son while there is hope? It means this, that you chasten him in a timely manner when he can be molded and influenced. Remember, if you would please, the object of chastisement is to educate the will by making it malleable and bringing it into conformity to the will and the Word of God. There are times when discipline will do no good, that's why I said chasten thy son while there is hope.

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• Let me give you several illustrations that I know of personally. One of them, with a father who is now dead. But he had a teenage boy. And the boy was belligerent. He was disobedient. He was ugly. I went to the same church this father did. And the pastor preached a wonderful message on discipline. And the father went home and said, boy, that's what my son needs. He needs his fanny whipped because he's been disobedient, etc. And so the father told the son, I'm going to whip you because you've been disobedient. And the big teenage boy said, you're not going to whip me.

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• The daddy said, oh, yes, I am. And he drew back with a switch to hit that teenage boy. And when he did, that teenage boy blocked that switch and took his fist and knocked his father down and left the house.

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• Now, let me ask you a question. Do you think there's any hope for that boy? No, not not apart from the supernatural grace of God. Chasten thy son while there is hope, because there comes a time when it's almost impossible for you to do anything with a child. Let me give you another illustration. This happened many years ago, but Alice and I both saw it with our own eyes. We had some dear friends, and our oldest daughter, Wendy, was what, three or four at the time, maybe five, something like that.

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• And they invited us over to their house for supper. And Wendy said, I don't want to go. I said, what do you mean you don't want to go? I mean, here's a little four or five-year-old girl telling me she didn't want to go over to the friend's house. And she said, I don't want to go. I said, well, why? She said, Kyle always comes up behind me and pushes me down on the floor.

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• And she said, his daddy never does anything about it. Well, I've never seen him do it. I mean, you know that the kids went playing and we just kind of didn't see it. And I said, well, sweetheart, I said, let me tell you what, we're going to go. But if Kyle comes up behind you and pushes you down, and his daddy doesn't whip him, you get up and you ball up your fists and you hit him as hard as you can right between the eyes. She said, yes, sir. Well, we went to the house and we had supper. And then after supper, we took a cup of coffee and we went into the living room.

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• We all sat down and we were talking. And lo and behold, right in front of all four of us, Kyle comes up the high and windy and pushes her down on the floor. I mean, hits her and pushes her on the floor. Time she hit the floor, she jumped up. She said, Kyle, my daddy said, if you did that to me and your daddy didn't whip you, to do this, pow, and she rocked him back on the floor.

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• Oh, here, I'm just drinking my coffee. My daddy said, if you and your daddy didn't whip you. Oh, Lord, have mercy. Well, when Johnny heard that, he got up and went outside and got a switch. I want you to know this little boy is about four years old. He had a little pair of shorts. Johnny got a switch. He said, Kyle, apologize to Wendy. He said, I'm not, Daddy. Johnny was an ex-marine and an ex-army.

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• When he came out of the Marines, that wasn't enough. He went into the army, became a ranger. He took that switch and whipped that little boy and he whipped him good. That little boy has not cried, not shed a tear. When Johnny finished whipping him, he said, Kyle, apologize to Wendy. He said, I'm not, Daddy. And Johnny leant into him again. And this time, big ol' whelps were coming up on his leg. The little boy still has not shed a tear, has not cried. When Johnny got through whipping him, he said, Kyle, apologize to Wendy. I'm not, Daddy. Johnny whipped him a third time. And this time, those whelps began to show blood. Little boy still hadn't cried. When Johnny stopped, he said, Kyle, apologize to Wendy. I'm not, Daddy. The fourth time Johnny got a hold of him, I mean, he was whipping him by this time. Blood was flowing down his legs. And the middle of that fourth whipping, Kyle still hadn't cried. He looked up at his daddy, said, Daddy, you can stop now.

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• I'm ready to apologize. And he did.

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• Now, before you sit there and say, oh, that's so awful. As far as I know, Johnny never had to whip that boy another time the rest of his life. The child probably never, ever got another spanking. Why? He learned. He grew up to be a fine young man. He's now married. We're still wonderful friends. But that's what God means when He says, "Chasten thy son while there is hope." One of our daughters had done something, I don't know what it was, but her mother had told her something and she disobeyed. And as small as Alice is by this time, the girls were as big as she was. And I was sitting in the front room reading and I heard Alice say, you come on back here, said I'm going to whip you for you disobeyed me. And they went back in the bedroom, and the way Alice had to whip them, she would tell them to lie across the bed because, you know, and then she would whip them because the kids were so big.

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• And she told the daughter to lie across the bed. "But mama," and I heard "but mama." And I heard Alice say, "Am I going to have to get your father to come in here?" And when I heard that, I just got up and I walked in, and I looked at Alice. I took the switch away from her. I said, "Tell her to lie across the bed." She told her lie across the bed, "but daddy." And when she said, "but daddy," I put her on the bed and I whipped her. When I got through whipping her, I looked at Alice. I said, "Tell her to lie across the bed." She told her, "but mama." And when she said, "but mama," I put her on the bed and I whipped her again. After the fourth whipping, I looked at Alice and I said, "Alice, tell her to lie across the bed." Alice called her name and said, "Lie across the bed." She said, "Yes, ma'am." And she lay across the bed, handed Alice a switch.

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• I said, "Now go ahead and whip her for whatever you will whip her for." And when she got through, I looked at her and I said, "Sweetheart, how many whippings did you get?" Five. I said, "Have you ever thought about this? You never would have gotten one if you had obeyed mother the first time. You never would have gotten the second one, if you'd obeyed her." I said, "You disobeyed four times in a row and you got five whippings." I got news for you, whether you believe it or not, next time Alice told her to lie across the bed. "Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am."

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• "Chasten thy son while there is hope. And let not my soul spare for its crying." God is saying chasten while there is hope. And when God says let not my soul spare for its crying, it's not just loud crying and wailing we want. It's tears, tears of repentance, or at least a willingness to submit to the Word of God. I told you that my sister and I used to cry and wail every time Mother got a hold upon us with a switch.

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• And the louder we cried, the sooner she quit whipping. And we knew that. And we would put on a show. And then when she'd quit whipping, we'd go out and laugh about it. Until the day she stepped into the pantry and heard us laughing. And when she called us back in to whip us again, we didn't have to pretend. Chasten thy son while there is hope. Crying and wailing cannot replace tears of repentance. Crying and wailing cannot replace a will that is malleable, that is moldable to the Word of God. So the rod then is to be used in season while there is hope.

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• Fifthly, if you look in Proverbs 22. Proverbs 22, verse 15, the rod is to be used to drive away foolishness. The rod is to be used to drive away foolishness. Proverbs 22, verse 15, the Bible says "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Notice foolishness is bound in the heart of the child. But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. So scripture is telling us then that foolishness is bound in the heart of the child. Please note something. The scripture does not say childishness is bound in the heart of the child. You do not whip a child just for being a child. You don't whip a child just simply because he cannot function as an adult. It's not childishness that needs correcting per se, but foolishness.

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• Why in the world would you take a little child who's learning to eat, and all of us have watched this, they'll take that spoon, put it in that applesauce, slap it upside their head. Next time, maybe it's on their nose. Finally, they get their mouth, and by the time they get their mouth, it's all over their mouth. I mean, you know, you don't whip a child because he's a child, and he only can function as a child. There's a big difference between the child learning and messing up and then him sitting there with that glare in his eyes and taking the jar of baby food and slinging it across the room and having a tantrum. There's two totally different things. So it's not childishness that you're trying to correct. It is foolishness. And it should be noted that the Bible says foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child. What does that mean? It's not lying on the surface and can be easily disposed of. It's bound up.

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• In fact, the Hebrew word literally means to be bound fast or tied up. Foolishness is tied up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. And by the way, let me just tell you that I believe there's a great deal of significance to the fact that the Bible speaks of a rod of correction. My father usually, mostly, used a rod on me, a peach tree limb. We had a peach tree out behind the house.

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• The thing never did bloom until after I left home. But, you know, never had any peaches where he lives left. But I believe there's a great deal of significance that the Bible speaks about the rod of correction. Why? You know, a lot of parents will use their hand to spank their child or use a belt. I personally believe a rod is spoken of in Scripture for a reason, because your hand is an extension of yourself. Your belt is an extension of yourself. You don't want the child to hate you. You want the child to hate the rod. God said the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. First of all, let me just say, if you use your hand, usually you cannot whip a child the way you ought to whip a child. If the child needs whipping. There are two ways that you can whip a child. You can use your hand or you can even use a rod and hit him just lightly, tapping, just enough to make him mad. And he'll hate you and despise you.

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• Let me say that again. Two ways you can whip a child. First of all, you can just tap him lightly with your hand or with a rod. Just enough to make him mad. He'll hate you and he'll despise you. Or number two, you can actually whip him until there are tears of repentance or at least until that will is malleable and broken and he will love you and respect you. Now, listen to this statement, if a child has done something serious enough to be punished, he should be punished seriously. If you're only whipping your child or disciplining your child because you're upset with him because he's angered you, then you're wrong. But if your child has done something serious enough to be punished, you should be serious enough in your punishment. I'll tell you. I'll be absolutely honest. I did not want my father to whip me.

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• Because when he got a hold of me, he did a very thorough job. My grandchildren, I've only had to whip them occasionally. Lacey's the only one I've ever whipped. But I got news for you, when I whipped them, they never, ever wanted to be whipped by me again. You know why? Because I tried to make sure that it was done right. Our oldest grandson, and two of his cousins were out the house with us. And, you know, I have a phone out in the library.

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• Well, I'm sitting in the room in my office studying, and the last time I saw the kids, Alice was outside, the last time I saw the kids, they were playing in the hay. Next thing I know, my telephone rings. And here's a 911 operator asking me what the emergency is. Well, I said, there's no emergency. She said, but you called. I said, no, ma'am, I did not call. She said, but there was a call from this number, and then it dawned on me. I said, ma'am, there is no emergency, but I can assure you I will take care of the situation. And I hung up. And I walked out to the library just in time to see the three grandkids coming out of the library. Well, the interesting thing is this. Casey, of course, lived down in Tampa at that time, and he had already called 911 down there one time, and the responders came to the house.

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• And mom and dad took him in, and they talked to him very seriously. You don't do this, you know, et cetera. And they told us, well, he learned his lesson. You know, he's not going to do that anymore. So when I saw them coming out of my office, my library, I knew what they had done. And I asked, what did you do? Oh, nothing. We were in there playing.

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• Did you use the phone? Oh, no, sir. I said, listen, the 911 operator called me. I know you called. And I explained the seriousness of it. I said, suppose they had sent an ambulance out here. And someone on the other side of town was dying. And the ambulance could not get to them because they were coming out of this false alarm. Who would be responsible for the death of that individual? We would.

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• I said, let me tell you what you've done. I said, you've not only done something serious, seriously wrong and wicked. I said, you have now lied to me. The two cousins said, but we didn't call. No, but you encouraged him to call and you knew he was calling and you didn't stop him. Well, I got news for you. After I got through with them, neither one of them has ever called 9-1-1 again.

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• The lesson was thoroughly impressed upon their minds. In fact, my oldest grandson will be 20 this summer, and every time I see him, I ask him, just smiling, have you called 9-1-1 lately? He just laughs and says, no, Papa, I haven't. Well, I'm just simply saying, if the child has done something serious and needs to be punished, he needs to be punished seriously. Let him learn he who sins must suffer.

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• Notice if you would in Proverbs 29 verse 15. Proverbs 29 verse 15. Here's the sixth point. The rod is to be used to give wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 29 verse 15. Look at it. "The rod and reproof give wisdom. But a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame." What is used to give wisdom? The rod and reproof.

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• Now, the word reproof refers to rebuke, correction, argumentation, chiding, punishment, and chastisement. But note, if you would, it is verbal and it is also with a rod. The rod and reproof give wisdom. Now the word wisdom comes not only through admonishment and reproof, it also comes through the rod. What do you learn when you get the rod? He who sins must suffer. The way of the transgressor is hard. The Hebrew word for wisdom here is the word kokmah. It is the word that is used all throughout the book of Proverbs that we should have wisdom and learn wisdom. So God says, reproof will give wisdom when the child will hear. But when the child will not hear, the rod will give wisdom. And seventhly, and very quickly, if you look in your Bibles to Proverbs 23, the seventh and last point is simply this. The rod may be used under the blessings of God as an instrument in a child's conversion. The rod may be used under the blessings of God as an instrument in a child's conversion.

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• Look what the Bible says, Proverbs 23, verse 13. God says, "Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with a rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from hell." Now note, if you would, withhold not correction. Then God says, for if thou beatest him with the rod, the word beat means to smite, to whip, to punish. You must note that constant, consistent, biblical application of the rod does not and will not result in death.

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• If it does, you're not using it biblically and rightly. Now, I can assure you there were times when I thought my father was killing me, but he never. I never died. I never had to go to the hospital for a whipping. God said, if thou beat thy child with a rod, he shall not die. The sanctified use of God's rod does not produce death, it produces life. What does He say? Look at it. "Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die."

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• Let me tell you something. Corporeal or physical chastisement is not child abuse. I don't care what DFACs says. I don't care what the state says. It doesn't matter what the court system says. Physical chastisement is not child abuse. Look what God says. "Withhold not correction from the child, thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with a rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

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• Now, the word hell is the word sheol, which refers to the grave, hell, and the pit, and the underworld. What is He saying? Those that have been disciplined, biblically speaking, learn self-discipline. They learn obedience and respect for God and His law. It's the child that's left to himself that bringeth the mother to shame. But please understand this. The use of the rod must be with the blessings of God.

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• It is not just the instrument alone. It is the instrument with the blessings of God. In other words, I must use the means that God has ordained. But at the same time, I must seek God to bless those means and make them effectual. Without the blessing of God, the means are useless. God says withhold not correction from the child. And I don't have to tell you, you don't discipline a four-year-old the way you do a 10-year-old or a 15-year-old. I mean, very obviously. But they have to be taught that he who sins must suffer. And the way of the transgressor is hard. God gives us regulations, rules for the sanctified use of the rod. Now, let me make just a couple of applications.

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• The first one is this one. Contrary to Dr. Spock, God does use the rod. And He expects us to emulate His chastisement in the correction and the discipline of our children. We may be politically correct and lose our children or biblically correct and save them. We just have to determine who we're going to follow, God or man. Secondly, that does not mean that you should not use wisdom in the discipline of your children. We have to understand that today's politically correct attitude that is revealed in DFACs and other state and federal departments is diametrically opposed to the Word of God. It is. Interestingly enough, now listen to me, interestingly enough, if you are reported for chastening your child according to the Word of God, if you're reported to DFACs or the state, they're going to charge you with child abuse. When, in reality, the Bible and God charges them with child abuse for not permitting His correction according to the Word of God. In fact, they could not only be charged with child abuse, biblically speaking, they can be charged with parental abuse.

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• And if you've seen the billboard, it just says this, you'll understand. The real Supreme Court meets up here, signed God. And I can assure you that is true. The third thing I would urge you to remember is this. That the use of the instrument alone is not sufficient. We can't trust in the rod. We have to trust in the God who gave the rod. And say, Lord, we're using this rod. But we're using it according to Your Word, according to Your regulations, and we're seeking Your blessing upon it to make it effectual. You teach them. You open their eyes. You say, Brother Weaver, what can I do? My children are grown. Well, the only thing you can do is this. Commit them to the Lord. And say, Lord, You'll have to correct them.

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• I can no longer chasten them. I taught them as best that I could. I taught them Your Word. They know Your Word.

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• Now, Lord, they're in Your hands. And You work in their heart. And I've got news for you, folks. If they belong to the Lord and they're doing wrong, they will be chastened. Because no one can sin against God and get by with it, whether he's a child or whether he's an adult. You better learn to hear ye the rod and him that appointed it. And when God says, "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but nurture them up in the chastening or the child training and admonition of the Lord." The child training refers to the sanctified use of the rod.

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• For whom the Father loveth, he chasteneth. And when we are whipped for sinning against our Father, we know that we belong to Him. And therefore, that rod is a comfort to us. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are thankful today for Your love and Your mercy. We're thankful for Your goodness and Your kindness. And Lord, all of us as adults can sit here today and say, Lord, we're thankful for all the whippings and the chastisement that we received as children. We certainly didn't appreciate it then, but Lord, we understand it and appreciate that chastisement now. And Lord, we do pray for our children. We pray for their salvation.

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• Those who are still tender and young and those who are grown. We pray, Father, that You would help us to understand that You treat us as Your children and we too must obey or we will feel the rod ourselves. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, and that we may bring our lives in conformity to Your Word. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

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• This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMD 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-0995.

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• You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:59:27Z