Psalm 6:1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Ah mih Friends, when is not one thing is another yes! Like if the poor people of Bermuda didn’t have enough problems, Hurricane Igor had to come and chastise them even more last Sunday. Ah Lord eh! What’s going on with our world Friends? Are we experiencing more natural disasters than before, because we hear about a new one almost every day, or is it just that modern communication is quicker and more informative? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that we each need to say a serious prayer for the Bermudans, and aid them in any way we can. Now I said that Igor chastised Bermuda, it was possibly the wrong word to use since I don’t know if that was punishment from the Lord for doing wrong. It was just the first word that came to mind because it was filled with our Bit. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ Those are Bruh David’s opening words in Psalm 6, A prayer for mercy, but also in Psalm 38, The prayer of a penitent heart, where he pleads: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ (Ps.38:1) The only difference is the word ‘wrath’ replaces ‘anger’ in Psalm 38. Obviously he was conscious of doing wrong and deserving of rebuke or chastening. But he’s wisely pleading for the Lord not to do it in anger, or in a moment of great displeasure, since retribution meted out in those times is usually more severe than when done in calmer moments. Friends, chastening, retribution, punishment is not new, for we’ve all felt and/or experienced it at some time as parents, children and members of the broader society. And the same way Bruh David is pleading not to be rebuked in the Lord’s anger, we should practice the principle of not rebuking or punishing when we’re angry. In fact we shouldn’t make any serious or important decisions when we’re hot under the collar, because then we’re not ruled by wisdom, but by supercharged emotions, and afterwards we’re very likely to regret those decisions made in anger. But having said that, when we do wrong, we can’t always expect to go unpunished. We can do like Bruh David and beg for mercy with excuses: ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed (troubled). My soul is also sore vexed (greatly troubled): but thou, O Lord, how long?’ (Ps.6:2-3) However, chastening, severe or not, is always a very real and distinct possibility, despite our pleas for mercy. From day one, Moses warned the Israelites about it. ‘Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.’ (Deut.8:5) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Just as we chasten our children for doing wrong, so the Lord chastens us, His children, for disobedience. The Lord made this very clear to Bruh David in their covenant. Re Cousin Sol, the Lord told him: ‘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 (strokes) of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.’ (2 Sam.14-15) Ethan the Ezrahite reiterated it in Psalm 89, God’s sure promises to David. ‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgements; If they break (profane) my statutes, and keep not (disobey) my commandments. Then will I visit (attend to) their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my LOVING kindness will I not utterly take from him (break off), nor suffer my faithfulness to fail (to be false). My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing (change the word) that is gone out of my lips.’ (Ps.89:30-34) And all God’s people sighed a grateful, ‘Thank you Lord.’ That’s because we know and greatly appreciate the Lord’s goodness and mercy, that though He punishes us for disobedience, once we keep the faith, He will not destroy us. I have to laugh as Bruh David tries to reason with God: ‘For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?’ (Ps.6:5) He’s trying there to remind the Lord that his continued praise and devotion depend on him being alive. And we have a fine example of that in Psalm 118, Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation, where the psalmist gratefully declares: ‘The Lord hath chastened me sore (disciplined me severely): but he hath not given me over to death.’ (Ps.118:18) Yes Friends, man’s stubborn, rebellious, foolish nature often needs to be reigned in and made to pay a price, so that we walk in obedience. Now I’ve found many references to chastening in the Good Book, and I intend to use them all, because in these evil, ungodly, immoral, idolatrous times, we all need to be constantly reminded of the fact that disobedience brings punishment. So for the next couple days, or as long as it takes, we’ll stick with the topic of chastening. And we’ll end today with two very important scriptures on it. The first is from Cousin Sol, re how we treat our children. ‘Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.’ (Prov.19:18) Oh Friends, that’s ever so important today because of the waywardness and irresponsibility of our children. And sadly, we are to blame for much of that because we never properly chastened them for their wrongdoing. We were either afraid to, or foolishly figured that since we had it a tad hard, they should have it easy. But unfortunately we’ve done them a very serious injustice with that kind of thinking, for the human animal only seems to appreciate stuff that it’s earned, not freely given. And this last scripture is a stern reminder from God to all of us, His stubborn, rebellious earthly children. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev.3:19) That was the message from Jesus, through John, to the church at Laodicea, which, unfortunately, is still very applicable today my Friends. So let’s smarten up and pay close attention to our words, thoughts and deeds, if we don’t want to be chastened by our LOVING, heavenly Father. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else he’ll certainly feel…
Ah mih Friends, when is not one thing is another yes! Like if the poor people of Bermuda didn’t have enough problems, Hurricane Igor had to come and chastise them even more last Sunday. Ah Lord eh! What’s going on with our world Friends? Are we experiencing more natural disasters than before, because we hear about a new one almost every day, or is it just that modern communication is quicker and more informative? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that we each need to say a serious prayer for the Bermudans, and aid them in any way we can. Now I said that Igor chastised Bermuda, it was possibly the wrong word to use since I don’t know if that was punishment from the Lord for doing wrong. It was just the first word that came to mind because it was filled with our Bit. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ Those are Bruh David’s opening words in Psalm 6, A prayer for mercy, but also in Psalm 38, The prayer of a penitent heart, where he pleads: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.’ (Ps.38:1) The only difference is the word ‘wrath’ replaces ‘anger’ in Psalm 38. Obviously he was conscious of doing wrong and deserving of rebuke or chastening. But he’s wisely pleading for the Lord not to do it in anger, or in a moment of great displeasure, since retribution meted out in those times is usually more severe than when done in calmer moments. Friends, chastening, retribution, punishment is not new, for we’ve all felt and/or experienced it at some time as parents, children and members of the broader society. And the same way Bruh David is pleading not to be rebuked in the Lord’s anger, we should practice the principle of not rebuking or punishing when we’re angry. In fact we shouldn’t make any serious or important decisions when we’re hot under the collar, because then we’re not ruled by wisdom, but by supercharged emotions, and afterwards we’re very likely to regret those decisions made in anger. But having said that, when we do wrong, we can’t always expect to go unpunished. We can do like Bruh David and beg for mercy with excuses: ‘Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed (troubled). My soul is also sore vexed (greatly troubled): but thou, O Lord, how long?’ (Ps.6:2-3) However, chastening, severe or not, is always a very real and distinct possibility, despite our pleas for mercy. From day one, Moses warned the Israelites about it. ‘Thou shalt also consider (know) in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.’ (Deut.8:5) And that’s the gospel truth my people! Just as we chasten our children for doing wrong, so the Lord chastens us, His children, for disobedience. The Lord made this very clear to Bruh David in their covenant. Re Cousin Sol, the Lord told him: ‘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 (strokes) of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.’ (2 Sam.14-15) Ethan the Ezrahite reiterated it in Psalm 89, God’s sure promises to David. ‘If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgements; If they break (profane) my statutes, and keep not (disobey) my commandments. Then will I visit (attend to) their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my LOVING kindness will I not utterly take from him (break off), nor suffer my faithfulness to fail (to be false). My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing (change the word) that is gone out of my lips.’ (Ps.89:30-34) And all God’s people sighed a grateful, ‘Thank you Lord.’ That’s because we know and greatly appreciate the Lord’s goodness and mercy, that though He punishes us for disobedience, once we keep the faith, He will not destroy us. I have to laugh as Bruh David tries to reason with God: ‘For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?’ (Ps.6:5) He’s trying there to remind the Lord that his continued praise and devotion depend on him being alive. And we have a fine example of that in Psalm 118, Thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation, where the psalmist gratefully declares: ‘The Lord hath chastened me sore (disciplined me severely): but he hath not given me over to death.’ (Ps.118:18) Yes Friends, man’s stubborn, rebellious, foolish nature often needs to be reigned in and made to pay a price, so that we walk in obedience. Now I’ve found many references to chastening in the Good Book, and I intend to use them all, because in these evil, ungodly, immoral, idolatrous times, we all need to be constantly reminded of the fact that disobedience brings punishment. So for the next couple days, or as long as it takes, we’ll stick with the topic of chastening. And we’ll end today with two very important scriptures on it. The first is from Cousin Sol, re how we treat our children. ‘Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.’ (Prov.19:18) Oh Friends, that’s ever so important today because of the waywardness and irresponsibility of our children. And sadly, we are to blame for much of that because we never properly chastened them for their wrongdoing. We were either afraid to, or foolishly figured that since we had it a tad hard, they should have it easy. But unfortunately we’ve done them a very serious injustice with that kind of thinking, for the human animal only seems to appreciate stuff that it’s earned, not freely given. And this last scripture is a stern reminder from God to all of us, His stubborn, rebellious earthly children. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev.3:19) That was the message from Jesus, through John, to the church at Laodicea, which, unfortunately, is still very applicable today my Friends. So let’s smarten up and pay close attention to our words, thoughts and deeds, if we don’t want to be chastened by our LOVING, heavenly Father. Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else he’ll certainly feel…
SCRIP-BITS 