Redemptive History and Disciplining Children

Recent episodes of discipline in our household have caused me to make a connection. Just today, I was disciplining one of my children for disobedience after church; directions were clearly given and understood, but the "aforementioned child" refused to fully obey them. It made me ask, "Why do you do this? You know I am going to have to discipline you because of this sin; in fact, you have brought "the rod" on yourself. Why do you do it?" Upon reflection, the whole circumstance reminded me of Israel's sin in the face of God's graciousness. "Why will ye die" asked Jeremiah to the stiffnecked people (Jer 27:13). God had graciously chosen them out of all the nations of the earth; He had delivered them from slavery to the greatest nation on the earth at that time, graciously given them the Law at Sinai, sent them prophets to bear them his word, forgiven their backsliding, kept a remnant alive after exiling them in foreign lands, and eventually sent them his very Son. Yet, they chose to die. They chose the path of foolishness, for the Psalmist tells us that it is "The fool that says in his heart there is no God" (Ps 14:1), and that is exactly what they were saying by refusing to hear the word (and eventually, The Word) of the Lord. Israel chose to die, and so the Lord gave them over to "the rod". However, as with our episode today, the purpose of the rod is always to bring reconciliation and redemption. Christ came, and although Israel rejected Him, she would be grown up and completed by Him and through Him. God would refuse to give his people utterly over to ruin--He would redeem them through the rod. Isn't that what discipline is all about? The rod, when administered to our children, is done to lovingly bring our children back from their foolishness, for it alone is the instrument the Lord has ordained to do so (Prov 22:15). "Why would ye die?" the prophet asked Israel; "why would ye die" we ask our children as they foolishly disobey. This pattern of correction vividly demonstrates to our children that, although they have willingly brought this on themselves, this correction, although unpleasant at the time, will restore them to fellowship within our family. Our hope as parents is the same as our God's--that through the rod our children will learn grace, forgiveness, and fellowship. Through the rod, they will know redemption and reconciliation, and the foolishness of turning away from us (and, thereby, turning away from God) will be driven from them. And our Hope is secure, for it is founded upon the very word and promise of God!