Happy is the man God corrects

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;

Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.- Job 5.17

Not everything Job’s friends is wrong, usually they are misapplied truths. Here Eliphaz makes a true statement as he is attempting to figure out why Job is suffering so. Eliphaz is trying to encourage by reminding Job that the chastening of God is planned to be a good thing. While Eliphaz was wrong about Job’s guilt, he was right in that God uses chastening for man’s god.

Hebrews 12 builds on this teaching that Eliphaz knew. The writer of Hebrews quotes Hebrews when we read ‘don’t despise God’s chastening, because the Lord loves those He chastens.’

Then we read about how loving parents love their children enough that they take time to chasten and disciple them. Parents are concerned about their children – the children they love. God’s loves his children enough to chasten us as well.

Parents don’t always discipline perfectly – we are human and we are fleshly. We all make mistakes even though we discipline in love. God never makes that mistake because He is perfect and His love is perfect.

So when God chastens here what happens according to Hebrews 12.11 – ‘Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’

God chastened seem pleasant for the moment, but afterwards, when we see what God was doing, perfect chastening brings the ‘peaceable fruit of righteousness.’

Indeed, happy is the man who God corrects.