Happy is the man whom God correcteth!

Job 5:17,18

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

The book of Job is one with great truths revealed from a time of hardship for the man of God. We know that Job was an upright and perfect man; the Lord declared that Himself.

We come to chapter 5 of the book of Job to find that his friends are now with him, they came to comfort him, and sat in silence for seven days. Now, the first of his friends begins to speak.

Eliphaz transitions from a comforter to a counselor to being suspicious of the character of Job. While he suspects that Job has done something to merit the chastening hand of God; we know that not to be true; he does however give a good truth that we can apply to our lives as well.

1) Happy is the man whom God correcteth!

You may ask, why on earth would I be happy if God was chastening me? Well, Hebrews 12:6 teaches us that whom the Lord loveth, He chastens and are called His sons! When I am spanked by the Lord, it gives great assurance to know that I am a child of God and that He loves me!

2) Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty!

Hebrews 12:11 teaches us that although chastening is not pleasant in the moment, it yields fruit, and makes us more like Christ as a result. This shows me that the Lord is doing a work in my life! That is something to rejoice in.

3) For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he wondeth, and his hands make whole.

When we are chastened by God, because He loves us and wants to work in us, He consoles us and brings comfort to us! It’s like spanking your child: when Peyton disobeys, he gets spanked. I don’t just leave him to cry and hurt with apathy. I will take him, place him on my knee, have him explain why he was spanked, show him there are consequences to his sin, and console him wiping his tears away. Then I thank God that He does the same in my life!

Though Job had not sinned, therefore meriting the chastening hand of God; the counsel of Eliphaz is something we can ponder and apply to our lives. I pray that I am tender toward the Lord even in times of chastening; that I can learn, and mature in the Lord. Let us rejoice that God loves us and is doing a work in us, and let us not get angry at God, let us not get bitter but better!

Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
www.stephenunderwood.net