Loving with a rod.

 “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Proverbs 13:24

As a father I could never see myself using a rod to punish my children.  Of course, as a child, I would have read the above verse to mean just that.  Why?  Because often our fears are imposed upon our understanding and we look at everything in terms of how it could hurt us… not help us.

But the deep truth of the scripture hear is one that truly comforts us… fathers and children alike… when we realize what it is saying.

“thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4b

I used to wonder how I could gain comfort from symbols that I thought did harm.  Having been trained in the martial arts as a child and young adult I knew the rod and the staff to be instruments of war, self-defense, and pain.

Having that perception made it hard to understand God’s love.

The rod represents strength or power…

The staff,… authority and wisdom.

Strength and power protect.

Authority and wisdom direct.

When a father neglects to use his strength and power to protect his son… he is working against him… he is not supporting him… he is hating him.

But when he loves him… he chastens him… he secures him to himself.  Chastening can mean discipline.  But because we know that every word of God is good for edification, exhortation, and comfort we need to make room for a definition, an understanding that would comfort.

When a child does something  wrong… the father who seeks first to protect them and quickly secure them to himself… and then lead by example to instruct… that father is loving that child.

He is using both his staff and his rod.

His strength (his rod) he is using not to harm, but to draw in.

And Our Father does the same.

He is ever seeking to draw us closer to Him.  He wants authority in our lives.  He wants to lead us.

As fathers, we need to do the same.

SDG