Job 5:17-18 Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects: therefore despise not you the chastening of the Almighty:… 1. There is, or possibly may be an averseness in the best of God's children for a time, from the due entertainment of chastenings. Every affliction is a messenger from God, it hath somewhat to say to us from heaven; and God will not bear it, if His messengers be despised, how mean soever. If you send a child with a message to a friend, and he slight and despise him, you will take it ill. 2. The lightest chastenings come from a hand that is able to destroy. When the stroke is little, yet a great God strikes. Although God give thee but a touch, a stripe which scarce grazes the skin: yet He is able to wound thee to the heart. Know, it is not because He wants power to strike harder, but because He will not, because He is pleased to moderate His power; thou hast but such a chastening, as a child of a year old may well bear; but at that time, know, thou art chastened with a hand able to pull down the whole world; the hand of Shaddai, the Almighty gives that little blow. Men seldom strike their brethren less than their power; they would often strike them more, their will is stronger than their arm. But the Lord's arm is stronger (in this sense) than His will. He doth but chasten, who could destroy. (J. Caryl.) Parallel Verses KJV: Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: |
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