Towards Restoration

 

In some gatherings of believers, sorry to say, discipline of errant members seems to be more judgment than discipline.  As we have been learning, judgment creates an end of relationship but discipline is to change for the better, to train and instruct towards the view of restoration for the good and betterment of the person under review.

Just think of your own current church setting or one you may have grown up in from childhood. How many, that you are aware of, were "naughty" (looking from a child's perspective) and were eventually never seen again because of the way the person under supposed discipline was treated so harshly or unjustly and maybe even due to a miscommunication of the said person's actions or speech thoughts.

The disciplined person was shunned beyond reconciliation.  Maybe the brother or sister truly did need the discipline but the manner in which it was given was way out of line - certainly NOT showing much brotherly love.  So the person was damned to Satan with no hope of restoration by the judges who were so-called caring brothers and sisters-in-Christ.  It could well be that they had forgotten to humbly remove the beam in their own eyes before processing the spec in someone elses (see Matthew 7:5).

The discipline our Heavenly Father meted out upon the House of Judah (Southern Kingdom - if you will) was severe.  Yes.  Agreed.  However, God saw restoration as His goal in those lives.  In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we see the actions of restoration in action because His discipline of His people wrought repentance.

Those were volunteers, by-the-way.  King Cyrus of Persia did not demand or command that the Jews return to their homeland to rebuild the Temple in which to worship God.  No.  God  stirred their hearts to go once the king's heart had been stirred to release them.  They were eager to go despite the depressing and dangerous conditions they'd see and have to deal with upon arrival.

This was all part and parcel of the steps of reconciliation.  If the discipline - of all those 70 years, and hardships along the way - had not hurt in the correct places, restoration could not have been effected.  It would have been judgment and nothing much would have been accomplished by their exile.

What was the lesson the Jewish people were supposed to have learned?  Turn to 2 Chronicles 12:6-8 again.  Note especially, verse 8,

"...so they will learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands."

So the first batch of returnees went back to Jerusalem.  The first thing they made was the altar!  WOW!  Doesn't that just thrill your heart and shiver your timbers?!

"Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the law of Moses the man of God" (Ezra 3:2 NIV).

I just love that!

Their discipline by the hand of God, had done its  work.  Their exile time had  had a limit of  70 years and the goal was to move towards and affect restoration, in increments of trust building.  Seems this 'test' passed muster.

Oh, when we discipline our children, let's patiently keep the purpose in mind.  In our church settings, let us keep the discipline's best outcome of restoration in mind.  Be sure we are not vindictively and self-righteously raking anyone over the coals.  Let it be discipline towards restoration, not judgement to the destruction of our fellow brother or sister-in-Christ, nor of our own offspring.  No abusive victimizing should ever enter into the equation.

Remember how God our loving Heavenly Father metes out the proper corrective measures.  Follow His Supreme example to the best of our ability and plead with Him for wisdom to do as He did and does when we lack it (which is probably always).  

May His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Amen.

                                                    ~ERC  February 2022~

Based on Ezra 1 and 3.