We all know there are more than one or two proverbs about how we should not avoid disciplining our children, which means that punishment is mandatory for raising a child correctly.

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But if we punish them, it causes them pain and can even traumatize them, so if we harm and traumatize our children does that mean we don’t really love them?

Of course not!

All God’s creatures need to be taught what is good and what is bad for them, whether it be a mother lion teaching her cubs to avoid the cobra or a human mother teaching her child to stay away from strangers. All youngsters need to learn what is useful and good for them, and what is harmful, and since humans are, by nature, rebellious and curious, the lessons often need to be accentuated with a slap on the tuchas to demonstrate that doing wrong hurts.

God loves his children more than any human ever could, and being God, his punishments can be more terrible than any human could come up with.

The main difference between human punishment and God’s punishment is that humans almost always punish when they are frustrated and angry. Too often, because humans are self-absorbed and prideful, parents will punish as much because the child isn’t listening to them as because of what the child is doing, and often we punish others as a means of “getting back” at them.

God punishes us for disobedience, as well, but he has no prideful desire to get back at us, and when he punishes it is usually after a long and drawn-out period of him putting up with our rebellion and sin. Humans punish pretty much right away, but God waits a long time before issuing his punishment because he loves us so much, he wants to give us more than enough time to repent before we have to suffer the consequences of our actions.

And when we repent, we are forgiven. But, although we have forgiveness through Yeshua the Messiah, that fact is not going to save you from the consequences of what you do while you are alive. Forgiveness of sin through the Messiah is on an eternal plane, and is meant for our spiritual beings; while we are on the earth, we will suffer for our sins.

Another thing about God’s punishment, which is usually referred to in the Tanakh as God’s curses, is that he doesn’t really do anything to us; he will simply leave us alone. The world is a cursed and fallen place and when you separate yourself from God by sinning, he will simply stop protecting you from the world. Without God’s kippur (covering) of protection, it is you against the world, and I don’t have to tell you who will win that battle.

However useful punishment can be, it is a two-edged sword: it can humiliate us to the point where we stop doing what we want to do and realize that God’s way is best, or we can become angry and more rebellious, blaming God for the problems we have (which we caused) and turn further away from him.

Humility and knowledge of the Bible are things, in my opinion, which will help us choose to have the right reaction to God’s punishment, and believe me, it is always our choice how we react. Whether we obey or reject God, it is always our decision, and even if you are following the teachings of another, it is your decision to accept those teachings as valid.

“I was just following orders” did not save anyone at the Nuremberg Trials, and it certainly won’t save you from God’s judgment.

If you feel you are being punished by God, be grateful that he loves you enough to try to steer you back into communion with him, and for your own sake, humble yourself and listen to him. God has told us in his Torah all we need to know in order to worship him correctly and treat each other as he wants us to do; and, when we do that, we will be blessed- that is his promise, and he always keeps his promises.

Read Deuteronomy 28 and see what wonderful blessings you can have for simply living your life as God instructs; and, while you’re there, after the blessings read the punishments that will follow if you choose to ignore God.

Punishment is necessary for learning- that’s just the way it works. If you ever have to punish someone, do so using God’s example, and don’t punish from anger or spite or a need for revenge, but do so with love and desire to help the one you are punishing; if you can do that, then you may just save their life.

Thank you for being here and please subscribe, share these messages with others and until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!