Is The Scripture A Reprimand?

Chapter 6

Day 4

               According to the Encarta Dictionary a reprimand is a rebuke given someone for doing something wrong. Look at the underlined word. A reprimand is a rebuke, not a punishment.

In today’s society we tend to forget about the rebuke and go straight to punishment. What if God did that, where would we be?

The Old Testament scriptures are full of rebukes but we will examine just one as an example. You should be able to figure out the rest.

One of the minor prophets (Hosea) made his entire adult life a rebuke to Israel. In Hosea 1-8 we see that he married a harlot to symbolize Israel’s relationship to God. They had turned away from God again. They began to practice idolatry (2kings 15:35; 2Ch 27:2)  and commit “Spiritual Adultery” against the Lord (Hosea 1:2; 4:12-15). Israel refused to recognize that God had provided them with the wealth they possessed (Hosea 2:8), and even attributed their prosperity to the idols (Hosea 2:8). They became covetous and greedy, oppressing those who were least able to defend themselves (Hosea 1:10, 11; 2:14-23; 3:4, 5; 11:10, 11; 14:4-7).

Despite the punishment God promised them in Hosea 5; 9; 10; the book of Hosea was primarily a reprimand. This becomes apparent by the strong sense of hope evident through the book. Just as Hosea bought back his unfaithful wife, Israel will be redeemed by God in the last days (Hosea 1:10, 11; 2: 14-23; 3:4, 5; 11:10, 11; 14:4-7).

There are other books in the Old Testament that contain strong rebukes of Israel and you will find they always come before the punishment.

Jesus set the same standard of rebuke before punishment in the New Testament (Matthew 18:15-20). According to Jesus we should rebuke a brother alone first, and if the brother/sister does not listen, then take two or three with us and rebuke them again.

When I was a young man, many years ago, I saw a young man who had cancer turned out of a church for throwing a beer can in the back of a deacons pick-up truck. The deacon yelled at him and drove away. Before church services started the next Sunday, two other deacons talked with the young man and he refused to apologize because of the deacons behavior. They brought the young man before the church and turned him out. The deacon demanded it at the church service (Matthew 18:18). I have two questions; 1. What was the boy’s sin against God? 2. Who actually sinned against God, the boy or the deacon? Shortly after the boy died because of the cancer, one of his friends told the church that the boy was not drinking that day and the can the boy threw in the truck belonged to him. BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU REBUKE!!!!

The letters Paul wrote to the different churches were at least in part a rebuke for letting some type of immorality get into the church. You will see that Paul didn’t use harsh words, but rebuked them gently, then he devoted the remainder of the letter to teaching.

In Galatians 2 Paul rebuked Peter for teaching circumcision to the church. After the rebuke Paul taught them about circumcision of the heart.

Don’t use judgment as a rebuke. We hear all the time about churches who try to dominate their members lives by making up sins. According to one denomination, Jesus has been replaced as head of the church because he had long hair. This is ridiculous!!

Beating people over the head with the bible is not a reprimand, it’s a sin. This is why we need so badly to understand which scriptures in the bible are examples of reprimand.

Daily Bible Readings:

Read Matthew 18:1-20