What is the biblical definition of chastisement and what does it look like?
Chastisement is the word musar in Hebrew and it means to discipline. You can see an example of its use in the following scriptures:
Hos. 5:2 The revolters have gone deep in depravity,
But I will chastise all of them.
Jer. 31:18 “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the LORD my God.
The concept of chastisement carries with it the purpose of restoration. Chastisement is the process of discipling rebellion until it ends and obedience is restored, such as a parent discipling a child for its own good. This is the way the Lord works with His children, according to Hebrews 10.
There are many examples of chastisement in the Bible. The Lord chastises Jacob while in service to Laban. Joseph chastises his brothers in Egypt. The Lord chastises David for his sin with Bathsheba. Jesus chastised Peter at times. Paul chastised the church in Corinth.
The most powerful example of chastisement in the Bible is the way the Lord chastises the nation of Israel over the course of its history. The Lord's discipline eventually leads Israel back to faithfulness at the end of the age.
