The rod is Jesus' mouth, not a stick.

We are talking about the rod of Jesus’ mouth. What does Jesus hit us with?

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Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Isaiah 11:4 “But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.”

What type of rod does Jesus use on us? The rod is a staff or stick that some use to beat or hit a child, but that is not the rod Jesus uses on us. Jesus uses His words of truth to strike the earth with His boundaries. Jesus declares the truth which sets boundaries and measures how far we can go. His words are the rod He uses to judge us.

If Jesus uses His words as a rod, what type of rod should we use? We ask Jesus first, and use His rod of truth to measure each situation and set boundaries and to judge. His words are always true. His rod is the rod of truth. Our rod should be the truth. There are no monsters in the closet. There are no beatings just because it’s “good for you” or just because “I’m your father”. The truth is the rod we should use.

Story: beatings and no truthful boundaries “Spare the rod spoil the child” has been interpreted by many to mean beat them often and they’ll thank you later. The verses in the Old Testament refer to a child being spanked. When does a child go past the age of being a child? My wife was not just spanked. She was beaten by her father until she was 21 years old. She was many years past the age of a child. What happens if you are beaten for obeying? When Ileana was in high school her dad said don’t bring any boys to the house without my permission. Well Ileana never considered bringing a boy home. Eventually a boy came over on his own. Ileana didn’t invite the boy over, but he came anyway. Ileana’s dad was furious. After the boy left, she received a violent beating. The standard was changed. The boundary that was set by her dad was changed in a moment of anger. The new standard became, “You will get beaten, even if the boy comes over without you knowing.” The original standard and the truth were tossed out. Ileana was beaten whether she obeyed or disobeyed. Trust and respect only survive on a foundation of a truthful standard. Eventually Ileana’s dad did change and by the time I met him he was very different.

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John 10:10-11  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

The rod of truth brings abundant life. The rod without truth is like a thief who only comes to steal and kill and destroy. The purpose for the shepherd was to lay His life down for His sheep. Parents are called by God not to kill or destroy or steal from their kids. Parents are to lay their lives down for their kids like Jesus and use the rod of truthful words to give life to their children.

Prayer coaching: “Jesus, my desire is to see the truth in my current situation. I don’t want to let my eyes and ears distract me from the whole truth. Make it clear to me what is really going on so that burdens can be lifted.”