In Jewish tradition the book of Devarim (a.k.a. Deuteronomy) is often described as Moses' final rebuke of the children of Israel. The places listed in Deuteronomy 1:1 are associated with the nation's failures during the Exodus years, as laid out in the Targums. There is implicit rebuke in verse 2, which notes that Israel spent 38 years on an 11-day journey.
We have a tendency to view rebuke as a negative thing. But in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on February 4, 2023, Kyle Kettering explained that rebuke can also be viewed positively, as encouragement that points to better results in the future. A person who rebukes you is one who cares enough about you to do so and feels you are worth the time and effort.
The book of Proverbs says that responding positively to rebuke is a characateristic of the wise. "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool," we read in Proverbs 17:10. Ecclesiastes 7:5 adds, "It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools."
Kyle passed along some interesting Jewish traditions about rebuke. One said there was a reason that Israel was blessed by an enemy (Balaam) and rebuked by a friend (Moses), rather than the other way around. Blessings from an enemy and rebukes from a friend are recognized as genuine, while blessings from a friend and rebukes from an enemy may not be taken seriously.
Another tradition says that the nations rebuked Israel after the rescue of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. "You have a God like this, so why did you worship idols?" they wanted to know.
Kyle reviewed the principle of rebuke in Lev 19:17 and the procedure for Chistian conflict resolution in Matthew 18:15-17. He listed several purposes of rebuke:
- It can turn a brother away from error.
- It can create unity and harmony.
- It can take spiritual life to a new level.
- It can merit a reward---Proverbs 24:25.
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