God disciplines Israel as a father disciplines a son, using other nations as His rod, but His mercy never departs from them.
In 2 Samuel 7, God promises that when Israel commits iniquity, He will chasten them with the rod of men and the stripes of the children of men. Les Feldick explains that this means God uses other nations to bring Israel under discipline, yet He never gives up on them—His mercy remains by covenant promise.
2 Samuel 7:14 — This verse directly states that when Israel commits iniquity, God will chasten them with the rod of men and the stripes of the children of men.
In the Davidic covenant, God told David about Solomon and the royal line: "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men" (2 Samuel 7:14). The covenant context extends beyond Solomon to the nation of Israel, as the following verse makes clear: "But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee" (2 Samuel 7:15). Scripture presents both the certainty of divine chastening for iniquity and the enduring mercy of God toward the son He has chosen.
Les Feldick teaches that God's words to David about Solomon apply to the whole nation of Israel. "If he commit iniquity" is a condition Israel repeatedly met through its history of unbelief, sin, and idolatry. God promised to chasten Israel with the rod of men—that is, He would use other nations to punish them. Les points to the cyclical pattern in Judges, where God raised up judges to deliver Israel after they fell into sin, and to the later Roman destruction under Titus as evidence of this ongoing discipline. Yet the most important point, Les emphasizes, is the word "but" in 2 Samuel 7:15: even though God disciplines Israel, His mercy never departs from them. He has set Israel aside for a time but has not abandoned them forever. The regathering of Israel in 1948 is seen as a continuation of God's faithfulness to that covenant mercy.
Les explains that "the rod of men" refers to God using other nations to chasten Israel. When Israel became rebellious, steeped in unbelief, or idolatrous, God would bring in a conquering nation and put them in subservience. This happened repeatedly throughout history—in the period of the judges and later when Rome under Titus besieged Jerusalem and dispersed the Jewish people.
No. Les highlights the contrast in 2 Samuel 7:15: even though Israel would commit iniquity and face severe discipline, God says, "my mercy shall not depart away from him." Les points out that God has chastened Israel over and over, but He has never given up on them. Even when Israel was set aside and dispersed, God promised that His mercy would remain. The re-establishment of Israel as a sovereign state in 1948 is presented by Les as evidence that God is not through with them.
Les uses the book of Judges as a prime example of God's disciplinary pattern with Israel. The nation was on a roller coaster: under a righteous judge they were lifted to spiritual highs and had victory over enemies, but when the judge died, they sank into sin and rejection. God would raise up another judge, bring them back, and the cycle continued. God chastised them again and again, but He never gave up on them.
According to Les, Israel still faces the greatest discipline any people have ever experienced when they go through the Tribulation. This is not a sign that God has turned His back on them forever; He has merely set them aside. Even in the Tribulation, the promise remains that God has not destroyed the nation and His mercy has not departed.
Davidic Covenant Context
Les situates God's words within the Davidic covenant, showing that the royal line from David to Christ is part of God's covenant faithfulness to Israel.
Israel Chastened as a Son
Les teaches that 2 Samuel 7:14 promises God will chasten Israel when they commit iniquity, and the book of Judges proves this happened again and again without God ever giving up.
Discipline for Unbelief and Sin
Les confirms that God has disciplined Israel over and over because of their unbelief and sin, using the same rod and stripes language.
Rod of Men Explained
Les explains that "the rod of men" means God uses other nations to punish Israel, bringing them into subservience when they rebel or fall into idolatry.
The "But" of Mercy
Les shows that the third word of 2 Samuel 7:15—”but”—guarantees God's mercy will not depart from Israel even after He chastens them, and the context applies to the nation, not just Solomon.
The Flip Side of Discipline
Les emphasizes that even if God has to downtrod or disperse Israel for disobedience, the flip side is His promise that mercy shall not depart from them.
Discipline Without Destruction
Les teaches that regardless of how far Israel falls, God will discipline them—including through the Tribulation—but He will not destroy the nation or turn His back forever.
Rome, Dispersion, and Restoration
Les points to Rome's destruction of Jerusalem and the later 1948 re-establishment of Israel as evidence that God's mercy has never departed from the nation.
2 Samuel 7:14: I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
This verse directly answers the question by showing the father-son relationship and the promised discipline when Israel sins.
2 Samuel 7:15: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
This verse shows the crucial flip side: God's mercy remains with Israel even when He disciplines them.
Les teaches that "the rod of men" refers to God using other nations to chasten Israel. When Israel became rebellious or idolatrous, God would bring conquering nations against them, such as the armies that periodically oppressed them in the book of Judges and later the Roman army that destroyed Jerusalem.
No. Les emphasizes 2 Samuel 7:15, where God says "my mercy shall not depart away from him." Even though God has severely disciplined Israel and has set them aside, He has never turned His back on them forever. The nation's restoration in 1948 is seen as evidence of His continuing mercy.
Les teaches that Israel will yet face the greatest discipline any people have experienced when they go through the Tribulation. But even that will not destroy the nation, because God has promised that His mercy will not depart from them.
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