Psalm 94:10
He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?
He who admonishes the nations
This phrase highlights God's role as the ultimate teacher and corrector of nations. The Hebrew root for "admonishes" is "yasar," which means to discipline, instruct, or correct. This word conveys the idea of a loving yet firm guidance, much like a parent disciplines a child for their growth and betterment. Historically, God has used various means to instruct nations, whether through prophets, natural events, or other nations. This phrase reminds us that God is sovereign over all nations, and His corrections are meant to lead them towards righteousness and justice.

does He not discipline
The rhetorical question here emphasizes the certainty of God's discipline. The Hebrew word for "discipline" is "musar," which is closely related to "yasar" and carries the connotation of correction and instruction. This discipline is not punitive but redemptive, aimed at bringing individuals and nations back to the path of righteousness. In the scriptural context, God's discipline is a sign of His love and commitment to His creation, as seen in Hebrews 12:6, which states, "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves."

He who teaches man knowledge
This phrase underscores God's role as the source of all true knowledge and wisdom. The Hebrew word for "teaches" is "lamad," which means to learn or instruct. This teaching is not merely academic but deeply spiritual, guiding humanity in understanding God's will and purpose. The phrase "man knowledge" indicates that all human understanding ultimately comes from God. In a historical context, this reflects the belief that wisdom and knowledge are divine gifts, as seen in the wisdom literature of the Bible, such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Yahweh)
The central figure in this verse, God is portrayed as the ultimate teacher and disciplinarian, emphasizing His omniscience and authority over nations and individuals.

2. Nations
Refers to the collective groups of people across the earth. In the context of this Psalm, nations are subject to God's admonishment and discipline, highlighting His sovereignty over all human affairs.

3. Man (Humanity)
Represents individual human beings who are recipients of God's teaching and discipline. This underscores the personal relationship between God and each person.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nations
God is not only concerned with individuals but also with entire nations. His discipline extends to all levels of human society, reminding us of His ultimate authority.

The Purpose of Divine Discipline
God's discipline is not punitive but corrective. It is designed to guide us back to righteousness and align us with His will.

The Omniscience of God
God, who teaches man, possesses complete knowledge. We can trust His guidance and correction because He knows what is best for us.

Personal Growth Through Correction
Embrace God's discipline as an opportunity for personal growth. It is a sign of His love and commitment to our spiritual development.

Responding to God's Teaching
Be open to learning from God in all circumstances. His teachings are rooted in His infinite wisdom and are meant to lead us to a deeper understanding of His truth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's role as a disciplinarian change your perspective on challenges you face in life?

2. In what ways can you see God's discipline as an expression of His love in your personal experiences?

3. How can the concept of God admonishing nations influence your prayers for your country and its leaders?

4. Reflect on a time when you resisted God's teaching. What was the outcome, and how might you respond differently now?

5. How can you apply the lessons from God's discipline to your relationships with others, particularly in roles of leadership or mentorship?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 3:11-12
This passage speaks about the Lord's discipline as an expression of His love, similar to a father's correction of his child. It reinforces the idea that God's discipline is for our benefit and growth.

Hebrews 12:5-11
This New Testament passage elaborates on the theme of divine discipline, explaining that it is a sign of God's love and a means to produce righteousness and peace in our lives.

Job 5:17
This verse highlights the blessedness of being corrected by God, aligning with the theme of divine discipline as a positive and necessary aspect of spiritual growth.
Divine Retribution CertainC. Short Psalm 94:1-23
Persecutors and Their VictimsHomilistPsalm 94:1-23
A Blind God WantedW. Arnot D. D.Psalm 94:7-10
God and Human MiseryG. Gladstone.Psalm 94:7-10
The Absurdity of Libertinism and InfidelityJ. Saurin.Psalm 94:7-10
An Argument All Should UnderstandS. Conway Psalm 94:8-10
Evolution and DesignCanon Tristram.Psalm 94:9-10
From Man to GodR. Tuck Psalm 94:9, 10
God HearsPsalm 94:9-10
Man's Powers the Gifts and Emblems of GodHomilistPsalm 94:9-10
The Divine Signature in ManW. A. Gray.Psalm 94:9-10
The EarT. De Witt Talmage.Psalm 94:9-10
The EyeT. De Witt Talmage.Psalm 94:9-10
The Planter of the Ear Must HearPsalm 94:9-10
The ThreeOld ArgumentW. M. Statham.Psalm 94:9-10
Views of the Divine CharacterD. Dickson, D.D.Psalm 94:9-10
People
Jacob, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Acts, Chastens, Chastise, Chastiseth, Correct, Disciplines, Gives, Heathen, Instructeth, Instructing, Judge, Lack, Nations, Punish, Rebuke, Reprove, Reward, Teaches, Teacheth, Teaching, Won't
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 94:9

     1210   God, human descriptions
     5147   deafness
     5149   eyes
     5159   hearing

Library
Of the Knowledge of Truth
Happy is the man whom Truth by itself doth teach, not by figures and transient words, but as it is in itself.(1) Our own judgment and feelings often deceive us, and we discern but little of the truth. What doth it profit to argue about hidden and dark things, concerning which we shall not be even reproved in the judgment, because we knew them not? Oh, grievous folly, to neglect the things which are profitable and necessary, and to give our minds to things which are curious and hurtful! Having
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Against Vain and Worldly Knowledge
"My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.(1) Give ear to My words, for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind, they bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations. Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more learned or wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many difficult questions. 2. "When thou hast read and learned many
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

A Prayer for the Spirit of Devotion
6. O Lord my God, Thou art all my good, and who am I that I should dare to speak unto Thee? I am the very poorest of Thy servants, an abject worm, much poorer and more despicable than I know or dare to say. Nevertheless remember, O Lord, that I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing. Thou only art good, just and holy; Thou canst do all things, art over all things, fillest all things, leaving empty only the sinner. Call to mind Thy tender mercies, and fill my heart with Thy grace, Thou
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
That house cannot stand.--Mark iii, 25. The times change and we change with them.--Proverb. The omission of all persecuting acts from the revision of the laws in 1750 was evidence that the worst features of the great schism were passing, that public opinion as a whole had grown averse to any great severity toward the Separatists as dissenters. But the continuance in the revised statutes of the Saybrook Platform as the legalized constitution of the "Presbyterian, Congregational or Consociated Church,"
M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.—The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut

Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul: I am come into deep waters; so that the floods run over me.--Ps. lxix. 1, 2. I am brought into so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.--Ps. xxxviii. 6. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: Oh! bring Thou me out of my distress.--Ps. xxv. 17. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord will receive my prayer.--Ps. vi. 8. In the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

In Death and after Death
A sadder picture could scarcely be drawn than that of the dying Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai, that "light of Israel" immediately before and after the destruction of the Temple, and for two years the president of the Sanhedrim. We read in the Talmud (Ber. 28 b) that, when his disciples came to see him on his death-bed, he burst into tears. To their astonished inquiry why he, "the light of Israel, the right pillar of the Temple, and its mighty hammer," betrayed such signs of fear, he replied: "If I were
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How they are to be Admonished who Lament Sins of Deed, and those who Lament Only Sins of Thought.
(Admonition 30.) Differently to be admonished are those who deplore sins of deed, and those who deplore sins of thought. For those who deplore sins of deed are to be admonished that perfected lamentations should wash out consummated evils, lest they be bound by a greater debt of perpetrated deed than they pay in tears of satisfaction for it. For it is written, He hath given us drink in tears by measure (Ps. lxxix. 6): which means that each person's soul should in its penitence drink the tears
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Temporal Advantages.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."--1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Every age has its own special sins and temptations. Impatience with their lot, murmuring, grudging, unthankfulness, discontent, are sins common to men at all times, but I suppose one of those sins which belongs to our age more than to another, is desire of a greater portion of worldly goods than God has given us,--ambition and covetousness
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Division of Actual Grace
Actual grace may be divided according to: (1) the difference existing between the faculties of the human soul, and (2) in reference to the freedom of the will. Considered in its relation to the different faculties of the soul, actual grace is either of the intellect, or of the will, or of the sensitive faculties. With regard to the free consent of the will, it is either (1) prevenient, also called cooeperating, or (2) efficacious or merely sufficient. 1. THE ILLUMINATING GRACE OF THE INTELLECT.--Actual
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Letter Xlvi (Circa A. D. 1125) to Guigues, the Prior, and to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse
To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse He discourses much and piously of the law of true and sincere charity, of its signs, its degrees, its effects, and of its perfection which is reserved for Heaven (Patria). Brother Bernard, of Clairvaux, wishes health eternal to the most reverend among fathers, and to the dearest among friends, Guigues, Prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and to the holy Monks who are with him. 1. I have received the letter of your Holiness as joyfully
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour,
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

But, Say They, How is the Flesh by a Certain Likeness Compared unto The...
25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostle said, "The Church is subject unto Christ." [1898] Clearly the Church is subject unto Christ; because the spirit therefore lusteth against the flesh, that on every side the Church may be made subject to Christ; but the flesh lusteth against the spirit, because not as yet hath the Church received that peace which was promised perfect. And for this reason
St. Augustine—On Continence

Question Lxxxi of the virtue of Religion
I. Does the Virtue of Religion Direct a Man To God Alone? S. Augustine, sermon, cccxxxiv. 3 " on Psalm lxxvi. 32 sermon, cccxi. 14-15 II. Is Religion a Virtue? III. Is Religion One Virtue? IV. Is Religion a Special Virtue Distinct From Others? V. Is Religion One of the Theological Virtues? VI. Is Religion To Be Preferred To the Other Moral Virtues? VII. Has Religion, Or Latria, Any External Acts? S. Augustine, of Care for the Dead, V. VIII. Is Religion the Same As Sanctity? Cardinal Cajetan,
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Chorus of Angels
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing! I t was a good report which the queen of Sheba heard, in her own land, of the wisdom and glory of Solomon. It lessened her attachment to home, and prompted her to undertake a long journey to visit this greater King, of whom she had heard so much. She went, and she was not disappointed. Great as the expectations were, which she had formed from the relation made her by others,
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Christian Meekness
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5 We are now got to the third step leading in the way to blessedness, Christian meekness. Blessed are the meek'. See how the Spirit of God adorns the hidden man of the heart, with multiplicity of graces! The workmanship of the Holy Ghost is not only curious, but various. It makes the heart meek, pure, peaceable etc. The graces therefore are compared to needlework, which is different and various in its flowers and colours (Psalm 45:14).
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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