Scientists have also discovered that women have more nerve receptors overall than men. For example, a woman has 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter on their face, whereas men have an average of 17. Of course, then there is the big debate on whether men or women can tolerate pain more. If you have ever seen a woman give birth to a baby, you might think women can tolerate just about anything!

Not all pain is alike. Some pain is physical, some emotional, and some is called “phantom” pain, which comes from a “phantom” body part that is no longer there because of amputation. Severe pain can be caused by migraine headaches and kidney stones. More mild pain might come from biting your tongue or getting a paper cut. Yet all pain serves a purpose: to let us know something bad is happening.

So how is it that Solomon can tell us that “blows that hurt cleanse away evil?” Because sometimes a remedy for a problem is temporarily painful but necessary in order to bring healing—such as discipline to warn a child playing in the street to prevent a tragic car accident. Or as a boil that needs to be lanced and cleansed, there are sins in our life that require treatment and cleansing.

When my children were small, sometimes they would get a sliver of wood under their skin. There was always the struggle of whether to leave it alone to fester or let Daddy pull it out—which could be briefly painful. Of course, in the long run, the momentary pain brought more lasting relief.

Nathan the prophet once brought some deep pain to King David. The spiritual blow took place after his great sin with Bathsheba. The man of God stood without flinching before the monarch and with piercing words struck the heart of David, pointing out his transgression by saying, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). The lash saved the king, who repented and turned to God, begging for a clean heart.

If we would be saved in God’s kingdom, we would welcome God’s discipline to cleanse our minds and hearts. We would pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24). Then we would allow the Spirit to work deep in our lives, even if it is painful. It always lessens the blow when we draw near to the one who holds the rod.

Additional reading: Proverbs 20:16–30

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:30