God smiles on us when He brings destruction on a nation

Heb 12 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

The author to the Hebrews teaching on discipline is taught in a Jewish context. It is taught in the context of the Nation of Israel. The problem that is addressed is much worse than dealing with someone who is caught in a sin. These Jewish believers had forsaken the old covenant and the ceremonial law. But some of them who had embraced the new covenant were being tempted to go back under the old covenant. If you look at the context of the verse from Proverbs its talking about a young child in age. "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."He is drawing a parallel of a child who is naive. In this sense anyone who sees the light cannot un see it -Steve Brown...so in miss applying this we are really insulting the intelligence of an adult. In order for the child to be known as an adult in the faith he must gain knowledge in order to have enough wisdom to be considered an older man in the faith. The context of the warning is that these Jews knew a lot about the old covenant but were babies in their understanding of the new covenant. But the warning of the harsh discipline was directed toward those who apostatize after they have embrace salvation in the new covenant context.  You will see this kind of national discipline applied in the Psalms.

Ps 44 9" But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.

10 You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.

11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale."
  
The nation of Israel were made up of all the circumcised but within all those who were circumcised were the remnant of the elect. Here in this Psalm we see a christian prayer on behalf of a nation who has gone into exile. This pray is distinguishing between the sheep   ...15" My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame"....the christian context between using the curse of the law and the unbelieving Jew who curses God and shames Gods people.

17" All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path."

Here the Psalmist is drawing the line between the elect who act in prayer as a high priest on behalf of the whole nation and the reprobate. Again this thinking is part of the whole fabric of the Psalms. A person who has been saved or delivered by God is enjoying a relationship with a Father who has made a covenant of redemption that promises not to remember his sin.  You will find this throughout the Psalms that this saint appeals to God upon the faithfulness of His covenant in which the saint no longer represents himself but Gods name. You represent Gods name your in Gods army which is carrying out Gods justice upon the nations. This is why you will always see that the saint appeals to God on behalf of the nation as part of this army who has been perfectly faithful to Gods covenant. The saint is no longer the recipient of the curses of the law but uses the law to pronounce death on the wicked. The just war is carrying out Gods curses against His enemies. There is no pragmatism in our relationship with God under His covenant because God has already performed our part of the covenant in perfection.  

If you are familiar with the Baptist or Westminster confession they are written in this christian context in how we relate to saints who are in trouble by applying grace correctly.