Hebrews 12:4-14

 

12:4

Jesus and many of the heroes mentioned in ch. 11 gave their lives for their faith.

 

“Not yet until blood you resisted against sin struggling against” is the word for word translation of the Greek.

“Until blood” is “mecriV aimatoV” and was used by Heliodorus to refer to mortal combat.  The word is then a familiar phrase for engaging in a conflict which involves the risk of wounds.  It is not a word for martyrdom but a word for dangerous combat. 

This may refer to martyrdom or a level of spiritual battle they have not yet seen.

 

 12:5 – 6

This word of encouragement comes from Proverbs 3:11-12

This proverb gives the readers the correct perspective

 

12:8 - 9

A son without a father is not normal.  A son should have a father guiding and correcting them.  If there is a father who loves the son then that father is, to the best of his ability, correcting, punishing, rewarding his son so he becomes more than a undisciplined child.

Every legitimate son undergoes discipline.

 

If the father of our flesh understood the importance of disciplining us then the Father of our spirits also understands. 

The phrase “father of our spirits” stands in contrast to “father of our flesh”.  This phrase is simply a comparison to our natural fathers and our Heavenly Father.

 

12:10

Our earthly fathers did what they thought was best.  They had our best interests in mind.

Our heavenly father will:

  1. Discipline us for our good – our benefit is what he has in mind.
  2. Discipline us so we may share in his holiness – being who we are today is not the goal, but to become like God is the goal.  Even going back to the days of the Exodus God’s word to us was, “Be holy because I am holy.”  By having his character and nature we can share with him in his blessed state.

 

12:11

Discipline, in any form, always seems unpleasant at the time.

Everyone goes through discipline,
but not everyone is trained by discipline.

 

For those who are trained by discipline the results of discipline which are:

  1. Harvest of righteousness – character and nature of God
  2. Harvest of peace – an understanding of the process and so is at peace with God and the ways of life.  They are:
    1. No longer resentful towards life, others, situations, God.
    2. No longer rebellious towards God’s expectations, truth and reality
      As Psalm 131 says:

“My heart is not proud, O Lord,

My eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

Or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child with its mother,

Like a weaned child is my soul within me,

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.”

 

Lamentations 3:25-42

 

Job 32:2-37:24 – Elihu’s speech is better than Job’s three friends. The first three friends told Job his problems were:

1.      Friend One – Eliphaz the Temanite – said Job was suffering because of his sin (2:11; 4:1-5:27; 15:1-35; 22:1-30; 42:7-9)

2.      Friend Two – Bildad the Shuhite – said Job had not repented of his sin and therefore was suffering (2:11; 8:1-22; 18:1-21; 25:1-6; 42:9)

3.      Friend Three – Zophar the Naamathite – said Job deserved to suffer more for his sins (2:11; 11:1-20; 20:1-29; 42:9)

 

Psalm 119:67, 71

Matthew 5:10-12 (Luke 6:22)

2 Thessalonica 1:4-7

 

Suffering in life comes from:

  1. Sin - Numbers 12:10-12
  2. Instructive Discipline - Hebrews 12:5-12
    1. “paideias” (12:5 – “discipline) – means “instructive discipline”.  In Judaism a father was required to provide proper instruction to a child.  This instruction included whipping with a light stick as acceptable.  This word includes instruction even to the dealing out of physical blows.
    2. “elegchomenos” (12:5 –“rebuke”) – to reprove, to rebuke, to reproach, to state that someone has done wrong
    3. “mastigoi” (12:6 – “punishes” or “scourges”) – means “to beat with a whip, to scourge”
  3. Ignorance – Hosea 4:6
  4. Strengthening - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Peter 5:10
    1. Restore “to put in order, to mend, to reestablish, to make whole”
    2. Make you strong “to set up, to fix firmly, to establish, to strengthen”
    3. Make you firm similar and may refer to the deeds that come in a sequence after “a” and “b”.
    4. Make you Steadfast “to make a foundation, to provide a solid foundation, to ground firmly.”
  5. Reveal God’s grace, power or the comfort (not of this world)-2 Corinthians 1:3-7
  6. It is unknowable and unrevealed to man - Exodus 4:11; John 9:1-3
  7. Righteousness in a fallen world results in suffering (when a righteous person lays down their life for someone – Jonathan faithfully died with his father Saul
  8. Sins of others result in suffering for the righteous - Jeremiah in Jerusalem
  9. Situations in an imperfect world - stubbed toe, tooth decay, etc.