3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Commentary
Vs. 3 "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."
The Lord Jesus Christ endured hostility from sinners initially seems a strange statement given that the Lord Jesus Christ was often called "a friend of sinners" by His enemies (Matt 11:18-19). Thus sinners here is not those sinners who seeing their own need for redemption come to Christ and are saved by Him (consider Matt 9:10-13; Luke 7:36-50; 18:9-14 etc.). No sinners here refers to those demonically charged individuals (whether Jews or Gentiles, consider John 8:37-47) who not only orchestrated His Crucifixion, but having brought it to fruition, rejoiced to see Jesus suffering and dying on the Cross in their presence (i.e the Pharisees and Sadducee's and the godless mocking mob whom they stirred up to have Pilate crucify Christ). Therefore as believers we must not become weary and discouraged in our souls when the wicked of this world likewise set their sights on us because we belong to Christ. For as Jesus said, ....‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. John 15:20-21
Therefore when faced with such things let us continue on with Christ doing the good that God would have us do and not become discouraged, just as Nehemiah did when he too was faced with the hostility of sinners and their schemes when he began rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (consider then Gal. 6:9; 2 Thess. 3:13; 1 Peter 4:12-19).
Vs. 4 "You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
Verse three singularly dealt with the hostility and opposition from sinners that we will face in this world, while verses four to eleven will deal with the greater dilemma in each and every believers life, and that is our ongoing struggles with sin. For that is the primary battlefield for every believer, our human flesh and it's inclinations towards sin. That said our struggles with sin should not be the cause of our discouragement, rather we should remember that though at times we may be overwhelmed by our own weaknesses in this battle, we will never have to resist to bloodshed in our striving against sin (consider 1 Cor. 10:13). For we have been crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with (Rom 6:6), and thus we are being transformed into the glorious image of Christ by God's Spirit who is renewing us day by day, so then let us not give up when we falter (1 John 2:1-2) but let each one of us encourage each other, and assist one another as need arises (consider Gal. 6:1-2).
Vs. 5-7 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
Therefore we should not be surprised when God's correction comes to us to lead us out of it. For that is what you would expect from any sound parent (Prov. 19:18), and that is what God our Father does in seeking to remove those attitudes and actions that are not becoming of Him and His Son being in our persons and lives. Therefore rather than getting discouraged when we are rebuked by Him (as Cain was, see Gen. 4:6-7), we should seek Him and confess our sin and wrongs too Him; then having received His grace, mercy and forgiveness (Heb 4:14-16) seek to be what He is working out in us to be. For as the Scripture say's, "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?" Therefore child of God don't turn from God when you are rebuked by Him, rather turn to Him in obedience and faith so that you may be healed by Him (consider 1 Samuel 12:15; Hosea 10:12; Rev 3:19; antithesis Isaiah 1:5-9; Hosea 7:11-16; Zephaniah 3:1-2)
Vs. 8 "But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons."
It is most appropriate then that only the true children of God are chastened by Him. Notice too that there is none past or present or even future who have not, and will not be chastened by Him, for discipline is not only part and parcel of sound parenting but also of growing up into maturity.
Vs. 9-10 "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
It thus naturally follows that if we honor and obey our own mortal fathers, how much more should we readily be in subjection to our heavenly Father, who is the here described as the Father of spirits, that is He is the One who holds the breath of every living creature in His hands. Therefore we are all to be in subjection to Him and live for as Ezekiel God's prophet exhorted the then rebellious nation Israel, being in subjection to God our Father brings life, while rebellion against Him only brings ones own ruin and death (consider Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:10-11).
Vs. 11 "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Obviously being chastened by the Lord is not a pleasant thing, just as enduring corporal discipline as a child from ones own father is not pleasant. Nevertheless both have the very positive and fruitful effect of producing the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it. In other words God's chastening of us makes our lives not only more righteous, but also more peaceful. Now the antithesis of that would be to only produce spoiled and wild children as the Proverb warns, "spare the rod and spoil the child" (see Prov. 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15), and God is not in the business of raising selfish and self serving spoiled children who do not listen to Him, nor heed His Word.
Vs. 8 "But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons."
It is most appropriate then that only the true children of God are chastened by Him. Notice too that there is none past or present or even future who have not, and will not be chastened by Him, for discipline is not only part and parcel of sound parenting but also of growing up into maturity.
Vs. 9-10 "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
It thus naturally follows that if we honor and obey our own mortal fathers, how much more should we readily be in subjection to our heavenly Father, who is the here described as the Father of spirits, that is He is the One who holds the breath of every living creature in His hands. Therefore we are all to be in subjection to Him and live for as Ezekiel God's prophet exhorted the then rebellious nation Israel, being in subjection to God our Father brings life, while rebellion against Him only brings ones own ruin and death (consider Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:10-11).
Vs. 11 "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Obviously being chastened by the Lord is not a pleasant thing, just as enduring corporal discipline as a child from ones own father is not pleasant. Nevertheless both have the very positive and fruitful effect of producing the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it. In other words God's chastening of us makes our lives not only more righteous, but also more peaceful. Now the antithesis of that would be to only produce spoiled and wild children as the Proverb warns, "spare the rod and spoil the child" (see Prov. 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15), and God is not in the business of raising selfish and self serving spoiled children who do not listen to Him, nor heed His Word.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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