Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. Tonight we're
looking at verses 5 through 11. And ye have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not
thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou rebuke of
him. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If you
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what
son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers
of our flesh which corrected us, we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the father of spirits and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now, no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. I've pointed out several times
to us that this letter was at first written to Hebrews who
professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When I say Hebrews, I
mean those who were of national Israel, and they had professed
faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. They'd turned their backs on
what we call today Judaism, but they were being pressured to
return. The writer shows that what Judaism
had in types, the writer through this whole epistle, he shows
what Judaism had in types and promises we have in reality in
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's
son, has a better name than the angels, and he has brought a
better hope with better promises, inaugurated a better covenant,
which he ratified with a better sacrifice, that is the sacrifice
of himself. For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. They had experienced
afflictions. As we read, if you look back
again, we looked at this last time as well, but if you turn
back to chapter 10, near these men and women who profess faith
in Christ, they were suffering. They were being persecuted. They
were having trials and afflictions and difficulties in this world.
In Hebrews 10 and verse 35, or 33 rather, he begins, partly
whilst you were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and
afflictions, and partly whilst you became companions of them
that were so used. For you had compassion of me
and my bonds and took joyfully." Notice this is what they had
endured. These to whom he's writing this letter. These who were being
pressured and tempted to turn back what they had already experienced
and what they were going through. You took joyfully the spoiling
of your goods. knowing in yourselves that you
have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not
away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of
reward. Now, as we look at the passage
tonight, we see how the trials and afflictions should not be
used as discouragements. When God's people experience
trials and afflictions and difficulties, it should not be considered as
discouragements to turn back, but as the demonstrations of
God's love. So there's four things in these
verses tonight, Hebrews 12, verses 5 through 11. First, look again
at what they knew. The scripture here says in chapter
12 and verse 5, and you have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children. Look again at a truth
that they knew. And the word that is translated
here, exhortation, I looked at how many times that same Greek
word is used in the New Testament. And it's used 29 times, this
word that's translated here, exhortation. It's used 29 times. And 20 out of those 29 times,
that word is translated into English either by the word comfort
or Consolation, one or the other. Comfort or consolation. It's
the same word that is used in Luke chapter 2, speaking of Simeon,
that older man who was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought
Jesus there into the temple. And the scripture says this about
him. The same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation
of Israel. So that word is most often translated
either comfort or consolation. Here it is translated exhortation. One writer said the word, this
word combines the notions. of both exhortation and comfort. This one word, this Greek word,
it combines the notions of exhortation and comfort. The note of encouragement
appears to be dominant. In other words, when the apostle
here says, and you have forgotten the exhortation, we might understand
that better as the encouragement. Have you forgotten at the word
of encouragement that speaks unto you as children? Have you
forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children? The encouragement, the word of
encouragement that speaks unto you as children. Now this word, This word the
apostle has reference to is found in several Old Testament places. If you will look with me at these
places, several of them. First in the letter or in the
book of Proverbs. This is almost word for word
here in Proverbs chapter three. And verse 11. My son, despise not the chastening
of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction. So the writer
of Hebrews is asking, have you forgotten this word of exhortation,
this word of comfort, this word of encouragement? You know it. And here it is, my son, despise
not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction.
For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth. even as a father
the son in whom he delighteth. And then turn farther back into
the book of Job, Job chapter 5 and verse 17. Behold, happy is the man whom
God correcteth. Therefore despise not thou the
chastening of the Almighty. And then go back to Deuteronomy
chapter eight. Deuteronomy chapter eight. In
verse 5, thou shalt also consider in thine
heart that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God
chasteneth thee. And then one other place, if
you will, turn to Psalm 94. Psalm 94. And verse 12, Psalm 94 and verse 12. Blessed, and you
know that word blessed, happy, happy. Happy is the man whom
thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law. So there are several Old Testament
verses that the apostle, the writer of this letter of Hebrews,
may have had in his mind when he asked them And you have forgotten
the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My
son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. In the New Testament,
the apostle Paul, he wrote, for our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, worketh for us. Affliction worketh for us. a far more exceeding and eternal
way of glory. And then both, remember the Apostle
James, in that first chapter, counted all joy when you fall
into divers temptation, knowing that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. And also the Apostle Peter, look
with me in First Peter, chapter one, 1 Peter chapter 1. So both James and Peter and Paul,
they all speak in these letters about afflictions, trials, difficulties,
proving our faith. In chapter 1 of 1 Peter, verses
6 and 7, wherein you greatly rejoice Though now for a season,
if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations.
And that word temptations means testings. That the trial of your
faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found under praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Gold, when it
is put into the fire, loses its impurities, but the gold itself
is not harmed. And the believer's faith, when
it is put into afflictions and trials and difficulties, if it's
true faith, it's not going to ruin, but rather reveal the character
of a person's faith. And back in the text, they needed
to be reminded of this truth. Reminded of this truth, have
you forgotten? Have you forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children? And it's about God's
chastening, about afflictions and difficulties and trials that
you experience in this world. Notice, realize what this is
teaching. Realize what this is teaching.
That's the point I believe the writer wants to make to these
people. being tempted to turn back. Realize what these trials
and difficulties that you're going through, what this is teaching. Realize this truth that it teaches. These things are true of all
whom God loves. They're true of all whom God
loves. Of every son he receiveth." In
other words, every believer, every child of God, everyone
that God loves, everyone that he receives, is going to go through
these afflictions and trials and difficulties. We just know
that's from the Word of God. So that's the first thing. Look
again at a truth that they knew. And he asked them, have you forgotten
this truth? I know that they were not being
told what is taught today in some places. And that is that
if you truly believe God, you'll never have any trouble. They're
not being told, they wasn't being told that, I'm sure. But that's
a lie. And this truth that we're looking
at tonight exposes that to be a false teaching. Those who would
teach that if you truly have faith, if you're truly a child
of God, then you will never have troubles and trials and difficulties
in this world. No, don't forget, the apostle
says, the writer writes, don't forget the word of exhortation. Well, second, look at afflictions
that God has appointed as encouragement, as encouragement. Take these
trials and these afflictions and these difficulties not to
discourage you, but to encourage you. Take them as encouragements. Verses seven and eight. If you
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. What an
encouragement that is. This speaks to you of your adoption,
that you are a son of God. For what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement,
whereof all, A-L-L, all of God's children are participants in
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then you are illegitimate
and not sons. Think about it. What does this
chastening imply? And it does much more than imply. It witnesses the chastening,
the afflictions, the trials, witnesses to your adoption, that
you are a son of God. If you be without these things,
then that witnesses to the fact that you're illegitimate. John
Owen, the Puritan who wrote the greatest commentary on the letter
of Hebrews, I'm sure. He said that the translation
here that says, dealeth with. If you endure chastening God,
dealeth with. He said that's a very weak translation. That the force of the words is
better rendered, he, that is God, offers himself to you in
the habit of a father to his children. He proposes himself
to you as a father and acts accordingly. The trouble, the chastening or
the discipline is a sign, not of God's disfavor, not of God's
disfavor, but the fact that he is your father. Now, most of
us adults here tonight, we are parents, and we would all confess
that we often fail or failed as parents, and very few parents
are as consistent as we should be in correcting our children. But that is never true about
God. He is never guilty of such failure. His children are those that He
set His love upon in eternity, those that He chose in Christ,
those He redeemed through the precious blood of His Son. And
all of His children are precious in His sight, and yes, He is
the perfect parent, the perfect Father. We're given a pattern
of this discipline in Deuteronomy. If you turn back to Deuteronomy
and what the Lord says here concerning Israel of old, the nation of
Israel. We see a pattern here of God's
discipline, His chastening. And I think it's a failure many
times to understand this passage we're looking at tonight, to
think that God only chastens when his children do something
they shouldn't do. That's not so. As a parent, you discipline,
you train your child. And that's what God does to his
children. And he uses trials and difficulties
and afflictions in training his children. And he has a purpose
and reason in all that he does. But here in Deuteronomy chapter
8, verses 2 and 3, the Lord speaking to the nation, and thou shalt
remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these 40
years in the wilderness. Now notice his purpose, God's
purpose, to humble thee. I was speaking to someone just
yesterday about God's children. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And God has a way of
keeping his children poor in spirit. I'm not talking about
poor in riches and things like that. But yes, poor in spirit,
needy. We never get to that place. We
never come to the place as God's children that we are satisfied
and sufficient in ourselves. Satisfied in Christ, absolutely. But recognizing that in my flesh
dwelleth no good thing. And that's never going to change
as long as we are in this world. One of the purposes God told
the nation of Israel that he had in leading them through that
wilderness for 40 years was first of all to humble them. To humble
them. And God humbles those that he
saves And he has a way of keeping us humble. He has a way of keeping
us humble. And to prove thee, and this is
important here, to know what was in thine heart. Now, he's
not saying that God wanted to find out what was in their heart.
God knows all things. He knows your heart. The scripture
says that darkness is like the light with Him. He knows everything,
all things. And that's a comfort to God's
children. But one of the reasons that God
led Israel as He did through that wilderness was to prove
them so that they might know what was in their heart. What
was in their heart? Unbelief. You remember when Moses
came down from the mountain, he had the law and he gave it
to the nation of Israel and they agreed, absolutely. What the
Lord said, that's what we will do. Well, how did that work out? They were proved what was in
their heart, murmuring, complaining over and over and over again.
We see that. to prove thee to know what was
in thine heart, that he might make thee know that man doth
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. So in that passage
there, in that verse, those two verses, we see a pattern, I believe,
of how the Lord disciplines his children, trains his children.
And yes, he uses these afflictions and trials and difficulties in
doing that. Now, here's the third thing.
If you go back here to Hebrews chapter 12, look at the analogy between fathers
of our flesh and our heavenly father, verses nine and 10. Furthermore, we have had fathers
of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now most children, respect their
earthly fathers and are in subjection to them. Children are given to
parents and they start out with disciplining them, chastening
them when it's needed, but most children respect their parents.
They learn to obey their parents and respect their parents. And
they are in subjection to their parents. When the parents say,
do this, they do it. They do it. I remember what one
lady said her daughter told her. They were in the car driving,
and I think she told her, her daughter was standing up in the
back seat. This was back before seat belts. And the mother told her, sit
down. Well, she didn't want to sit
down. The mother said, I said, sit down. Well, the little girl
sat down, but she told her mother, I'm sitting down, but I'm standing
up in my heart. But most children obey. They learn to respect and obey
their parents. The law of Moses made provision
of how to deal with a child who doesn't, who wouldn't. Let's
turn back there and read this in Deuteronomy chapter 21. And
the reason I'm having you turn back, I know I've had you turn
many times tonight, but back here, is because the severity
of the punishment here, I believe it proves the point that most
children are taught to respect and obey their parents because
of this provision in the law for one that didn't. In Deuteronomy
chapter 21 and verse 18, If a man have a stubborn and
rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father
or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened
him will not hearken unto them, then shall his father and his
mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the elders of his
city and under the gate of his place. And they shall say unto
the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He
is a glutton and a drunkard and all the men of his city shall
stone him with stones that he die. So that thou shalt put evil
away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear. That's severe
punishment, isn't it? For having a stubborn and rebellious
son or daughter. Now, When I say that's severe,
the punishment is severe, I believe it shows that this would be very
rare. This would be very rare that
any parent would have a child like this. And as far as we know,
no child of Israel was ever stoned under this law. I'm not saying
there wasn't, but we were never told that one was. But the punishment
was severe. And I believe that that emphasizes
the fact that that would be a rarity. Having a stubborn, rebellious
child like that would be a rarity that most children, as I've said
several times now, do respect and learn to obey their parents. Well, the writer here in Hebrews
tells us that parents correct their children for their good
in the few days. Notice that verse again, if you
will, back here in verse nine, furthermore, we have had fathers
of our flesh, which corrected us. We gave them reverence. Shall
we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and
live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their
own pleasure. Now, the few days may mean you
only have your children for a few days. They're up and gone before
you know it. And so take advantage of that
time that you have to train up your child. But then others believe
that the few days refers to the time that we live in this world.
And that's true too. Your children, my children, all
of us, we are someone's children. We're just going to be here a
few days. And it's good that we have been trained and disciplined
and taught so that we might live in this world. You've all heard
it been It's been said if parents will not discipline their children
when they're young, and train them, and teach them, that eventually
the police will. And I believe there's a lot of
truth to that, no doubt. Our Heavenly Father corrects
His children for our good. And notice two things are mentioned
here. In verse nine, the last two words,
and live. Furthermore, we have had fathers
of our flesh which corrected us, we gave them reverence, shall
we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and
live? What does that mean? Well, he
certainly is not teaching that it is through suffering, through
discipline, through afflictions that we inherit, earn eternal
life. Now you know many people have
been taught to believe that, that through our suffering, that
somehow we're going to merit eternal life. But remember, Isaiah
the prophet said the chastisement, that's what we're talking about
here, chastening, chastisement, the chastisement of our peace,
for you to have peace with God, for me to have peace with God,
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. Who? Christ. the suffering servant. And with His stripes we are healed,
not with our stripes, not with our afflictions and our sufferings.
We're not healed through those things. God punished our sins
in the substitute. And remember this, no child of
God, God will ever punish for their sins. Sometimes people
They make a statement like that. Well, the Lord's punishing me
for my sin. Not if you're a child of God.
He's not going to do that. Why? Because He punished your
sins and your substitute. And God is not unrighteous to
punish the same sin twice. No. What does this mean then? And live. God punished our sins
in the substitute. John Gill said, and live, that
you shall live more comfortably and more to the glory of God
and in communion and fellowship with him here and in heaven to
all eternity. And then in verse 10, we see
these words might be partakers of his holiness. These afflictions and trials
and chastenings are intended to have a healthy effect upon
God's children, and they do. It seems to me that God's children, many, are more able to seek the Lord and serve the Lord
in days of difficulty than they are in days of prosperity. It just seems that God's people,
for the most part, the more difficulties that they are in, the more they
seek God's face. And we learn from the trials. First of all, they make us more
aware of the awfulness of sin. When we suffer afflictions and
when we see others suffering in this world, it reminds us
of the awfulness of sin. And sometimes lost people will
say, well, I just can't see how a good God would allow this to
happen. Remember, man, man brought sin
into this world. And with sin came all the sufferings
that man experienced. Don't blame God for what man
has brought upon himself. These chastisements and afflictions
are for our good, to make us more aware of the pardon of sin,
the sacrifice of Christ, that God had to give His only begotten
Son that our sins might be pardoned, and to make us more aware of
the glory of heaven. What will it be like when we
have sin no more? Can you imagine that? What a
wonderful day that's going to be when we have sin no more. Never an evil thought, never
anything to hinder us in worshiping and praising and blessing God.
What a day that's going to be. To be with Him where He will
wipe all tears from our eyes. And we shall be at home in perfect
peace, as we sang in that hymn just a few minutes ago. Glory,
glory, dwelleth in Emmanuel's land when we come there. There's
one last thing in verse 11. Look at a very obvious truth,
a very obvious truth. No chastening, for the present
seemeth to be joyous. The chastening, the affliction
is never joyous in itself, but it serves for our good. And this word may signify trained
up and instructed in the school of afflictions in which many
useful lessons we learn. Lessons like faith, hope, patience,
experience, humility, and resignation to God's will. These are things
that we learn in afflictions and trials and difficulties.
So this passage of scripture for a child of God who's going
through difficulties and trials and afflictions in this world
should be an encouraging passage of scripture. shouldn't discourage
us, should be an encouragement, because every son that God receiveth,
he scourgeth. He chastens every son that he
loves. Well, I pray that the Lord would
bless this word to all of us here tonight, and that God would
help us to remember, and in the midst of trials and difficulties,
that we recognize these things, They don't just spring out of
the ground, that everything is according to God's perfect will. Let's sing a hymn before we're
dismissed.