 |  |
He endured as none else endured, refusing deliverance, refusing to save Himself, and
finally attained unto that better resurrection where He waits the day of His return.
He is indeed the altogether lovely One, the chiefest among ten thousand. Here, as in
Col. 3:, "Christ is ALL".
#61.
Discipline and sonship (12: 5-14).
pp. 151 - 155
Heb. 12: 5-24 is occupied with a twofold theme: 5-14, Sons; 15-24, Firstborn.
The first section, sons, speaks of that of which all are partakers if they are true
children. The second, of that which the firstborn attain, but of which the Esaus fail.
The structure of 12: 5-14 is simply in its broad outlines, though involved when we
approach the detail.
Heb. 12: 5-14.
A |
5-10.
Mark of sonship. Discipline received.
B
| 10.
The end. Partakers of His holiness.
A |
11-13.
Fruit of righteousness. Discipline exercised.
B
| 14.
The pursuit. Peace and holiness.
The opening verse of Heb. 11: is twofold in its aspect, viz., (1) faith is the substance
of things hope for: this is the theme of Heb.11: (2) the elengchos of things not seen:
this is the theme of Heb. 12: 5-14.
Elengchos is balanced by elengcho in Heb. 12: 5 where it is translated "rebuked".
Now the quotation, "the just shall live by faith", in Heb. 10: 38, takes us back to the same
word, for in Hab. 2: 1 we find it in the word "reproved". In Heb. 12: the apostle
quotes Prov. 3: 11, 12, where in the LXX translation we find elengchos as "correction".
This "rebuke", "correction", "discipline" is an essential accompaniment of sonship and
growth.
Let us now look at one or two passages that illuminate the purpose and instruments of
chastening:--
"Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years
in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart,
whether thou wouldst keep His commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and
suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy
fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment
waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years. Thou shalt also