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consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth
thee" (Deut. 8: 2-5).
We are apt to fix our minds upon the painful side of chastening, and by reason of our
folly, there is often a need for that phase, but it is good also to notice that a part of this
discipline or chastening was the provision of the daily manna, the marvelous preservation
of clothing, and the care of the wanderers' feet!
"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Blessed is the man
whom Thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teacheth him out of the law" (Psa. 94: 11, 12).
"We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world"
(I Cor. 11: 32).
Here is another comfort: chastening is not condemnation. Chastening is for sons,
condemnation for the world. Man's thoughts are vain, he needs a twofold treatment;
chastening to remove folly, teaching to supply the needed instruction.
Chastening is not only the work of the Father, for Christ Himself says to the church:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous, therefore, and repent" (Rev. 3: 19).
The apostle puts the matter of this chastening before the reader in a variety of ways.
First, the attitude of mind toward it. Do not despise it. Do not faint when rebuked.
Perhaps "despise" is too strong a word. Rather what is meant is to hold lightly, to have
very little concern about. That is one attitude to be avoided. There is the opposite
extreme, however, that is, of magnifying the chastening endured, and so "fainting" at the
rebuke. This also is wrong. We have to remember that the chastening has to do with us
"as sons" (Heb. 12: 5-7). It comes to us from One Who loves us (Heb. 12: 6). To be
without chastening is to be without proof of sonship. The little gutter child, unkempt,
uncorrected, uncared for, is free from the discipline, restraint, training, care and
correction that loving fatherhood imposes, but who, knowing the truth, would exchange
the "discipline" of the one for the "liberty" of the other?
The apostle proceeds to reason from the lesser to the greater. We have had fathers in
this life whose discipline was brief, and as far as they knew right, but sometimes in error,
yet we held them in respect. God is the Father of our spirits, His discipline is never at
fault, and it tends to life. Shall we not then much rather render submission to Him?
The object that the Lord has in view all this time is revealed in Heb. 12: 10: "That we
may be partakers of His holiness." Holiness is the atmosphere of Hebrews, as
righteousness is of Romans. The sanctification of the believer lies entirely outside his
own deeds or endeavours. They are sanctified by the blood of Him Who suffered
"without the gate" (Heb. 13: 12). If they are called upon to go unto Him without the
camp, bearing His reproach (Heb. 13: 13), it is but manifesting in act and character what
has been already accomplished. The going without the camp will never sanctify--it may
manifest sanctification.
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all" (Heb. 10: 10).
"For by one offering He hath perfected for ever, them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10: 14).