Letter to the Hebrews Volume 161

 The Discipline of Our Heavenly Father Part 3

Hebrews 12:9-10 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. KJV

The writer of Hebrews now declares, describes, and demonstrates how utterly ridiculous it is for any child of God to go about believing that their Father in Heaven is to loving to whip their behind by using the word picture here of any earthly father, as it is written, "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." (Hebrews 12:9-10) (KJV). The idea here is to show how stubborn, how shameful, and how stupid it would be for any child of God to place Him (Abba) lower than an earthly man who is a father. The writer reminds those new Hebrew Christians back then and we Christians today and of every era and generation how we (when we were children) gave our earthly father's reverence for their discipline to us. The English word 'corrected' is translated by the Greek word paideutēs meaning a trainer, that is, teacher or (by implication) discipliner: - which corrected, instructor. The little English phrase 'we gave them reverence' is translated by the Greek word entrepō meaning to invert, that is, (figuratively and reflexively) in a good sense, to respect. In other words, we did not despise, or detest, or even disdain their correction or discipline to us because we saw it for what it was, that is, punishment for our own willful waywardness and wrong doing, for we even respected them and regarded them highly. If this is the case with an earthly man who is equally as sinful as we are, then how much higher reverence, regard, and respect must we give to and show to our Holy and Perfect Father in Heaven who loves us infinite times more than our earthly father's ever did or ever could. The English word 'subjection' is translated by the Greek word hupotassō meaning to subordinate; reflexively to obey: - be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto. As Dr. Adrian Rogers said, "When He says to us 'Thou shall not', He is saying don't hurt yourselves and when He says 'Thou shall', He is saying help yourselves to health and happiness."

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 12:9-10, "The Apostle commends a dutiful and submissive behaviour in children towards their earthly parents We gave them reverence, even when they corrected us. It is the duty of children to give the reverence of obedience to the just commands of their parents, and the reverence of submission to their correction when they have been disobedient. Parents have not only authority, but a charge from God, to give their children correction when it is due, and He has commanded children to take such correction well: to be stubborn and discontented under due correction is a double fault; for the correction supposes there has been a fault already committed against the parent's commanding power, and superadds a further fault against his chastening power. Hence, (2.) He recommends humble and submissive behavior towards our Heavenly Father, when under His correction; and this he does by an argument from the less to the greater. [1.] Our earthly fathers are but the fathers of our flesh, but God is the Father of our spirits. Our fathers on earth were instrumental in the production of our bodies, which are but flesh, a mean, mortal, vile thing, formed out of the dust of the earth, as the bodies of the beasts are; and yet as they are curiously wrought, and made parts of our persons, a proper tabernacle for the soul to dwell in and an organ for it to act by, we owe reverence and affection to those who were instrumental in their procreation; but then we must own much more to Him who is the Father of our spirits. Our souls are not of a material substance, not of the most refined sort; they are not ex traduce - by traduction; to affirm it is bad philosophy, and worse divinity: they are the immediate offspring of God, who, after He had formed the body of man out of the earth, breathed into him a vital spirit, and so he became a living soul. [2.] Our earthly parents chastened us for their own pleasure. Sometimes they did it to gratify their passion rather than to reform our manners. This is a weakness the fathers of our flesh are subject to, and this they should carefully watch against; for hereby they dishonour that parental authority which God has put upon them and very much hinder the efficacy of their chastisements. But the Father of our spirits never grieves willingly, nor afflicts the children of men, much less His own children. It is always for our profit; and the advantage He intends us thereby is no less than our being partakers of His holiness; it is to correct and cure those sinful disorders which make us unlike to God, and to improve and to increase those graces which are the image of God in us, that we may be and act more like our Heavenly Father. God loves His children so that He would have them to be as like Himself as can be, and for this end He chastises them when they need it. [3.] The fathers of our flesh corrected us for a few days, in our state of childhood, when minors; and, though we were in that weak and peevish state, we owed them reverence, and when we came to maturity we loved and honoured them the more for it. Our whole life here is a state of childhood, minority, and imperfection, and therefore we must submit to the discipline of such a state; when we come to a state of perfection we shall be fully reconciled to all the measures of God's discipline over us now. [4.] God's correction is no condemnation. His children may at first fear lest affliction should come upon that dreadful errand, and we cry, Do not condemn me, but show me wherefore Thou contendest with me, Job 10:2. But this is so far from being the design of God to His own people that He therefore chastens them now that they may not be condemned with the world, 1 Corinthians 11:32. He does it to prevent the death and destruction of their souls, that they may live to God, and be like God, and for ever with Him."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…