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    Hebrews 12:3-17
    Lesson 433

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    Adversity is training.
    Look for the lessons on suffering and chastisement.
     
    The blessings of God's discipline (12:5-11).
     
    Also;
    Apply God's truths to your life (12:12-16).
     
    This is an excellent passage to read when ill or facing hardships.

    The way to salvation:
     
    First, acknowledge that we are all sinners.
    Second, accept Jesus, who died for our sins, as your Savior.
    Lastly, pray, read the Bible, and make Jesus a part of your life.
     
    Salvation comes through the Son of God.

    The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews

    The King James Bible    ​




    Hebrews 12:3-17
    Spiritual commitment

    3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
     
    4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
     
    5 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 art rebuked of him:
     
    6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
     
    7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
     
    8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
     
    9 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?
     
    10 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.
     
    11 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.
     
    12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
     
    13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
     
    14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
     
    15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
     
    16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
     
    17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

    ​

    Margin notes:
     
    "Consider him that endured such contradiction." (12:3) - When facing a crisis, "think of Jesus, who endured such hostility."
     
    "Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (12:3) - "Lest you grow weary and faint of heart."
     
    "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood." (12:4) - "You haven't had to shed your blood."  
     
    "Ye have forgotten the exhortation." (12:5) - "You have forgotten the encouragement."  Refers to God's encouragement (Proverbs 3:11-12). 
     
    "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord..." (12:5) -  Verses 12:5-6 are paraphrased from Proverbs 3:11-12.  God is our heavenly father, don't be angry when He corrects or disciplines you.  His discipline could be anything from a personal hardship to a guilty conscience.  This does not mean that every crisis is a punishment from God, only that He keeps His options open when it comes to helping us learn and grow.  This verse was especially poignant when it was written in AD 70.  Jewish Christians were suffering ridicule and persecution.  Many were beaten and driven from their homes. 
     
    "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." (12:6) - "For whoever the Lord loves, he disciplines."  This message is repeated in Revelation 3:19.  Like any loving parent; God is saddened when we go wrong.
     
    "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons." (12:7) - "When you submit to God's discipline, He is treating you as His child."  Just as earthly fathers discipline their children, God disciplines His (Deuteronomy 8:5).
     
    "If ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (12:8) - "If you're not disciplined (by God), then you're not part of His family, you're illegitimate, and not a child of God."
     
    "We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us." (12:9) - "We have had earthly fathers who disciplined us."
     
    "They verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit." (12:10) - "For a few years they (our earthly fathers) disciplined us as they thought best.  But God's discipline is always for our own good."  As written in Psalm 119:71 and 119:75. 
     
    "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous." (12:11) - "No discipline is enjoyable (when it's happening)."
     
    "Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness." (12:11) - "Afterwards it brings the peace that comes with correct living."
     
    "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees." (12:12) - "Therefore, lift up your weary hands and weak knees."  Paraphrased from Isaiah 35:3.
     
    "Make straight paths for your feet." (12:13) - "Take a straight path." 
     
    "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (12:14) - "Seek peace with everyone, and holiness, without it we can not see the Lord."  This is paraphrased from Psalm 34:14 and reinforced in Romans 14:19.
     
    "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God." (12:15) - "Watch carefully that no one misses God's grace."
     
    "Profane person." (12:16) - "Godless person."
     
    "Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." (12:16) - Esau was the son of Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob's older twin brother.  Remember, Jacob conned Esau out of his family birthright for a bowl of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34).  When we ignore God and sin, we're behaving like Esau and trading away our eternal birthright for the meaningless pleasures of today.  ​ ​


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Hebrews 12:3-17
     
    3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up.

    4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
     
    5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
     
    "My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline,
          and don't give up when he corrects you.

    6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
          and he punishes each one he accepts as his child."
     
    7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?

    8 If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

    9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
     
    10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

    11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
     
    12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

    13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
     
    A Call to Listen to God
     
    14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

    15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

    16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

    ​17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
     
    1. How does God discipline us? (12:5)
     
       


    Strengthen your relationship with God by studying the Bible each day.
    Answer: (Do you agree?)
     
    1. "God disciplines in many ways, sometimes to train or prepare us for his ways, sometimes to punish us for unfaithfulness.  He can use sinful people as instruments of discipline (12:3), our own inner struggles against sin (12:4) or personal hardships (12:7).  Occasionally discipline may come in the broader context of physical suffering (11:35-38).  Israel suffered 40 years in the desert (Numbers 14:34); Paul received a thorn in (his) flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7).  Whatever form discipline takes, it is always for our benefit."
     
    (The "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 1738) 
     
     
     
        
    Application thought for the day:
     
    What spiritual insights from this passage can you apply to your life?   
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke.  Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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