The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 382

Vere, 5, 6.-Divine discipline. "My Ron, despise not tho11 the chastenin"' 0 of the Lord," etc. Our subject is Divine discipline. Let us notice- I. 1TB O!IARACTER. 'l'hree words are used to express it--" rebuke" "chastenino-," "scourging." The Inst two seem to be used synonymously here. Ar~hbishop Tren~h points out that "' to rebuke' and 'to chasten' are often found together, but they are very capable of being distinguished. ''l'o rebuke' is so to rebuke that the person i8 brought to the acknowledgment of his fault--is convinced, as David was when rebuked by Nathan (2 Sam. xii.13)." The word translated to" chasten,"" being in classical Greek to instruct, to educate, is in sacred Greek to instruct or e.ducate by means of correction, through the severe discipline of love." 1 The object of the discipline is to deliver the subjects of it from sin, to establish them in the faith, and to perfect them in holiness. 'l'he means of the discipline are afflictions, persecutions, and trials. And it may be administered by the enemies of the Church of Christ. The persecutions of man may be the discipline of God. "Persecution for religion is sometimes a correction and rebuke for the sins of professors of religion. Men persecute them because they ar<i religious; God chastises them because they are not more so: men persecute them because they will not give up their profession; God chastises them because they hav~ not lived up to their profession." II. ITS AUTHOR, "The chastening of the Lord. . . . Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." Some of our trials are from his hand. He is the great Husbandman, and he prunes the vines that they may bring forth more fruit. The trials which are not sent by him are permitted by him (cf. Job i. 12; ii. 6; 2 Cor. xii. 7). And he gives to all our trials their disciplinary character. He makes the bitter potion medicina.l. By his blessing our sufferings become salutary, and our sorest afflictions our sagest instructors. The fact that the Lord is the Author of our disci plioe, that our trials either proceed from him or are permitted and rega.lated by him, supplies a guarantee that we shall not be tried beyond our strength. He is infinite in wisdom and in love. " He knoweth our frame; " and he will either restrict our trials so that they exceed not our strength, or increase our strength until it surpasses the severity of our trial~. " He stayeth his rou·gh wind in the day of the east wind." " I will correct thee in measure." "1'hough he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies." " My graco is sufficient for thee ; for my strength is ma.de perfect in weakness." III. !Ts SUDJECTS. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 1. They are filially related to him. "Every son" of his be subjects to reproof and chastisement. "God has one Son without sin, but nonCJ without suffering." If we are his sons, we may rest assured that be will not fail to secure to us the discipline that we need. 'fhus our sufferings may be an evidence of our sonship. 2. They are beloved by him. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." Because he loves us he corrects us. It has been well said, that "la.wns which we would keep in the best conditioo are very frequeotly mowo; the grass has sca.rcely any respite from the scythe. Out io the meadows there i~ no such repeated cutting; they are mown but once or twice in the year. Even thus the nearer we are to Go<l, and the more regard he has for us, the more frequent will be our adversities. 1'o bo very dear to God involves no small degree of chastisement." IV. ITS REOEPTION. "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord," etc. ] . It should not be deemed unimportant. "Regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord." "We may be said to despise the chastening of the Lord,'' says Dr. Wa.rdlaw, "in the following cases: (1) When it is 11ot felt; when there is a want of natural sensibility to the particular stroke of the rod. This is but rare. Men_ in general_are quite sufticiently alive to the value of temporal things. But the value 1s comparative. '!'here are cherished and favourite possessions, and others less highly thought of, less fumlly held, The Lord, it may be, deals gently. He spares the 'gourd.' He does not take what is most highly set by. And instead of humbly owoing the kindness-being lowly and submissive, and seoki~g a blessing on the gentle stroke, that t_he he~v~~r one may be withhelu-the preservation and safety of the greater produces msens1b1hty to the privlltion of the less ; and the correction is thns disregarded, a.ncl ri:oves in~ffi_cien t. (2) When it is not duly felt as from God. (3) When, although God 1s seen m 1t llUU ' 1 ComMentnry on the Epistles to the Seven Chmches in Asia.'  376 'l'HE EPIS'l'LE TO 'l'HE HEBREWS. (en. xn. l-~29,