HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1489
HEB R EWS 12
page 1119
joy* awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the
place of honor beside God’s throne. 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,
6
“My child,* don’t make light of the Lord’s
discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
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.
18 You have not come to a physical mountain,*
to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and
whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.
19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast
12:2b Or Instead of the joy. 12:3 Some manuscripts read
Think of how people hurt themselves by opposing him.
12:5a Greek sons; also in 12:7, 8. 12:5b Greek son; also in
12:6, 7. 12:5-6 Prov 3:11-12 (Greek version). 12:9 Or and
really live? 12:18 Greek to something that can be touched.
12:20 Exod 19:13. 12:21 Deut 9:19. 12:26 Hag 2:6.
and a voice so terrible that they begged God
to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under
God’s command: “If even an animal touches the
mountain, it must be stoned to death.”* 21 Moses
himself was so frightened at the sight that he
said, “I am terrified and trembling.”*
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful
gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of
God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself,
who is the judge over all things. You have come
to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven
who have now been made perfect. 24 You have
come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new
covenant between God and people, and to the
sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness
instead of crying out for vengeance like the
blood of Abel.
25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen
to the One who is speaking. For if the people
of Israel did not escape when they refused to
listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will
certainly not escape if we reject the One who
speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke
from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but
now he makes another promise: “Once again I
will shake not only the earth but the heavens
also.”* 27 This means that all of creation will be
shaken and removed, so that only unshakable
things will remain.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is
unshakable, let us be thankful and please God
by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For
our God is a devouring fire.
• Discipline
HE B R E WS 12:5-11
Parents who do not discipline their children are parents who don’t care. Just
as wise and consistent discipline is an
expression of a parent’s love, discipline
is an expression of God’s love for us.
God disciplines his children through
the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit
(John 16:8), the correction and rebuke
of his Word, the accountability of the
church, and sometimes external events.
We can accept the Lord’s discipline as
obedient children, grateful for a heavenly
Father who cares for us, or we can resent
it like rebellious teenagers, convinced
that we don’t deserve or need his advice.
How might God be trying to discipline
you even now—and what is your
response?