Hebrews 12:3-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
The Identity of the Chastened
Identity is a core theme throughout Scripture. There is something in a name. If we look at the various names of God, we can see testimony of His character. His names reveal who He is. In our modern culture, we name someone based on names that we like or sound fitting. It is rare that someone name their child out of understanding of the child. It was common practice to wait to name the child until they knew what they'd be proclaiming over that child. A name is a proclamation. It is supposed to mean something.
I will give an example. My wife got into a quad accident that resulted in a broken jaw and a fractured neck. Shortly after receiving the news of these breaks, we also discovered that she was pregnant. From that moment on, and all through the process of healing, the Lord covered us with joy. Our minds were filled with peace and it was as though joy was placed as a crown upon our heads. Sure the healing process for Priscilla was a hard one, but thanks be to God for this child, she was perfectly preserved and served as a continuous source of joy to us. In light of this, we named here Atarah Joy. The name Atarah is derived from the Hebrew word for crown, atara.
3You shall also be a crown (atara) of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
-Isaiah 62:3
Names carry meaning. The Hebrew people understood this. They were called Israel. That meant something. It was carried as an identity to them. They were the nation that belonged to Yahweh. They are being told by the synagogue that they no longer are. They are being treated as outcasts and removed from families. So the weight of what is written carries through to the original audience. God's chastening of you is evidence that you are sons. You belong to God. Do not fret and do not fear. You are still His.
What lesson do you see for the original audience?
I will give an example. My wife got into a quad accident that resulted in a broken jaw and a fractured neck. Shortly after receiving the news of these breaks, we also discovered that she was pregnant. From that moment on, and all through the process of healing, the Lord covered us with joy. Our minds were filled with peace and it was as though joy was placed as a crown upon our heads. Sure the healing process for Priscilla was a hard one, but thanks be to God for this child, she was perfectly preserved and served as a continuous source of joy to us. In light of this, we named here Atarah Joy. The name Atarah is derived from the Hebrew word for crown, atara.
3You shall also be a crown (atara) of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
-Isaiah 62:3
Names carry meaning. The Hebrew people understood this. They were called Israel. That meant something. It was carried as an identity to them. They were the nation that belonged to Yahweh. They are being told by the synagogue that they no longer are. They are being treated as outcasts and removed from families. So the weight of what is written carries through to the original audience. God's chastening of you is evidence that you are sons. You belong to God. Do not fret and do not fear. You are still His.
What lesson do you see for the original audience?
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2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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