10. Showing wherein the chastisement of our heavenly Father is
preferable to that of earthly fathers.
for a few days--that is, with a view to our well-being in
the few days of our earthly life: so the Greek.
after their own pleasure--Greek, "according to what
seemed fit to themselves." Their rule of chastening is what may seem
fit to their own often erring judgment, temper, or caprice. The two
defects of human education are: (1) the prevalence in it of a view to
the interests of our short earthly term of days; (2) the
absence in parents of the unerring wisdom of our heavenly Father. "They
err much at one time in severity, at another in indulgence
[1Sa 3:13;
Eph 6:4],
and do not so much chasten as THINK they chasten"
[BENGEL].
that we might be partakers of his holiness--becoming holy as He
is holy
(Joh 15:2).
To become holy like God is tantamount to being educated for
passing eternity with God
(Heb 12:14;
2Pe 1:4).
So this "partaking of God's holiness" stands in contrast to the "few
days" of this life, with a view to which earthly fathers generally
educate their sons.
JFB.
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