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author now appends the main body of his epistle with various closing
exhortations. Brethren must be loved (Heb 13:1); strangers must be received
(13:2); the persecuted must be supported (13:3); marital partners must be
honored (13:4). The context of the great promise “I will never leave you nor
forsake you” is covetousness. Insecurity pro-motes an inordinate clinging to
material things. Covetousness and all other insecurities are overcome by the
knowledge that, with God as our ally, we have nothing to fear from men
(13:6).1. Read and comment upon Ps 27:1, 56:4 and 118:6.2. What is undefiled?
What is the eventual lot of fornicators and adulterers?3. With what should we
be content?2. The Same Christ, the Same Doctrine (Heb 13:7-9)The next
exhortation concerns doctrinal purity. The author encourages his readers to
re-member those who originally taught them the truth and lived consistently
with it to the end of their lives (Heb 13:7). He then makes an observation
that, as with 13:5, must be viewed in its immediate context: “Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today and forever” (13:8). The proper application of this
truth is that the doctrines first issued by Jesus and then by “those who
heard Him” (Heb 2:3) remain unchanged. What saved men in the first generation
of the kingdom still saves in the second (and third and fourth and …). The
author warns against “strange doctrines” which have to do with dietary
restrictions (Heb 13:9). This was a constant problem in the early church as
evidenced by the many passages which address it (Rom 14:2-3, 15-17, 20-23;
Col 2:16, 20-22; 1 Tim 4:3-5). Truly, Jesus Christ is the same today, for His
will has not changed since first issued two thousand years ago.4. What
outcome is to be considered by the readers of this epistle?5. Upon what
principle is the believer’s heart to be established? What does this mean
inthe context?3. Outside the Camp (Heb 13:10-14)It is hard to fully
appreciate the price early Jewish converts had to pay for their conver-sion
to Christ. There was social, religious and family rejection along with
consequent economic hardship. This cost is addressed in an analogy between
the Jewish sacrifices being burned outside the camp and Jesus being crucified
outside the walls of Jerusalem. His exhortation is that the brethren must be
willing to “go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb
13:13). Godly principles often conflict with earthly values. God’s people,
whether Jew or Gentile, must weather ostracism and ridicule, exclusion and
prejudice – the very things that Jesus, Himself, had to endure. If He was
willing to suffer these indignities for us, should we not be willing to
suffer them for Him? After all, it was His blood that was shed “outside the
gate”(13:12) that provided “an altar from which those who serve the
tabernacle have no right to eat”(13:10).6. If we are cast outside the “city”
of human approval, what do we look for in the future?7. What must we bear for
Jesus in view of His sacrifice for us?4. The Sacrifices of Praise and Service
(Heb 13:15-19)Many false religious systems incorporate sacrificial rituals in
their worship. Since Jesus was theonce-for-all sacrifice for sin, there are
no ongoing atoning offerings. Instead, the sacrifices arespiritual, acts of
praise and service offered to God by the worshiper out of love and
gratitude.Both words and actions are emphasized (Heb 13: 15-16). One
mani-festation of proper attitudetoward God is submission to the leaders whom
God has chos-en by divinely mandatedcharacteristics. Elders are to be obeyed
out of respect to their function (13:17). Israel’s rebelliontoward God was
demonstrated in their resistance to Moses’ authority. God therefore taught
insome very graphic lessons that His appointed leadership was not to be
trivialized or undermined(Num 12 [Aaron & Miriam]; Num 16-17 [Korah,
Dathan and Abiram]). The author also urgesthat prayers be diligently of-fered
for a speedy reun |
