As we come into Hebrews 13, we are left with several curiosities. The first is the quick, short nature of the commands in this chapter. After developing his points throughout the lesson, the author of Hebrews gives seemingly random, scattered instructions.
The writer is also drawing a sharp contrast that the chapter break obscures. Look at how the previous chapter ended, “Our God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews 12:9. Then look at how this chapter begins, “Let brotherly love continue,” Hebrews 13:1. Quite a contrast! So what is the author of Hebrews doing?
I believe the author is giving exhortations to us to do these things because God is a consuming fire and because we are in God’s kingdom. These are some of the things that we need to do to remain in God’s unshakable kingdom, Hebrews 12:28-29. Don’t think that you are part of God’s unshakable kingdom if we are not doing these things.
1. Love one another, Hebrews 13:1.
We are commanded to have brotherly love for each other, 1 John 2:11. We are to have a love for each other like the ideal love that should be found in a family. And why not? We are the family of God!
God is simply telling us to act like it. You are family! Act like it! Don’t think you are in the unshakable kingdom of God if you are not treating others with brotherly love.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This verse teaches three things: 1. that the Hebrews addressed here had such love of the brethren; 2. that it is God’s will that such brotherly love should have been continued; and 3. that there were manifestly some dangers that it might be permitted to wane.’
2. Do not neglect hospitality, Hebrews 13:2.
Often, the force of this command is lost because of the explanation given for hospitality. Before that explanation is addressed, let us not neglect the command.
We are not part of God’s unshakable kingdom if we are not acting hospitably. We need to go out of our way to make sure other people feel comfortable and welcome.
That is true when they come to worship together and when we get to know them. It is awful to go to services where the people act like they do not care if you are there. When we see people, welcome them. Welcome them to our meetings and welcome them into your lives.
But the writer gives us a positive reason for acting hospitably: God rewards hospitality, Hebrews 13:2. The situation with Abraham is one of many instances where we read about hospitality being rewarded, Genesis 18:1 / Genesis 19:1.
Rahab welcomed the spies, who were strangers, and by providing for them was spared the destruction of Jericho. The emphasis is not on the angels, but on the reward Abraham received by being hospitable.
Jesus taught the same point to His disciples in Matthew 25:40 / Matthew 25:45, where Jesus said that what we do toward one another is what we are doing toward Jesus.
This is not saying that you need to be hospitable because you never know if you are serving an angel. Rather, a blessing from God comes to those who are hospitable. This action will show us to be like Abraham, children of his and therefore part of God’s covenantal family.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of those who are suffering, Hebrews 13:3.
We are not in God’s unshakable kingdom if we are not compassionate and active toward those who are enduring hardship. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of our fellow brethren. When they are suffering, we need to suffer with them, Romans 12:15 / Hebrews 10:33-34.
We are to be so closely connected that anything that happens to you, it should be as if it happened to me. It is a call for a greater amount of sympathy and compassion.
I believe this is talking about Christians who were suffering and enduring mistreatment for the Lord’s sake. The end of Hebrews 13:3 reminds us that we are to be connected.
These people are part of the body of Christ. When one member of the body suffers, all of the members of the body feel that pain. We are together as God’s family.
4. Marriage held in honour, Hebrews 13:4.
We live in a world where sexual relations are freely given away to every person, with whom we may have a mild concern. However, God declares that marriage is the only place for sexual union. This is how marriage is held in honour.
Marriage is not to be defiled. We are not to commit sexual immorality and so defile ourselves. God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterous. Hold marriage in honour, keep your pants on until you are married, Hebrews 12:16.
Once married, stay faithful to your spouse and have no relations with any other person. We are not part of God’s unshakable kingdom when we do not hold our marriages in honour.
5. No love of money, Hebrews 13:5 / Deuteronomy 31:6.
We are not part of God’s unshakable kingdom if we have a love of money. We need to be content with the things that we have. We need to be content with the amount of money that we have. We need to be content with our possessions, Colossians 3:5.
The writer tells us that we need to enjoy what we have and stop ignoring the good things we have. I have considered that this is the essence of the problem. When we have a love of money and possessions, it is because we are not appreciating what we have. We want a new television because we do not appreciate the one we have.
We want a new car because we do not appreciate what we have. We want a new house because we do not appreciate the house we have. Our lack of contentment ruins us. We are unable to enjoy and appreciate the things we have because our lack of contentment keeps putting our eyes on the things we do not have.
It reminds me of the Rolling Stones song, ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’. Those who are in God’s unshakable kingdom enjoy and appreciate what they have, seeing these possessions as God’s gift to us.
I have often been surprised at the connection between Hebrews 13:5-6. Hebrews 13:6 is connected to Hebrews 5, with the word “so” or “therefore.” But how is contentment connected to the fact that we can say with confidence, “The Lord is our helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6-7.
But isn’t the point about trust? Where is your confidence? What do you trust in? Do we have our hope and trust in possessions and wealth? Or do we have our hope and trust in the Lord? It is hard to know until our possessions and wealth are stripped away from us.
Those who are in God’s kingdom and are free from the love of money can boldly say, no matter what happens, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
But those who are not in God’s kingdom panic. Their trust is in the possessions and wealth of this world. So when life gives us a seismic shift, we fear, and we lack confidence because we have put our trust in the paycheck, house, car, and other stuff.
We need to strive to live with less rather than desiring more. We need to stop being accumulators and be good givers and sharers. We will be satisfied when we realise that God is sufficient to meet our needs.
A love of money is a statement that we do not trust God to take care of us, Deuteronomy 31:6, that we need to do it ourselves, and must provide for ourselves, rather than rely upon God to give it.
But God is reliable. He will not leave us. He will not forsake us, Deuteronomy 31:6. God is with me no matter what people may do to us, Psalm 118:6-7. Do not rely on physical helpers. Rely on God. We are not in God’s unshakable kingdom when our trust does not fully rest on God.
6. Follow the faith of the apostles, Hebrews 13:7.
Finally, we are not in God’s unshakable kingdom when we do not look to the faith of the apostles and model our faith after theirs. I believe that these leaders are the apostles because of the phrase, “those who spoke to you the word of God,” Hebrews 13:7.
This seems to point to those who are greater than the author. He does not say to look at me, but look at those who taught you and led you. I think this is the apostles.
The second reason this seems to be looking to the apostles is because of the next phrase, “Consider the outcome of their way of life,” Hebrews 13:7. The language suggests that these people have died. Look at how they lived. These are words used about those who have gone on before us in life. I believe that the writing of Hebrews took place around 68-69 A.D.
Most, if not all, of the apostles except John would be dead by this time. You are not in God’s kingdom when you are not looking at the faith of the apostles and other heroes of the Scriptures and imitating that faith, Hebrews 11.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nothing is of more moving and lasting power than a faithful example; and the author calls to mind the noble elders and ministers, already passed to their reward at the time he wrote, but who were remembered for the noble example of their faith; which, from the words here, would seem to have issued at last in some dramatic exhibition of it, as perhaps like that of Stephen’s martyrdom. The lives of such noble leaders were to be imitated, not necessarily in regard to all their deeds, but rather in the supreme matter of their unwavering faith.’
Tying into Hebrews 13:8, follow the example and words that they taught you and showed you. Follow their example, follow their teaching, Jesus does not change. Jesus doesn’t change because He is God, Numbers 23:19 / Malachi 3:6 / Hebrews 1:8 / Hebrews 6:17-18 / James 1:17.
Don’t worry about any new teachings that come along. Just look at the teachings and faith of the apostles, and follow them in faith. In a changing world, we can trust in the unchanging Jesus.
The author just finished speaking about how we should remember the apostolic leaders who spoke to them the word of God and imitate their faith. Keep to the teachings you have been taught and do not move from them. Here he continues this thinking.
Particularly, the problem was that there was a teaching that said they were strengthened by food, and not by grace. True life is in grace, not in food regulations.
We are in the family of God by grace, not by the foods that we eat, Mark 7:19 / Acts 10:14. We see this problem more expressly described in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
We live in a world that continues to fill itself with strange teachings. We have people claiming that Jesus was married and had children, contrary to any biblical or extra-biblical evidence.
We have religious people claiming that the Scriptures are not trustworthy, being edited and distorted from the original message, 2 John 1:9. We have preachers teaching that if you enlarge your vision and conceive it in your heart, God will give it to you.
They say that God wants to give you your dream house if you will only visualise it and believe it, 1 Timothy 4:1-5. We live in a world that teaches that God is merely a hobby. Show up for services once in a while, and you will appease God.
God is our idol, and we do what we want, and He will be happy with that. We have people like Oprah teaching that all spirituality leads to God. All that matters is being spiritual. Even within our own brethren, there are strange teachings about the church and salvation.
Don’t be pulled away from the Word of God. The apostle’s teaching is what is important. We cannot hold to traditions; we cannot grab on to every new doctrine. Neither extreme will help our faith; hold on to the Word of God.
Let us carefully go through these words to see the point that the author is making. We have a special altar that those not under Christ do not have access to.
The Old Testament priesthood does not have access to this altar. By implication, I think this is saying that the sinful nation of Israel does not have access to His altar.
Hebrews 13:11 recalls the Old Testament system. The blood was taken into the holy place as an offering for sin, and the body was taken outside the camp, Leviticus 16:27.
Jesus parallels this. The writer has already told us that through the death of Jesus, he went into the realities of heaven, not the copies of the earthly tabernacle. The cross is the altar upon which the sacrifice for sins was made.
Through the cross, we are made holy and set apart, Hebrews 13:12. But crucifixion was done outside of the city walls because the Jews thought that it was a defilement, based upon the Law of Moses.
This is why the author says Jesus suffered outside the camp, Hebrews 13:11. He is referring to suffering outside the gates of the city. He suffered for sins and bore insults to be an offering for atonement.
MacKnight, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Israelites’ having cities to live in at the time of our Lord’s suffering, ‘without the gate’ was the same as ‘without the camp’ in the wilderness. Wherefore, criminals, being regarded as unclean, were always put to death without the gates of their cities. In this manner, our Lord and his martyr Stephen suffered.’
Now notice Hebrews 13:13. On the surface, this sounds like a fairly straightforward teaching. Enduring suffering like Jesus suffered, we need to go to Jesus. Let us make the sacrifice that He made, let us go down the road that Jesus walked, carrying the cross to our death.
It is not we who live, but Jesus who is living in us. Let us carry the cross and disregard the shame as we go to Jesus. This is not a message of moving to what is comfortable for us; this is a call for us to move to Jesus despite the suffering.
But notice how we are to go to Jesus. We go to him by going “outside the camp,” Hebrews 13:12 / Deuteronomy 21:23. He is calling on his readers to leave Jerusalem and all that it stands for. Leave the physical city and go to Jesus, leave the Law of Moses and go to Jesus.
The point seems to be similar to the point made by Paul in Galatians 4, when he used an allegory to show that the people should leave the Law of Moses, leave Sinai, and leave the physical nation and go to the spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem. The author of Hebrews has made the same point.
This verse shows that our interpretation is correct. Leave Jerusalem because we have no lasting city here. Rather, we see the city that is to come. Go outside the city, leave behind the physical and go to Jesus, the fulfilment of the law and the prophets. Our hope is in the eternal city, not in Jerusalem, Hebrews 11:10, paradise is not here.
So what should we do since we are leaving physical Jerusalem with its sacrifices? Do not offer the physical sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem, but we still have to offer sacrifices. Notice these are not the sacrifices of animals; it is not the sacrifice of blood.
Now we all must offer the continual sacrifice of praise to God, Hebrews 13:15. Our praise is now our offering to God. Notice that he explains what this offering looks like.
It is “the fruit of our lips”, Hebrews 13:15, that God desires. Our sacrifice is praising God with our lips. Our sacrifice is the confession of our lips of who He is.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Every hour of every day the child of God should seek occasions to speak humbly and lovingly of the wonderful blessings in Christian service, of the love and mercy of God, of God’s goodness, and of the peace and joy in believing.’
Are we making our offering? We still need to come to God with our offerings. But are we remembering to offer worship with the fruit of our lips? Are we confessing Him to people we know?
Are we acknowledging Jesus to the world? The fruit of our lips must not be filthy, improper words. We must have lips that offer the sacrifice of praise, Hebrews 13:15.
The second sacrifice we must offer is “doing good and sharing the things we have with others”, Hebrews 13:16. These are sacrifices that please God. Animal sacrifices are not the things that please God. Are we offering these sacrifices? Are we doing good toward others?
Are we giving the possessions and wealth that God has so generously given to us? Our possessions are not for us to spend on ourselves selfishly. We have things to do that are good for the kingdom of God and to share with others.
Third, “obey your leaders and submit to them”, Hebrews 13:17. I believe these leaders are the shepherds of local congregations, 1 Timothy 3:1-13 / Titus 1:5-9. They are watching over our souls, which fits Paul’s instructions in Acts 20:28.
They have to give an account regarding their charge and shepherding over us. It is our responsibility to yield to them and obey them. They are looking out for us. We need to let them shepherd us with joy, not with pain and groaning. Shepherds are to help us; they are an advantage for our souls.
Why would we want to treat them badly or ignore their guidance and instructions? Hebrews 13:17. We need to work together with our shepherds for the goal of expanding God’s kingdom in the hearts of the people.
The writer is now concluding, and he has some final remarks. He asks for the prayers of the people.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The use of the plural ‘us’ suggests that the author is associated with others and desires that all of them should be the beneficiaries of the prayers of the readers; but, since he shifted to the emphatic singular a few words later, it may be more properly understood as an editorial pronoun, like the editorial ‘we’.’
They have a clear conscience about the things they are doing for the Lord, Hebrews 13:18, but the desire to act honourably in all that they are doing. The author is also hopeful to be with these Christians again, Hebrews 13:19.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is not a reference to the imprisonment of the author, that idea being ruled out by what is said a little later in Hebrews 13:23; but it implies that circumstances beyond his control had hindered him until that time.’
Hebrews 13:20-21 is a powerful doxology. He mentioned the source of our peace, which is God. Paul often refers to the peace of God in his final remarks when writing to others, Romans 15:33 / Romans 16:20 / 2 Corinthians 13:11 / 1 Thessalonians 5:23. It summarises our hope in the resurrection of Jesus and our hope in the blood of the eternal covenant, the bloodshed by Jesus our Saviour, Hebrews 13:20.
Notice the author calls Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep, Hebrews 13:20. Jesus is the Good shepherd, John 10:11, and He is the Chief shepherd, 1 Peter 5:4. May we, in this hope, be equipped for every good work so that we will do God’s will, Hebrews 13:21.
The final verses offer some personal information. He tells his audience that his letter was brief, and urges them to bear with his word, Hebrews 13:22. Timothy has been released; he apparently had been imprisoned, Hebrews 13:23. Perhaps Timothy is one of the leaders mentioned in Hebrews 13:7, whom they were to remember by way of their teaching and faith.
1. Hebrews 13:23.
It is reasonable to believe that this is the Timothy who was Paul’s son in the faith, 1 Timothy 1:2.
2. It is reasonable to believe that Timothy was a close friend of the author.
3. He desired to see Timothy and them.
1. Hebrews 13:24.
The author has nothing but goodwill for the elders and Christians to whom this letter is written.
2. The letter was written in Italy, and the Christians there sent their greeting.
1. Hebrews 13:25.
This is a typical closing asking that God’s grace be with them. God’s grace is that unmerited favour He bestows upon His people, Hebrews 12:15 / Titus 2:11.
2. The only way for Christians to abide in the grace of God is to abide in the doctrine of Christ, 2 John 9.