The Letter to the Hebrews

Chapter 13Jan-Apr 2014 FXCC

Hebrews 12 and before

• Jesus is greater than– Angels– Moses– Prophets– Levitical Priesthood– Jewish High Priest

• Examples of faith• Persevere, be faithful, discipline

Hebrews 13

• The last few verses are the only part that look like a letter

• Encouragement• How should we respond

Hebrews 13:1-6

• 1 Brotherly love must continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment. 4

Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.

Hebrews 13:1-6

• 5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:1-6

• Exhortations– Continue loving each other• Brotherly/family love is the word used

– Continue in hospitality• Entertain strangers as if angels

– Remember prisoners & ill-treated• Like you were in prison or ill-treated

– Honor marriage• God will judge those who are immoral

Hebrews 13:1-6

• We could focus on any of these, but today one is of special interest

• Our society has completely abandoned God’s will for marriage

• EVERY thing we see declares that marriage is not important– 2 parent families not important– God says that is a LIE– God says that is BAD for us

Hebrews 13:1-6

• Exhortations– Do not covet money• Be content with what you have (the readers may soon

lose even that)• Deut 31:6,8 When Israel is about to enter the land

Moses tells them that God promises “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”• Psalm 118:6 the psalmist while in distress is confident

“The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:1-6

• Like Israel and the readers of the Hebrews letter– We are pilgrims here– They needed confidence– We need confidence

• Get your confidence from the knowledge that God is with us– The here and now is NOT the most important

thing

Hebrews 13:7-17

• 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! 9

Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them.

Hebrews 13:7-17

• 10 We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13

We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.

Hebrews 13:7-17

• 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. 16 And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Hebrews 13:7-17

• 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Exhortations– Remember your leaders (vs 7)• They taught you Gods message• Copy/imitate their faith

– Obey your leaders (Vs 17)• They watch over you• They are responsible for you• Make it so their work is enjoyable and not a burden

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Exhortations– Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever• Don’t be fooled by rituals• Jesus is the way now• Jewish rituals or other rituals are powerless now• Don’t be drawn away by the newest and latest fad in

life or worship or …

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Outside the camp– Lev 16, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)– The bull and goat that are the sin offerings– Their blood is sprinkled in the Holy of Holies– The carcasses are taken outside the camp and

totally burned up there– The scapegoat is released outside the camp

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Outside the camp– The Hebrew writer equates Jesus to the scapegoat – Jesus bore the sins of the people (us, all of us)– He had to die outside the camp (the city, the

temple)– The writer calls us to join Jesus outside the camp

and share in his abuse

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Our goal?– Our home is not a place (city) here on earth– Our home is a city that is eternal– Just as noted in chapter 11, vss 10 & 16 re

Abraham’s hope

Hebrews 13:7-17

• Our response is to worship– A continuous sacrifice of praise

• The fruit of our lips• Acknowledging HIS name

– Do good to others (the 2nd commandment)• Share what we have

– God is PLEASED with such sacrifices– This worship is NOT JUST a Sunday morning ritual !!

• This is 24/7

Hebrews 13:18-19

• 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect. 19 I especially ask you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.

Hebrews 13:18-19

• The author/preacher asks for their prayers• For what purpose/goal?– Clear conscience– Proper conduct– Restored to them soon

• What do we pray for most today?

Hebrews 13:20-25

• 20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-25

• 22 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25

Grace be with you all.

Hebrews 13:20-25

• Vss 20 & 21 are a kind of a prayer too– May God equip you• With every good thing to do His will

– May God work in us• What is pleasing before Him

• Notice the reference to the resurrection– God raised Jesus from the dead– He can also equip and work in us

Hebrews 13:20-25

• The author calls this document a “word (message) of exhortation”– Exhortation = sermon – Acts 13:15 (Paul at the synagogue in Antioch of

Pisidia is asked to speak a message of exhortation)

Hebrews 13:20-25

• The author ends with some personal notes that are more typical of a letter– Good news re Timothy (has been released)– The author will be coming to see them soon– Timothy will join him, if the timing works out– Greetings to their leaders and all of them– Greetings from those from Italy

References

• F.F. Bruce, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1967

• Edward Fudge, “Our Man in Heaven: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews”,, Baker, 1974– Available on-line for free– http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/omihtext.

html

References

• Edward Fudge, “Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today”, Leafwood Publishers, 2009

• John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc– http://johnmarkhicks.com/wp-content/uploads/si

tes/10/2009/03/hebrews-edited.doc

References

• Referenced in John Mark Hicks, Hebrews, Word Doc are the sites for a sermon series (Strength for the Journey) by Rubel Shelly and John York on Hebrews– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=121&SortAlpha=– http://www.rubelshelly.com/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=316&Start=101&SortAlpha=– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=161– http://www.johnyork.org/content.asp?

lShow=20&ListSG=260&Start=141

References

• Bobby Valentine’s “Stoned-Campbell Disciple” blog – http://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2013/08/20/

paul-and-the-unquestioned-authority-of-the-old-testament/