Wrapping Up Hebrews
Hebrews 13:9-15 NLT
9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.
10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
This is not a summation of the entire book of Hebrews but rather a look at the author's closing thoughts to the Jewish believers.
There was a warning to not get drawn away by strange new ideas and teachings, I am looking at you, YouTube. Having a strong grasp on the grace of God because of Christ Jesus, instead of various foods, is what produces spiritual strength. Then, as now, there was the tendency to look to natural things to produce spiritual results. Foods don't make you closer to God, nor do they pull you away from Him. Stick with grace, it's always appropriate.
The writer then shifts from warnings about food rules to a picture of how the Jewish high priests had a ritual that pointed to Jesus. They would sacrifice animals and bring the blood into the holy places as an offering for sin. Then they would burn the animals' bodies outside the gates of the city. This was pointing to the work Jesus did for us. He gave His own blood as a sacrifice for our sins to make us holy in God's sight. But His suffering was outside of the city gates. The significance for the believers is that they were to go figuratively outside of the gates of social acceptance to bear some of the very same rejection He bore.
The writer goes on to explain that the believers were not at home in this world, but there is a world to come, an eternal world, that is the permanent home. So having to face rejection and shame should not scare the believers away. This was simply part of being identified with Christ as part of His Kingdom.
As a result of all these things, believers were to continually offer the sacrifice of praise and thanks to God. Note the continually part. And that believers were to be offering praise and thanks, or as some translations read, proclaiming allegiance to the name of Jesus.
To believers under the fire of persecution, the author of Hebrews is adamant in his directives to move past the persecution because of identification with what Jesus did. And to offer the sacrifice of praise on a continual basis, declaring allegiance. Particularly when under scorn and persecution, a consistent declaration of allegiance to Jesus was important.
Application
We are in a similar situation as the believers of Hebrews. We still have to be on guard against strange teachings and getting caught up with things that add nothing to us spiritually. We still have to bear the scorn and rejection of a world that does not believe in Jesus as the way to salvation. And we are to offer up the same sacrifice of praise to God. We give thanks to Him and proclaim we are committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the truth in Hebrews. Thank you that I am seeing more and more of Your truth every day.