Hebrews Lesson 7
The preacher paints a picture of faithful champions in the stands cheering on Christians who are now running the race of faith. The preacher does not call them witnesses because they are “witnessing” what we are doing. The word witnesses does not mean “spectators.” They may be watching us, but they are witnesses to us. They have completed the race of faith. They have stood on the victor’s stand and received God’s gold medal. God has accredited them as genuine examples of true faith. Their very lives say to us, “By God’s grace, it can be done!”
Jesus not only endured the great pain, but did so scorning the cross’s shame. A modern person can hardly imagine the shame associated with crucifixion. The ancients could imagine nothing more shameful. The crucified person suffered painfully and publicly. His naked body was exposed to the whole world. He was ridiculed and ostracized from society. No doubt the preacher’s hearers were suffering shame for their faith. Jesus “scorned” that great shame that was His. He considered it as nothing. He in no way let it determine his action or deter Him from faithful endurance. He faithfully moved toward the joy set before him, and that joy is our eternal blessing!
Jesus is the mediator here (12:24), not Moses (12:21). Moses could only tremble at the people’s sin. Jesus’ blood is the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (12:24). Jesus brought cleansing from sin and established the new covenant with His sprinkled blood (see commentary on 9:11–15, 18–21; 10:22). Cain spilt Abel’s blood on the ground when he murdered him. The blood of Abel “cried out” to God as a witness to Cain’s sin (Heb. 12:24; see Genesis 4:10). Abel’s blood proclaimed the verdict, “guilty.” Jesus’ blood, sprinkled on our hearts, proclaims a better word—the verdict, “forgiven,” “cleansed,” “empowered for obedience.” It is through this blood that we and all of God’s people have access into the joyful presence of God on Mount Zion (12:22). If we reject this blood (12:24), we become subject to the awful separation from God and judgment depicted in 12:18–21.
kingdom that cannot be shaken (12:28) refers to this eternal reality that God has prepared for His own and that will remain untouched when the created world is removed at the Judgment.
In this concluding section of Hebrews, the author addresses some practical questions about living the life of faith—questions faced by his hearers. However, he addresses these concerns on the basis of what He has said about the sacrifice and High Priesthood of Christ in 1:1–12:29. As those under the old covenant “drew near” to worship God with sacrifices at the Tabernacle, so we draw near and enter God’s holy presence through the sacrifice of Christ our High Priest. The life of faith is a life of drawing near to God through Christ and offering the proper sacrifices—the sacrifices of praise and love. Thus the preacher fleshes out the life of faith by showing how we should separate from the world, draw near to God, praise Him, and practice love. The preacher shows his concern for his hearers by concluding this final chapter of Hebrews with news, greetings, and a prayer.
The first recipients of Hebrews probably lived in a situation where there was a great need to entertain traveling evangelists and other Christians. Most inns or hotels were centers of immorality. Non-Christians may have rejected their Christian relatives, thus not offering family hospitality. The Christian community could not neglect these traveling Christians any more than it could neglect to show hospitality to its own members. These traveling Christians were also “brothers.” The preacher encourages them to practice this hospitality by reminding them that some people had entertained angels without knowing it. The hearers may have thought of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:2–15). We never know what good may come from such hospitality.
The preacher began this chapter instructing his hearers to practice “brother-love” and “stranger-love.” He concludes by telling them not to practice “money-love.” The love of money destroys contentment. The love of money cancels out “brother-love” and “stranger-love” or “hospitality-love.” The person who loves money keeps it greedily for himself and does not practice these other loves by doing good and sharing (verse 17).
And really, the love of money is so needless. The God we serve has himself said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (13:5).
there is no reason for them to allow themselves to be carried away with all kinds of teachings which are strange to what they heard from their former leaders (note 2:3). These various inferior and strange teachings probably involved various ceremonial foods (13:9) that Jews throughout the Roman world ate in conjunction with certain rituals taking place in the Jerusalem Temple. By demonstrating the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice the preacher has shown clearly that ceremonies associated with any other sacrifice are of no value to those who eat them. The ceremonies of the old covenant dealt only with ritual cleansing (9:13. 10:4). He has shown that through the new covenant grace is available to cleanse and transform hearts (9:14, 10:12–14). This grace can strengthen the hearts of Christians in God’s way.
Instead of those ceremonial foods, we Christians have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat (13:10). Those who partake in ceremonies related to the old covenant have no right to partake of the blessings of Christ’s sacrifice because they are seeking God somewhere else. When the preacher mentions the Christian altar he does not refer to a new Christian ceremony which replaces the old covenant ways.4 This altar represents the reality of participating in the heart-changing grace available through Christ.