Outline of Hebrews
FINAL PRACTICAL EXHORTATIONS
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13
"LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE . . ." (v. 1)
This was a tribute to the spiritual nature of these Hebrew Christians, They had love one for another, Note Revelation 3:7, where there was a church at Philadelphia, which means "love of the brethren." Perhaps the writer of this letter, if he were writing to some churches today, would have to say: "Let brotherly love begin." Is this true of you, and therefore of your church?
"Faith works by love" (Gal. 5:6)
"Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8)
ENTERTAINING "STRANGERS" (see Lev. 19:34) – and angels unawares (v. 2)
This happened to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 18:1-22)
And to Manoah (Judg. 13:3)
MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE (v. 4)
Against impurity (Heb. 12:16)
Against asceticism (1 Tim. 4:3)
Against laxity (Acts 15:20)
"CONVERSATION" (v. 5 ) means "manner of life" and does not mean only talking, but our whole life. (See Eph. 2:3; Phil. 1:27)
"Be content" (1 Tim. 6:9-11; Phil. 4:11)
"I will never leave thee . . ." (Quotation from Ps. 37:23-25)
"REMEMBER THEM WHICH HAVE THE RULE OVER YOU." (v. 7)
See verse 17 of the same chapter where it tells that those who "have the rule" over you "watch for your souls." This is an important verse and explains a great deal about the "rulers" in the church whose primary duty is to serve as spiritual shepherds, watching over the souls of Christians.
These, of course, are the elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 20:28)
"DIVERS AND STRANGE DOCTRINES" (v. 9)
Read Ephesians 4:14, 15 and James 1:5-8)
We are rooted and built up in Christ (Col. 2:6-8)
"OUTSIDE THE GATE" (vv. 11-13)
Leviticus 16:27 tells us that the sin offering under the law of Moses was consumed by fire at a place outside the camp
So Jesus, the divine anti-type, suffered outside the gates of Jerusalem (John 19:16-18); once more fulfilling the pattern God had established.
"There is a green hill far away,
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all. "
"Bearing his reproach" (see 2 Cor. 12:10 and 1 Pet. 4:14)
"DO GOOD" (v. 16)
"Do" is a verb; a verb is a "doing" word. It is not to talk about good, or to think about good; but to do good (Read James 2:14-25)
Is ours a doing faith, or a dying faith? The day a cowboy rides into town on a dead horse, that will be the day one gets to heaven on a dead faith; "Jesus . . . went about doing good" (Acts 10:38)
A young German who was killed by the Nazis, lamented that men were satisfied just to "go about" instead of following the Savior who "went about doing good" (From Bonhoffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship).
A SWEET BENEDICTION (vv. 20, 21)
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen."
This tells us that:
1. God is the God of Peace – even in the most troubled and distressing situations, God can bring peace and tranquility to men's souls. In any fellowship where there is division it is because men have forgotten God, and only the renewal of God’s presence can bring back that lost peace.
2. God is the God of life – He brought Jesus again from the dead. For the man who obeys the will of God there is no such thing as final disaster, and even death itself is conquered.
3. God equips us to do His will – God never gives us a task without also giving us the power to do it. When God sends us out He sends us out armed and equipped with everything we need.
CONCLUSION
And so the letter comes to an end with a fragrant blessing and benediction. All through it has been telling of the "better" way of the grace of Christ which opens the way into the presence of God. And so we come to the end of our study with the thankful prayer that we have become partakers of that grace; and with the hope that that grace might be evident more and more in our daily lives.
