LORD, thank You for Your faithfulness and help through another week! A wonderful Friday morning to you, my friend!Read Hebrews 13:5 – 21.
As we have discussed previously, this passage is filled with wonderful and timely exhortations for every Believer. Today, as you read, consider the following important Kingdom points:
Starting with the middle of vv 9, and continuing on for the next couple of verses, the writer shifts to some illustrations that are intended to be easily understood by Jewish Believers. These pictures point them, and all of us, to the amazing “altar” of Christ crucified.
In vv 13, an invitation (or perhaps a challenge!) is issued to every Believer – “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” He was crucified outside (to the Jews, being outside the camp was a place that was unclean) and each of us are told to join Him there; and further, we are to embrace His reproach (the dictionary defines reproach as “an act of blame, discredit, or disgrace”). A tough exhortation for every Believer! But, it is this concept of “embracing the cross” that is important for every one of us living in this world today. We need to be prepared to be “put outside”, to be shunned, and blamed, and disgraced; all because we have “gone forth to Him”. The apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 3: “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”. And this concept is echoed by Paul in Galatians 2: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”.
Are you willing to join Him? The answer is yes and the reason is provided in vv 14: “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”. My friend, this world is not our home! Any sufferings we experience here will pale in comparison to the glory we will experience when we are restored to Him, and with Him forever!Next, the writer of Hebrews instructs us to offer up sacrifices to God, but not what we might consider traditional sacrifices. Instead, our sacrifices to our Good God are to be continuous praise; doing good; and sharing. My brothers, praise God that these are the sacrifices He asks for! Because we all can do them! So let us be obedient in offering up these simple sacrifices continually. Hosea 14 says: “Take words with you, And return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.”. And our Savior Himself says in Luke 6: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross. And thank You for giving me the strength and the endurance and the faith to join You in the fellowship of Your sufferings, knowing that You have prepared a place for me in Your Father’s house. I praise You and magnify You today, my Lord! Receive my sacrifice of praise! Amen!
