A Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13

Yesterday and Today and Forever (13:1-8)

This final section of Hebrews begins with a simple homily that is in sharp contrast with the preceding discourse. Where the discussion has involved abstract concepts of truth, eternity, and faith, the author now comes down to earth with basic instruction. However, this change in tactic does not represent a change in plan. The intent of the author has always been to inspire us to confidence in Christ.

In truth, the simplicity of the homily is deceptive, presenting timeless instruction in everyday language. When he tells us to love each other as brothers, he is echoing Christ’s command to love each other as he has loved us (John 13:34). When he tells us that we may entertain angels unawares, Christ tells us that our treatment of others is the same thing as our treatment of him (Matthew 25:40). And when he tells us to regard the mistreatment of others as if we ourselves were suffering, he echoes the command of God to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

The simplicity of this homily continues with practical instruction. The love we are to have for others is not something that exists only in our minds or hearts, and our treatment of the oppressed is not an attitude we can assume on Sunday. Love must direct the way we behave. We are called to be holy as the one who calls us is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16).

To cement this connection between the everyday and the eternal, the author leaps from earthly admonitions to the infinite nature of Christ. The standard by which we are judged is unwavering, but the same God who will judge us also will save us. Faith in Christ will not only convict us of sin, but lead us into righteousness.

Sacrifice of Praise (13:9-15)

The seduction of this world may take many forms, and our lives can only be pure if our religion is pure. It is easy to think of ceremonial foods and other rituals as quaint notions of a backward or unenlightened people, but the desire to put ourselves first is insidious and may even enter into our notions of worship. Whenever we imagine that even our most pious actions will make us holy, we attempt to reject the grace of God and place our salvation in our own hands. Even in religion, we must deny ourselves (Mark 8:34-38).

This is the sacrifice of praise the author tells us we must continually offer. This continuous offering is in response to the continual intercession Christ is pleased to offer for us in the very presence of God (7:24-25). This, as Paul says, is our reasonable act of worship: to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

What Is Pleasing to Him (13:16-21)

This notion of continual sacrifice sounds both beautiful and terrible. How can it be done? Just what is it that the Lord requires of us? Is it some impossible task? As he has encouraged us in every way, the author finally encourages us in this. The idea of continual sacrifice, he says, is very simple: do not forget to do good.

Along with Paul, the author tells us that we know how to behave; the concepts of right and wrong are not foreign to us (Ephesians 5:8-10). Further, the author says, God himself, through Christ, will lead us in the way of salvation.

“The command that I am giving you today is not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not up in the sky. You do not have to ask, ‘Who will go up and bring it down for us, so that we can hear it and obey it?’ Nor is it on the other side of the ocean. You do not have to ask, ‘Who will go across the ocean and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and obey it?’ No, it is here with you. You know it and can quote it, so now obey it. I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14; 19 GNB)

Grace Be With You All (13:22-25)

The closing verses of the chapter raise many questions about the author and his situation. When he asks that his audience pray for his restoration, does that indicate that he is one of them, prevented from their presence by by force, or simply that he has visited them in the past and wishes to do so again soon? Is the Timothy of which he speaks and is so well known to them as to be recognized by name alone the same Timothy with which we are familiar? Does the reference to “those from Italy” indicate that he is writing to Christians in Italy, and the Italian Christians with him send greeting, that he is writing from Italy to Christians elsewhere, or simply that there are some Italians who send their greetings, and this has no bearing on the origin or destination of the letter?

It is likely that we will never be sure of the answers to these questions, but it is the message of Hebrews that we can be sure of Christ.

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 GNB)

Our God Is a Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12

Let Us Throw off Everything (12:1-3)

The aim of the author of Hebrews is to encourage us, but not necessarily to make us feel good. It is his wish to motivate us to rely completely and unwaveringly on our Lord and Savior. His method is both to lift our minds to great height, and also to force us to look down from that height and consider how great the fall. In this transitional passage, the author connects the host of characters mentioned in the previous chapter, and the faith to which they attest, to the new focus of his encouragement: we should press on at all cost toward our only gain.

He introduces this idea gently, suggesting that we “throw off” everything that would hold us back. This verb (apotithēmi) is the same word Paul uses when he beautifully encourages us to “put aside” our dark deeds and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12). But we should beware, for though the author begins this instruction gently, he will make clear that he intends it with the same seriousness that Jesus expresses when he advises us even to tear out our eyes, if necessary, and stumble blindly into the Kingdom, rather than stare with full sight into the fires of hell (Mark 9:43-48).

You Have not yet Resisted (12:4-13)

Though we know little about the author or the audience of Hebrews, it seems that he is one writing to early Christians who were just beginning to suffer persecution, and to realize that Christ would not return as soon as they had expected. Here, the author offers two points of “encouragement”. First, he tells them that whatever they may have suffered, they have at least not shed their blood. This statement, if considered dispassionately, is not surprising, as the author has given careful argument that our access to God has been secured by the shedding of blood. But, where our own blood is concerned, it is difficult to maintain perspective, and the idea that we have not yet reached the point certainly seems to suggest that we may in the future.

The author continues with the strange encouragement from Proverbs saying our punishment is a sign of love and that it is only for our own good. The parents among us should carefully consider how unsatisfying this encouragement can be. But in this observation is the crucial point: we are not speaking of the discipline of even the most loving of earthly parents, but the discipline of the Lord, who is not only infinitely more just, but infinitely more generous (Luke 11:9-13).

I find this passage challenging in what is perhaps a more disturbing way. The author’s audience lived in a time when they began to fear that the return of the Lord would not be imminent. I live in a time when that return is considered only occasionally and then remotely. They lived in a society of open persecution. I live in a society that values comfort over almost all other concerns.

There are times when I am confronted with my pampered existence and I hear the author saying directly to me “You have not yet resisted!”

Live in Peace and Be Holy (12:14-17)

It seems an odd conjunction that we should live in peace with all men and be holy. After all, to be holy is to be set apart, rather than to be with. Further, we never feel more holy than when, far from being at peace, we do battle with our fellow men, swinging our holiness like a club. This is the easy route to holiness: to be set apart by our own standards. The more difficult route is to be holy by being in the world, but not of the world (John 17:16-18).

Right up against this notion the author gives us the story of Esau, who was very much of the world and of the moment. Esau was concerned for his belly and missed out on his blessing. The author warns us that the appetites of this world can distract us from the consummation of the next.

You Have Come to God (12:18-24)

To remind us that the things of this world are but a copy and shadow of the true things (10:1) the author begins to speak of two mountains and the blood of two men. At Mount Sinai, the presence of God was manifest so powerfully that even to touch the mountain meant death. The people were so afraid of that presence that they thrust Moses and Aaron between themselves and God (Exodus 20:18-19).

The blood of Abel called out the guilt of Cain (Genesis 4:8-10) but the blood of Jesus cleanses us of all guilt (9:14) and by that blood we have access to the true Tabernacle (8:1-2) to Mount Zion, the true mountain, where the presence of God means eternal life.

With Reverence and Awe (12:25-29)

This world will yield to the true world. The process will be terrible at times, but the terror, Jesus says, is a sign of our redemption (Luke 21:16-28). Still, the author does not suggest the stoic acceptance that whatever befalls us is the will of God, but the assurance that whatever befalls us, the will of God is something better, better for us and all of creation (11:39-40).

Though the path from this world to the next may be difficult, the author makes a final plea that we not reject this new covenant, for the salvation it offers is the only salvation that will be offered (2:3). In this, our God is a jealous God, a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:23-24). But our God intends good for us, to bring out the good in us.

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.  (Mal 3:2-3)

Being Sure

Hebrews 11

Faith (11:1-3)

From the start, the author of Hebrews has been encouraging our confidence in Christ, that Great High Priest who began in heaven, came to earth to suffer perfection, and returned to majesty where he has gone for us into the Holy of Holies of the true temple, and where he intercedes for us eternally in the very presence of God. The author would also lift us to that height, certain that we will not shrink back.

Knowing his audience, he begins to answer the question that has not been voiced. We are willing to be swept along, persuaded by the power of his argument and of his rhetoric. We would claim the promise of that High Priest. We can almost imagine ourselves with Christ in the Most Holy Presence, but we are people of this world. We live in the shadow of reality. How can we know the Truth?

The answer the author gives us so beautifully, resoundingly, almost unrelentingly, is faith. This answer has, in fact, begun in the previous chapter, where he asserts that we are among “those who believe and are saved.” In our New Testament, the verb “believe” and the noun “faith” are translated from the same Greek word, and so this entire discourse on faith is prefigured by a brief statement on belief (10:39). This discourse begins with the statement that faith is being sure.

We are used to thinking of faith as quite separate from knowledge. Scientific knowledge, in particular, deals with the realm of the observable, where what is known is what can be systematically repeated. In this sense, it is shared knowledge, though we do not all share in it in the same way. Most of us have only an applicative knowledge of electricity, for example, and a minimal one at that, one which deals with switches and bulbs without even the least understanding of theory or operation.

But shared knowledge is not our only form of knowledge. What does the color blue look like? What does salt taste like? What does your mother’s voice sound like? These concepts are all connected with the observable: a spectrum of light, an interaction of chemicals, a composition of sound waves, but the truth of these concepts is more experiential than observable, and therefore more personal. Nonetheless, I know very well what blue looks like, what salt tastes like, what my mother’s voice sounds like, even if that knowledge is of a kind that I can never completely share.

Faith, the author says, is like that. It is knowledge but it is knowledge that is almost completely personal and experiential, and is in no way observable; it is being certain of what we cannot see. While I enjoy as much as anyone the fruit of scientific knowledge, it is ultimately not through that knowledge but through faith that we will understand the universe, as this observable universe was formed from that which cannot be observed (Genesis 1:1-2).

Abel, Enoch, Noah (11:4-7)

Having dispatched this idea of faith much more quickly than I have, the author goes on to a roll call of the faithful which even he has not sufficient time to complete. We will take time to consider some individual details of the passage and will not have time for the whole. Read it to yourself and experience it as excellent writing. Read it aloud to yourself and experience it as excellent preaching.

The story of Able has always been enigmatic. We have no record of a single word he spoke, but that his blood cried out from the ground and does so even today. What was it that made his sacrifice more acceptable than his brother’s? According to the author, Able knew by faith what his brother did not: the Lord requires mercy, not sacrifice (Micah 6:6-8).

Of Enoch we know that he walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:24). The author uses this second enigmatic story to further emphasize the idea that it is only by faith that we are able to please God, that we are able to come to him (Romans 5:1-2).

This idea is further exemplified by Noah, who by faith found favor with God (Genesis 6:8). But the story of Noah also further illustrates the differences between knowledge by faith and other forms of knowledge. I still remember my first telephone number. You could test me and, with the right records, verify independently that it is knowledge by the common understanding of that term. But this knowledge just lies there in my brain; it has no other use than for me to declare its existence.

Faith is not that sort of knowledge at all. By faith, Noah came to know of the impending flood and this knowledge was not the sort that could live a quiet life, slowly burning brain cells. We do not know what Noah’s life was like before he found favor with God, but we know what his life became through faith: building the ark, collecting the animals, living in the ark with the animals, and rebuilding civilization. Faith is not a quiet thing.

Abraham (11:8-19)

Let us notice two things from this account of the story of Abraham. First, the author says that when God called Abraham out of his country to an unknown place, Abraham obeyed by faith. Knowledge, we are told, is power, and the author tells us that faith empowers us. When the disciples were not able to cure a child of his epilepsy, Jesus chided them for their lack of faith, telling them that with faith even the size of a mustard seed, they would be able to do astounding things (Matthew 17:14-21).

The second thing we should notice is that amidst his faith, when he was called to sacrifice his son, Abraham reasoned what the outcome might be. Just as we tend to think of faith and knowledge as different things, we sometimes think of them as being completely separate, as if one had nothing to do with the other. Jesus expects us to allow the Spirit of God within us to lead us into knowledge (John 16:12-13). This knowledge is not consistent with the wisdom of this world, but is of the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).

What More Shall I Say? (11:20-38)

The author continues with a cast of Old Testament characters which are all to be recognized for their faith. Some of these are not as familiar to us as the others. There is Barak, who during the time of the judges was the commander of the army when the Prophetess Deborah ruled over Israel. And there is Jepthah, who is recorded as a man filled with the Spirit of the Lord, but who is remembered for making a rash promise to the Lord and causing his daughter to suffer for it (Judges 11:29-40).

By the inclusion of the likes of Moses, one of the most important of the Patriarchs, and Rahab, the righteous prostitute, the author points out that those lead by faith are not superhuman. David himself – a man after God’s own heart – was also an adulterer and murderer.

God Had Planned Something Better (11:39-40)

Even the most faithful remain human, and the most lauded of the Old Testament characters did not receive what was promised. The gift is given, not achieved, even by the most righteous means. Through faith, God blesses us in our imperfect state, but God has planned something better. By faith we will participate in God’s redemption of all of humanity, indeed, all of creation (Romans 8:22-23). By faith we will come to know the mystery of the unseen things of the universe, for faith itself is the the essence of things unseen.

Those Who Believe and Are Saved

Hebrews 10:19-39

Since We Have Confidence (10:19-25)

The writer of Hebrews has always expressed his purpose, but now draws his full attention to the encouragement of those whom Paul was pleased to call the saints – the encouragement of people like ourselves. All that he has been saying has been to enable us to have confidence; confidence to draw near to God.

It has always been the purpose of God that we should be able to draw near to him through the blood of Christ our Lord (Ephesians 3:11-12). The author wants us to have confidence; the confidence to ask whatever we will and know that we will have it (1 John 5:14-15). The confidence given us through the true and living way (John 14:1-6).

Trampled the Son of God underfoot (10:26-31)

When he has begun to encourage us, the author continues by alarming us. First he tells us something very disturbing about ourselves. As we continue to sin, we reject the only sacrifice available to us. More than that, we disgrace that sacrifice, trampling the Son of God underfoot.

John gives us quite another picture. No one who is born of God will remain in sin (1 John 3:2-9). Can we live up to that description? Is there some middle-ground between perfection and disrespect for the greatest sacrifice? What seems like such a broad spectrum is only a single choice – a choice between ourselves and God. Here the author gives us the second alarming idea: the God who is both loving and judging, the only God, the source of all things (Isaiah 45:5-7).

Better and Lasting Possessions (10:32-34)

I was very young when I accepted salvation, so I do not quite know the experience the author describes. I have never known either the degree of persecution or the level of altruism he attributes to those new converts. I do remember a day when my Christianity was more in the forefront of my mind.

I was young then. The world has taught me quite a bit. The world calls it maturity, but it is not what the author calls maturity (5:11-14). These are the choices, many small choices that make it seem like there is a spectrum from good to evil, choices between tis world and God (Matthew 16:26).

Those Who Believe and Are Saved (10:35-59)

Here the author is encouraging us again, exhorting us to have confidence. But now the courage and caution are almost in the same breath. What sort of encouragement is this, that lifts us up and at the same time always makes us mindful of the heights?

There is an encouragement that only seeks to make us feel better, to tell us that everything will be fine. This author encourages us to be children of God.

“Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Mat 10:32-34 GNB)

Our Christianity is not some sweet-tasting serum to make us feel good. It is a fearful thing. We would neither fully accept the Promise of a God who would give us all things or the alternative to trample the Son of God underfoot. Will we make the choice? Will we be among those who shrink back, or among those who believe and are saved?