CONSIDER ALL THAT I HAVE WRITTEN
“Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation…….” (NIV) “bear with” = to hold up or support; to accept; to carry in the mind or heart (Webster’s Dict.) “to listen patiently” (T.E.Y.); “to accept as though it were an appeal in person” (J.B. Phillips)
He urges them to “Keep on loving each other”[1] “Do not forget to entertain strangers”[2] “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them” (NKJ) [3] “Honour and keep your marriage pure”[4] “be content with what you have…” [5] “Remember your leaders” [6] – Consider and imitate their faith – they keep watch over you and must give account. “Avoid strange teachings” [7] and “Strengthen your hearts by grace”[8]
“We have an altar”[8] – At which, those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat. The priests were not permitted to eat of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement [9] Believers in Christ are able to partake of our atoning sacrifice because we have done so spiritually
We also have “a sin offering”. [10] The bodies of the animal were burned outside the [camp] city, so Jesus died outside the city to make us holy through His own blood.[11] “Let us go to Him”, outside the camp – the place of disgrace – to identifying with Him,[12] looking forward to and anticipating our reward in the eternal city. [13]
Let us “Continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise”, the fruit of lips that confess His name. [14] And “The God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant”,[15] who brought back our Lord Jesus from the dead – The Great Shepherd of the sheep; who has equipped us to do His bidding, will work in us what is pleasing to Him.
So the writer requests: “Accept my word of exhortation as though it were an appeal in person.”[16]
[NOTE. This concludes the study of Hebrews, hope you enjoyed and benifited from it.]
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Scripture References: [1] Heb 13:1; Rom. 12:10; [2] Heb.13:2; Job 31:32; Matt. 25:35; [3] Heb. 13:3; Matt. 25:36; Heb. 10:34; [4] Heb. 13:4; Mal. 2:14-15; 1 Tim. 4:3; [5] Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 6:8; Deut. 31:6; Psa. 118:6-7; [6] Heb. 13: 7, 17; 1 Cor. 16:15-16; [7] Heb. 13:9; Col.2:6-8; Eph. 4:13-14; [8] Heb. 13:9; Col. 2:16-17; [8] Heb. 13:10; 8:5; 1 Cor. 9:13; 10:18; Lev. 6:16, 26; 7:6; [9] Lev 6:30; 16:24-25; [10] Heb. 13:11; Lev. 16:27; Jn. 19:17; [11] Eph. 5:25-26; Rom.3:25; [12]Heb. 13:13; Lk. 9:23; Heb. 11:26; [13] Heb. 11:10, 16; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 12:28; [14] Heb. 13:15; Psa. 51:15-17; 1 Pet. 2:5; [15] Heb. 13:20; [16] Heb. 13:22(J.B.P.).