Outside the Camp

There is a cost to following Jesus Christ. His command is for His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him (Lk 14:27–29). That is the road marked with suffering. It is the narrow way that few will travel (Mt 7:13–14). It requires faith because that is what pleases God (Heb 11:6). It is the way of holiness in an unholy world; and we are commanded to be holy by our Lord (1 Pet 1:15–16). We thank Him for being the sole Agent of sanctification (Heb 10:10; 1 Pet 1:2), for apart from Him, we can do nothing (Jn 15:5).

The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 Jn 5:19). Both the ruler of this world (system) and all who are under his dominion are doomed to destruction (Rom 9:22; Phil 3:19). Soon, the wrath of God will be poured out in full force at the second coming of Christ on the great day, a day of final judgment (Rev 19:11–21). Sensing the pending doom, people produce endless religions in order to attempt to appease the anger of God against sinners; but there is only one propitiation for sin…the wrath absorbing Lamb of God (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10).

Man-made religion accomplishes nothing. Religious rites and rituals gain no favor with God; nor do they benefit those who are preoccupied with the elements and orders with which one must comply. Central to religion is food. For example, in the Old Testament, the animals sacrificed in the Temple were eaten by the Levites (think: BBQ at God’s house). Food sacrifices are present in other religions, too.

One sacrifice that was not eaten was the victim on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). Instead, this sacrificed substitute was burned outside the camp. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed (1 Cor 5:7); and Christians are exhorted to bear His reproach by joining with Him in His sufferings (Col 1:24; Heb 13:12–13).

In Hebrews 13:7–14, the author writes to his Jewish-Christian audience to once again make his case for the superiority of Jesus Christ, which is his overall objective for the entire letter/sermon. By God’s grace, one receives Jesus Christ (Jn 1:12–13; Eph 2:8–9). In this passage, grace is set against foods, which itself closely parallels the strange teaching that threatens the church. In one way, the temptation was to return to a religious system that promoted food laws. The laws of kosher and halal are examples of food laws that demand obedience to purportedly secure favor with God.

People, today, as it was back then, feast on the doctrine of demons (1 Tim 4:1). They take in false teaching, showing little or no discernment. They pray repetitious prayers (Mt 6:7). They offer sacrifices to idols (Rev 2:20). They commit gross acts of immorality (Jude 1:7; Rev 2:14). They shipwreck their faith by listening to just about anything other than the Word of God, which is God’s means for His peoples’ sanctification (Jn 17:17).

Sanctification is entirely a work of God to set His chosen people apart from the kingdom of this world (Jn 17:17; Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2), so to be representatives of holiness and the kingdom of heaven (2 Cor 5:20).

We are ambassadors for Christ, persuading others to see Jesus Christ and His blood sacrifice of Himself on the cross (2 Cor 5:11; Heb 7:27). It is His precious blood that secures for us the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:19). The blood of Christ is the acceptable payment for sins. It is a ransom paid and a debt cancelled (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Col 2:14).

The blessings and benefits of being in Christ are many (Eph 1:3); but so are the many and diverse persecutions that come with one’s departure from the security of man-made religion (Mt 5:10–12). Judaism is a man-made religion drawn from the Old Testament. It pursues Yahweh apart from Jesus the Messiah; but no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus (Jn 14:6).

If location matters, the writer of Hebrews points us to heaven above (Heb 13:14), where Christ is seated (Eph 2:6; Heb 1:3; 8:1). Faithful preachers proclaim Him (Col 1:28; 2 Tim 4:2); and people of faith respond to the Gospel of grace with the faith granted to them by grace (Gal 3:22; Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29; 2 Pet 1:1). We hold fast to the confession of faith handed down to us by those who minister God’s Word by the Holy Spirit (Heb 13:7; Jude 1:3).

With our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb 12:2); and our minds set on the things above (Col 3:2); we seek the city which is to come (Heb 13:14), that is, New Jerusalem, heavenly Zion (Heb 12:22; Rev 21–22). This makes us people of hope, for our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), not on the earth. We are not of the world (Jn 15:19; 18:36), which means we are peculiar to unregenerate men (Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9), who love darkness (Jn 3:19), who are void of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17), and who have no appetite for spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14). The things of God and Christ are foolishness to those who are perishing (Rom 1:16–17; 1 Cor 1:18).

Although Christians are dying, bodily, they are being renewed day by day in heart and mind (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 4:16). God grants grace to us using means; and He employs those means according to His will (Phil 2:12–13). This includes our church gatherings for worship/fellowship. Grace comes in the teaching and preaching of the Word of God; prayer in the Holy Spirit; and the sacraments (baptism/Lord’s supper).

In this world we have trouble (Jn 16:33). In the world to come we have an eternal city. Ostracized by the city of man, we cling to Christ, our only hope, who has gone to prepare a dwelling place for us in the city of God (Jn 14:2–3).

Let us live here under the scorn of those who ridicule our trust in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. We remember that reprobate, unredeemed, unregenerate, unbelievers cannot take in this spiritual food from the sacred altar of Christ on the cross. Therefore, as we do indeed take it in, let us be glad and give thanks to God (1 Thess 5:16–18). He has done great things to deliver us from unprofitable, unfruitful religion.

Taste and see that God and His grace is good (Ps 34:8). God’s Word satisfies our souls; and like those who have gone before us, may we be found faithful, as slaves of Christ in service to our mighty King. For we are not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for us who believe.

In conclusion, the reproach of being identified with Christ is not to be compared to the glories yet to come in their fullness. Moses set up the tent of meeting “outside the camp”; and outside the camp is where we bask in the presence of our God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We praise Him for all He has done in that place of shame and disrespect. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and shed His blood that we might be in union and communion with Him, forever.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

July 9, 2024

Hebrews 13:7–14