This week’s Hammer Verses read: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”
Though many suggestions have been made as to the identity of the author of this written sermon-in-a-letter (including Paul, Barnabas, Luke, Clement of Rome, Apollos, and Priscilla), it is best to conclude we just don’t know who wrote it. We do know that it was a man (11:32) who was a friend of Timothy (13:23), yet, who came to faith not through direct contact with Jesus, but through preaching of the apostles (2:3-4). Whoever the author was, he was writing to those who professed faith in Jesus Christ (e.g. 3:1), who were very familiar with the Old Testament, especially the details of the temple and sacrificial system (cf. chapters 8-10), they were fluent in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (e.g. 1:5-13), they heard the gospel through apostles and not Jesus (2:3-4), they faced previous (10:32-34) and current persecution (13:12-13), they were in danger of turning away from the faith because of false teaching (e.g. 2:1-18), and most likely they were Jewish Christians who had been dispersed out of Palestine and throughout the Roman empire—this particular group having ended up in Italy (13:24). Since there was previous and current persecution, and since there is evidence that the temple in Jerusalem was still standing (5:1; 7:28; 8:3, 4, 5, 13; 9:7), most date the book in the late 60’s, during the persecution of Nero and just prior to the temple’s demise (A.D. 70).
The book was written to counteract a false teaching leading to a movement back toward the Law Covenant among these Christians, as well as a preoccupation with angels. In other words, they were turning away from Christ to many other objects of trust as they faced difficulties: angels (chapter 1), Moses (chapters 3-4), the priesthood (chapters 4-7), the Law and the Old Testament (chapters 8-10). What the author does, therefore, is he demonstrates in the first ten chapters the superiority of Jesus Christ over all things and people and then calls them to perseverance in faith throughout chapters 11-13. Because this is the purpose, we learn a great deal in Hebrews about the person and work of Jesus Christ, as well as the nature of His saving work (especially how it relates to the Old Testament).
As is the case in so many New Testament letters, this one ends with specific moral instructions based upon the doctrinal realities set forth in the previous pages. All of these teachings give even more specific details for what it means to run the race with endurance, as well as to seek peace with others and holiness (see Hebrews 12:1, 14-15).
Here are some specific points of application we do not want to miss from the first part of Hebrews 13. (1) Love fellow Christians (1) and this includes meeting the needs of those believers whatever they are (verses 1-3). In those days this included giving lodging to traveling believers and ministering to those in prison or who are mistreated. (2) Continue to see marriage as something honorable and keep each marriage relationship (especially the sexual relationship) pure (verse 4). (3) Keep yourself free from money love and be content with God’s provision and presence (verses 5-6).
So, what we find in Hebrews 13:5-6 is that we are at the heart of how it is we persevere in our Christian faith. Based on God’s promised presence with and care for us, we need not fear man or difficult situations, which frees us up from money love and paralysis from the pressures of man and situations. As such, we can act courageously—meeting other’s needs and following the Lord in whatever call he places upon us.
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