Hebrews 13:9-14: Unto Him Without the Camp
2024-03-09
Hebrews 13:9
Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. (Hebrews 13:9)
We should not be “carried about with divers and strange doctrines.” We need to be steadfast in what we have received from the Word. The word for “carried about” is used elsewhere in the same sense. Consider Ephesians 4:11-16. The Lord Himself designed a bunch of different types of teaching roles. The purpose is manifold. First is perfecting the saints, making them completely equipped for service. We also see that the body is edified. They are encouraged and not discouraged. From there, the body is unified rather than split into factions. As a body we need to be on the same page doctrinally for the major doctrines. If we believe something one day and change completely the next, we are unstable and ripe for succumbing to false prophets. This is why good teaching is important.
On the subject of false prophets, consider also this: “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 1:12-13). The book of Jude is largely about false prophets, as we see that these are unstable and impulsive people that are “carried about of winds.” They seek out those that are like them: unstable.
When it talks about strange doctrines, the word for strange is foreign, which is consistent across all of Scripture. These doctrines the apostle speaks of are from outside the church. Someone is trying to influence them to believe something they did not receive from the apostles.
With good teaching should our hearts be established. We will not be moved by false teaching. That good teaching is grace and not meats. This seems strange, but the context will reveal a little more in a moment. The opposite of grace (God’s unmerited favor or gift) is works: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Romans 11:6). So these “meats” somehow are works.
There is a lot of discussion about meats in the Bible. This word for “meats” could (but not always) refer to meats in a ceremonial context, either being clean or not clean. These “meats” do not necessarily mean animal flesh, like it does in our vernacular; it can be any food. In its normal usage in the Old Testament, it is usually not animal flesh; however, in this context, it might mean so.
Recall the Old Testament speaks a lot about clean and unclean animals, as we discussed a while ago. This could be what is spoken of here. It could also be meat sacrificed to idols. This is discussed in other epistles, knowing that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the foods, but rather the perceived association with the pagan practices could hurt other believers or ruin testimony. These are likely not the problem in this case; abstaining from eating foods is not wrong if you have conscience against those things.
Most likely, these “meats” are sacrifices. Subsequent verses refer to the altar and animal bodies that were sacrifices. Recall how we spoke at length how the sacrificial system did not ever really take away sins. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The apostle spent several chapters on the subject. These Hebrews must have been hung up on this for Paul to spend this much time on it. This exhortation must refer to this struggle. Neither priest nor Israelite was ever changed by the endless carnage of these sacrifices. This word “meats,” therefore, is a synecdoche referring to the whole sacrificial system.
Hebrews 13:10
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. (Hebrews 13:10)
The altar we have is in heaven, where our High Priest is. The priests in the first century could not be a part of what we know of Christ. They went through the motions of what was required by the Law, but we know most of them cared nothing of Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death” (Matthew 26:64-66). And again, “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison” (Acts 5:17-18). And again, “Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him” (Acts 25:2-3).
The high priests of the first century wanted Jesus and the apostles killed. There was evidence that Jesus was the Christ and that He rose from the dead. They dismissed it all and therefore were disqualified from partaking of Christ and His salvation.
Jesus Christ superseded the old system. You cannot live in both of those worlds. The Hebrews had to realize that these elements of their heritage pointed to Christ. Now that He had come, they had to put away those old traditions and embrace the Lord.
Hebrews 13:11
For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. (Hebrews 13:11)
Consider how sacrifices were made. For the burnt offerings, everything was burned on the altar, herd, flock, doves, or pigeons: “But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD” (Leviticus 1:9). “But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD” (Leviticus 1:13).
The grain offerings were partially burned on the altar and partially given to Aaron and his sons. “And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire” (Leviticus 2:2-3).
The peace offerings were offered on the altar: “And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S” (Leviticus 3:16). Some of this was eaten within the first three days.
And the trespass offerings? “And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass offering. Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy” (Leviticus 7:5-6).
What about the sin offerings? Some of the inward parts were burned on the altar. “As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering” (Leviticus 4:10). But then it continues, “And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt” (Leviticus 4:11-12).
There is a distinct difference for the sin offering in that it is burnt outside the camp.
Now the specifics of this verse in Hebrews 13:11 is concerning the Day of Atonement, which we spoke of at length in previous sections. The blood of sacrifices for this day were sprinkled in the sanctuary on the mercy seat: “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:14-15).
Much of the bodies of the bullock and the goat sin sacrifices were burned without the camp: “And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung” (Leviticus 16:27).
Why “without the camp”? Consider the discussion here.
(Herein is more reason why the earthly high priests had no right to eat of our sacrifice; what was burned outside the camp was not eaten.)
Hebrews 13:12
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)
Here, we see the correlation between Jesus, the Day of Atonement, and the sin sacrifice. Just as the sin sacrifice was burned without the camp, so was Jesus crucified at Golgotha (or Calvary, the place of a skull), which was outside of Jerusalem but near the city: “This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin” (John 19:20). It was fulfilled this way to clarify that He was the sacrifice that would cover their sins, “that he might sanctify the people with his own blood.”
Hebrews 13:13
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13)
Remember that this epistle was originally intended for Hebrew believers. In what way should they go “without the camp”? This did not mean leaving Jerusalem necessarily. James and some of the apostles were probably still there at the time of this epistle. It is rather leaving the Old Testament religious system. Jesus superseded all of that, which certainly caused reproach with their former Jewish friends and family that rejected Christ. They would have been outcasts in whatever community they lived. Just as everything that was without the camp was unclean, sin offerings, ashes, refuse, lepers, and so on, our Lord was thrust out with all that to be sacrificed. “And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matthew 21:39). Where He is, let us gladly be.
As we have seen before, to know Christ is to know reproach, disapproval, shame, and contempt. These believers, as we have also seen, know this reproach: “Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used” (Hebrews 10:33).
Elsewhere, we see this reproach. “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me” (Romans 15:3; cf. Psalm 69:9). Jesus Christ was reproached by enemies, their hatred for God was poured out on the Son.
“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11:26). Here, we see that Moses also was reproached because He decided to identify with the people of his birth over the Egyptians. He sacrificed living in comfort with the royalty and was esteemed as one of the slaves. Likewise, true royalty is Jesus the King, but He is not esteemed by many as King. We go with the real King over whatever this world is telling us.
Hebrews 13:14
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:14)
Recall what Abraham looked for when he left his country: “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). All those of faith looked for the same: “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country” (Hebrews 11:14).
Every city on earth will one day fall. “And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath” (Revelation 16:19). “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity” (Isaiah 40:17). It is only heavenly Jerusalem that is forever. That makes us strangers and pilgrims here until the Lord comes.