Ed Urzi

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NIV).

Hebrews 13:14 serves as a reminder that encourages us to reflect upon the road we are traveling in life and where that road ultimately ends. Consider Jesus’ famous counsel from the Gospel of Matthew…

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

The problem is that it is often challenging to travel a road that honors God in this life. Because of this, many prefer to take the path of least resistance and postpone any real consideration of their destination in the afterlife. Unfortunately, there are many “broad ways” in life that eventually lead to destinations where the bridge is out, so to speak (see Galatians 5:19-21).

Because of this, it is important to remember that every human being is someone who is passing through life on the way to another place. Everyone is a sojourner, a traveler, or a pilgrim in this sense. While the road of Christ is not necessarily an easy one, it is the right road that leads to the right destination.

This may explain why the Scriptures often make use of the word “walk” as a figure of speech to refers to our general conduct or behavior. The best known example of that imagery might be found in the Psalm 1:1-2 where we read, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

“Walking” implies movement, progression, and advancement in a literal or figurative sense. As these passages remind us, we can walk in the counsel of the Godly, or we can go in another direction. We can walk in the path of sinners, or we can walk in the path of the righteous. We can travel the broad way that leads to destruction, or we can enter by the narrow gate.

Thus, two different roads present themselves to us, each leading to its own destination. One road is narrow and ultimately leads to an enduring city that is yet to come. The other road is broad and ultimately leads to ruin and destruction.

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT).

The Scriptures record an event in the life of Jacob, the famous Old Testament patriarch, that serves to illustrate our text from Hebrews 13:14. When Jacob’s son Joseph brought him to meet Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, Genesis chapter forty-seven details a portion of the conversation that took place between them…

“Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.’ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:7-10).

When Pharaoh inquired about Jacob’s age, we should notice that Jacob began his response by saying, “The years of my pilgrimage…” or, “The years of my sojourning…” (ESV). Those words convey the image of a traveler. This indicates that Jacob viewed himself as someone who was on a journey through life. In other words, he viewed the days and years of his earthly existence as a pilgrimage on the way to his future destination. That leads us to some important questions: “Where was Jacob headed on that pilgrimage and what was his ultimate destination?”

Well, Jacob’s ultimate destination was an eternal home with the God who had spoken with him before he entered Egypt (see Genesis chapter 46). His place was with the God who appeared to him in a dream according to Genesis 28:10-19. Jacob’s eternal residence was with the One who once wrestled with him throughout the night in Genesis 32:24-30.

Jacob was destined to travel to Egypt, but his future was not there. Instead, Jacob’s future was with the God who had protected him, blessed him, and provided for him throughout the various stages of his life. This explains why Jacob saw himself as someone who was on a journey through life- and what was true for Jacob is also true for us as well.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, our lives are also like roads we travel. That journey begins at conception and concludes with our physical death, or the end of our material existence in respect to this life. We’ll complete our look at this concept in the conclusion of this miniseries next.

“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14 ESV).

In addition to what we read here in Hebrews 13:14, the New Testament book of Philippians offers the following reminder: “…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). We also have Jesus’ promise of an eternal place in heaven as well…

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

As we seek to represent Jesus faithfully over the course of our daily lives, it’s important to recognize that Christians are sojourners (1 Peter 2:11) in a world that has little use for Christ. Thus, we should prioritize our relationships, occupations, and material possessions with a view towards eternity. Consider Jesus’ counsel in this regard…

“If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison–your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26 NLT).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

We can illustrate the alternative in another of Jesus’ parables…

“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21 NIV).

“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

Despite its brevity, Hebrews 13:14 offers a hidden wealth of practical application. With this in mind, today’s message marks the beginning of a four-part miniseries that will examine various aspects of this verse.

We can begin with the prevailing theme of this passage: the people of God are citizens of another realm. Although God’s people live and work within this world, they are citizens of heaven as represented by this reference to “…the city that is still to come” (CEB). This corresponds to what we read earlier in Hebrews 11:10 concerning “…the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Thus, “Christians should be characterized by looking forward to the future. We should not be attached to this world, because all that we are and have here is temporary. We should not love our present home so much that we lose sight of God’s future blessing.” ₍₁₎ However, we should also consider the possibility that there was a far more immediate concern behind this reference to “…no continuing city.”

As mentioned earlier, the ancient Roman army marched upon the city of Jerusalem shortly after the Epistle to the Hebrews was completed. A contingent of 30,000 soldiers took part in that campaign in an effort to eliminate the remaining pockets of resistance to Roman governance. That five-month military operation began in A.D. 69 and continued into A.D. 70 as Roman military units leveled the city of Jerusalem, along with the Temple and every other major building within that area. That offensive also resulted in the estimated loss of one million lives.

It’s likely that the Epistle to the Hebrews had started to enter into circulation around the time when this incursion took place. Those who subsequently read this epistle in the late first and early second centuries were thus reminded of a graphic event within their lifetimes that served to illustrate this idea of “no continuing city“.

Much like our author’s earlier reference to “…those things that are being shaken” in Hebrews 12:27, the destruction of Jerusalem offered a vivid depiction of our author’s premise. In the words of one commentary, “Here is a foreboding of Jerusalem’s imminent destruction. Even if there was no prophetic intent within the author’s statement, God is about to remove the temptation for Jewish Christians to return to the sacrificial ritual of the Jerusalem temple.” ₍₂₎

(1) Life Application Study Bible NKJV [Hebrews 13:14] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers

(2) Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow Michael Kroll, eds., KJV Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 2582.

“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:12-13).

Much like the concrete blocks that establish a sturdy foundation, this portion of Scripture makes use of several block-like elements that build towards a wide-ranging application.

Our first building block returns us to chapter four of the Old Testament book of Leviticus. That portion of Scripture tells us that the remains of a sin offering were carried beyond the perimeter of Israel’s encampment (Leviticus 4:21). In like manner, John 19:17-18 records Jesus’ own experience in that regard: “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.”

“Outside the camp” (or outside the city limits of Jerusalem, in this instance) represented the place of rejection, separation, and exclusion. Thus, as one source concludes, “…just as the body of the sacrificial animal, slain on the Day of Atonement, was taken outside the camp and burned, so Jesus was taken outside the city gate to suffer for and sanctify His people by His death (11-12).” ₍₁₎

That leads to our next building block: “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp…” Then, as now, Jesus’ followers should be willing to join Him in that place of rejection and separation wherever it may be. As Jesus Himself once said to His followers…

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all” (Matthew 10:24-26 NLT).

Finally, we can be secure in the knowledge we have an eternal home that awaits us. That promise enables us to join with Christ and bear His reproach, as we’re told here in Hebrews 13:13. In the words of 2 Peter 3:13, “…we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Our author will explore that promise at greater length next.

(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering &Inglis Ltd [pp. 1530-31].

“We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:10-11 NET).

Hebrews chapter nine featured a lengthy discussion regarding the tabernacle and those who served there. That discussion culminated in the conclusion we read in the opening verses of chapter ten…

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT).

Our text from Hebrews 13:10-11 returns to that imagery to make some important points. First, “The priests who officiated over various sacrifices were entitled to eat the portion of that sacrifice designated for the priests (Lev 6:14–30).” ₍₁₎ However, those who continued to serve in the Old Testament sacrificial system (represented by the Tabernacle) sought to approach God through their offerings and not through Jesus’ sacrifice. Therefore, “Those still under the Old Covenant (‘who serve the tabernacle’) had ‘no right’ to partake of Him for spiritual sustenance and fellowship with God, since their confidence (faith) was still in the Old Covenant.” ₍₂₎

However, this is not to say that we have no altar under the New Covenant. As mentioned previously, that altar is the cross of Christ, where Jesus’ sacrifice was made. ₍₃₎ In light of this, “We have no need of the temple altar for we have an altar, that on which Christ offered himself, to which those who cling to the tabernacle service have no right. Christ’s altar implies the abolition of the tabernacle and the old covenant. Those who cling to these show their lack of faith in Christ.” ₍₄₎

Hebrews 13:10-13 represents the last time our author will turn to the Old Testament sacrificial system to illustrate the superior nature of the New Covenant. Having served its purpose in that regard, our author will make one final point before moving to some practical instructions and personal asides to close this letter.

(1) John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 13:10.

(2) Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “Instructions regarding religious duties 13:7-19” [13:10] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(3) See G2379 thysiasterion https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2379/kjv/tr/0-1/

(4) Johnson, B. W., The People’s New Testament [Hebrews 13:10]. Public Domain https://www.ccel.org/j/johnson_bw/pnt/PNT19-13.HTM

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:10-11).

Our text from Hebrews 13:10-11 reminds us that the book of Hebrews was originally written for the benefit of a Jewish audience. That audience was undoubtedly familiar with the imagery given to us in the passage quoted above, and it serves as a foundation for the application that follows in verses twelve and thirteen.

For those who do not share that same cultural heritage, the Old Testament book of Leviticus identifies two conditions where the remains of a sacrificial offering were to be taken outside the community for disposal…

1. If a spiritual leader committed an unintentional sin.
2. If the community at large engaged in an unintentional sin.

Under those conditions, the remains of the offering were removed to a ceremonially clean area where they were incinerated on an ash heap. So how does this apply to Jesus’ sacrifice? Well, first we’re told, “We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” This tells us that those who seek to get right with God by following a set of rules and regulations no longer have a place at God’s table under the New Covenant.

In addition, this reference to an altar points to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins. Those who approach God by that altar have abandoned their efforts to make their own sacrificial offerings. Instead, they recognize and accept the fact that an offering has been made once for all through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Finally, we should remember that Israel’s spiritual leadership had rejected Jesus, along with a large percentage of the first-century Jewish populace. Much like the sacrificial offering detailed in Leviticus chapter four, Jesus had been put “outside the camp” by those individuals, so to speak. Therefore, anyone who sought to follow Jesus had to join Him there.

Those who had been ostracized for their decision to follow Christ might also recognize this reference to “outside the camp” as an allusion to Jesus’ message from John 12:25-26: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

The same is true for us today. Much like the original audience for this epistle, we must also be willing to “go outside the camp” of this world and its values if we seek to follow Christ.

“Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (Hebrews 13:9 ESV).

One commentator offers a helpful synopsis of the issue raised in Hebrews 13:9…

“Evidently one of the ‘strange’ teachings, prevalent when this letter originated, was that eating certain foods, or abstinence from certain foods, resulted in greater godliness (cf. Col. 2:16; 1 Tim. 4:1-5). This was, of course, what Judaism taught too. Judaism taught that eating food ‘strengthened the heart,’ in the sense that when the Jews ate, they also gave thanks to God, and thus brought Him into their experience (cf. Ps. 104:14-15). _[a] However, Jesus’ death on the cross is the source of both the saving, and the sustaining, ‘grace of God,’ by which we experience strengthening.” ₍₁₎

Paul the Apostle also addressed this subject in the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians…

“But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse” (1 Corinthians 8:8).

We should also note our author’s subtle aside in this passage: “…those who obey these rules have not been helped by them” (GNT). Jesus explained why those who adhered to such restrictions failed to receive a benefit from them…

“‘The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.’

After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. He answered, ‘Don’t you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. It doesn’t go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body.” By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat.

Then Jesus said: ‘What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God'” (Mark 7:15-23 CEV).

Our final commentary ties these ideas together…

“Legislation concerning clean and unclean foods was designed to produce ritual cleanness. But this is not the same thing as inward holiness. A man might be ceremonially clean and yet be filled with hatred and hypocrisy. Only God’s grace can inspire and empower believers to live holy lives. Love for the Savior who died on account of our sins motivates us to ‘live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age’ (Tit 2:12). After all, endless rules concerning foods and drinks have not profited their adherents.” ₍₂₎

(1) [a] William L. Lane, Word Biblical Commentary series. Dallas: Word Books, 1991, Hebrews 9—13, pp. 533-36, quoted in, Constable, Thomas. DD, Notes on Hebrews 2023 Edition “Instructions regarding religious duties 13:7-19” [13:9] https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/hebrews/hebrews.htm

(2) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [13:9]

“Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).

This cautionary reference to “…various and strange doctrines” is just as relevant today as it was when this warning first appeared. In fact, this message takes on greater significance today, for those who promote such doctrines have the benefit of 21st century technology to market their teachings to a broader audience.

A similar admonition appears in the Biblical epistle of 1 Timothy…

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work–which is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3-4 NIV).

We can identify such doctrines by measuring them against the New Testament Scriptures. For instance, if the doctrine in question…

• Was not taught by Jesus within the Gospels,
• Was not practiced by the early church as seen in the book of Acts,
• Is not referenced by the authors of the New Testament Epistles,

…then we would be wise to exercise caution before we accept it.

Hebrews 13:9 also provides valuable guidance when addressing non-essential elements of the Christian faith. There are many areas where Christians of good conscience may reach different (but Biblically valid) conclusions on peripheral aspects of belief and practice. Unfortunately, a non-essential doctrine may effectively become an essential element of the faith for those who are heavily invested in their particular subject of interest.

Those differences may devolve into contentious online criticisms where others with different views are ostracized and portrayed as dangers to the Christian community. Sadly, those who engage in such tactics provide an excellent venue for outsiders to mock and disparage the church. That leads us to an important reminder here in Hebrews 13:9: “…it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace” (KJV).

While the context of that reminder involves religious dietary restrictions, we can apply this principle to other non-essential elements of the Christian faith as well. For example, before we “like” or re-post a disparaging criticism, we would be well-advised to ask two questions…

• Does the speaker demonstrate grace toward other Christians who disagree?
• Does the speaker display the fruit of the Spirit in evaluating another Christian’s view regarding a non-essential element of the Christian faith?

As we’re told in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).

While the people, places, and things that bring us happiness may pass from the scene, our hope for the future is anchored to the immutable Christ. Nevertheless, this passage has important implications for our understanding of Jesus’ divinity. You see, the fact that Jesus “…is the same yesterday and today and forever” identifies Him as God by necessity.

For example, some believe that Jesus was a man who became a god. Other groups teach that Jesus was an angel, or a created being. But if any of those beliefs were true, then Jesus could not be “…the same yesterday and today and for all time” (Mounce). The idea that a person “becomes” something implies that he or she has changed. Therefore, if Jesus became a god, or lived as an angel, or came into existence at some point, then He cannot be the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Instead, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus was, is, and will always be God. One commentator expands upon this idea with the following observations…

“The unchanging nature (which theologians call immutability) of Jesus Christ could be inferred from His deity, even if it were not explicitly stated. God doesn’t change over the ages, so neither does Jesus, who is God.” ₍₁₎

Another source adds…

“The fundamental declaration of Scripture about God is that God cannot change. He is immutable, changeless. He cannot change. As James puts it, ‘with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,’ (Jam 1:17 KJV)… If you have a being who can change, then you do not have a God at all. That is what the pagans discovered, and why the pagan world is always a world of uncertainty, doubt and fear. Changelessness is fundamental to the idea of a God who is truly God.” ₍₂₎

Our final commentator links this quality with God’s character…

“When James adds that there is no ‘shadow of turning’ with God, it is not enough to understand this merely in terms of God’s unchanging or immutable being. This reference is also to God’s character. Not only is God altogether good, He is consistently good… God’s goodness refers both to His character and His behavior. His actions proceed from and flow out of His being. He acts according to what He is. Just as a corrupt tree cannot bear incorrupt fruit, neither can an incorrupt God produce corrupt fruit.” ₍₃₎

So if Jesus is truly “…the same yesterday and today and forever,” then He must be God as a matter of necessity.

(1) Guzik, David, Hebrews 13 – Living A Positive Christian Life [13:8] © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-13/

(2) Excerpted with permission from The Unthinkable Thought © 1967 by Ray Stedman Ministries. All rights reserved. Visit www.RayStedman.org for the complete library of Ray Stedman material. Please direct any questions to webmaster@RayStedman.org

(3) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Essential truths of the Christian faith. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House. [pp 34-35]