“In His will is our peace.”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 13:1-6
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I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

A Change in Tone

Imagine you are in the original audience, hearing this written sermon read aloud for the first time.  Would the sudden transition have been a bit jarring?

Our God is a consuming fire
Let love of the brethren continue.
Hebrews 12:29 – 13:1

Remember that the chapter divisions were not added until centuries later.  So the flow of the sermon should somehow make sense.  How does the beginning of chapter 13 follow what has been said before?

Several members of our group reviewed the broad outline of the first twelve chapters of Hebrews.

• • The first seven chapters build the case for Jesus as the superior High Priest. In fact, chapter 8 begins very directly, “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest” (emphasis added).
  • Chapters 8 and 9 build the case for a new and better covenant (8:6, 9:23) based on the better sacrifice by the better Priest.
  • Chapter 10 spells out the application of the better covenant, the confidence to draw near to God (10:19-22).
  • Chapter 11 provides a list of examples of faith, trusting God even in difficult circumstances.
  • Chapter 12 provides the perfect model of trust in Jesus (12:2) and encourages submission to the training that God provides through our circumstances.

As the pastor concludes his weighty theological and historical sermon, he offers several brief and very specific exhortations.  His broad doctrinal reasoning now becomes a few very particular instructions: love of the brethren, care for the oppressed, fidelity in marriage, caution in finance.

Why the apparent change in tone of the sermon?  Or is it a change?  And why these particular topics?

One person suggested that the list of brief instructions in this passage is the pastor’s way of highlighting and summarizing aspects of the Christian life he wanted the Hebrew congregation to remember.  Another suggestion was that after the detailed depth of his explanation of who Jesus is, now he provides the “so what” of how we should live in response to that knowledge.

Someone raised a reasonable question.  Were these particular issues problem areas for the Hebrew congregation?  Did unity and hospitality and care for the ill-treated present problems?  Were struggles with marriage and materialism common in the congregation?  And why did the writer not bring the issues up earlier?  How do these issues relate to the theology of Jesus as high priest of a new covenant and to the examples of faith?  One person wondered how these instructions fit with the “big theological discussion.”

Scriptural Support

In order to explore the question of the theology and the instructions, we considered the two references to the Jewish Scriptures the writer uses in rapid succession.

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6,8

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Psalm 118:6

Both verses reassure God’s people in difficulties, especially difficulties brought on by people.  The Deuteronomy passage is the exhortation from Moses as the Israelites.  They are about to face opposition as they enter the Promised Land.  He speaks to the people corporately (v. 1) and to Joshua individually (v. 7).  Likewise, Psalm 118 speaks of corporate comfort to all Israel (v. 2, etc.) as well as to the individual psalmist, “From my distress I called upon the Lord” (v. 5, etc.).  His “distress” is the result of people who hate him (v. 7b) and even from “all the nations” (v. 10a).

The pastor uses verses of reassurance for those facing man-made opposition.  With that in mind, our group considered the instructions in Hebrews 13:1-6 more specifically in light of a recurring theme in Hebrews.

Application During Persecution

The Hebrew congregation was facing growing persecution.  Consider their situation.

• • They were distinct from Judaism, so they no longer enjoyed the unusual tolerance that the Roman authorities granted Jews.
  • They were separated from the synagogue, so they were outcasts from former friends and even their own families.
  • They were monotheists who worshiped a convicted and crucified criminal, so their polytheistic neighbors would ridicule them.

The consequences of following Christ apparently were tempting some to return to Judaism.  Going back to the old covenant would seem to solve all those problems.  And the consequences were real and very practical as seen earlier in the sermon.

• • They were made public spectacles (Hebrews 10:33a). There would certainly be a tendency to withdraw from meeting together (10:25) and to hold back from any display of love of the brethren (13:1).
  • They knew others who were being ill-treated (Hebrews 10:33b), but they might hesitate to help, not wanting to draw attention (13:3b).
  • Friends had already been put into prison (Hebrews 10:34a), but caring for them (13:3a) could be dangerous.
  • Property of believers had been seized (Hebrews 10:34b), and the financial uncertainty could make money a higher priority (13:5).
  • Some members were at risk of falling away (Hebrews 3:12, 4:11) and leaving the congregation (10:25). What might happen to marriages (13:4a) where the husband and wife had different levels of faith or trust?
  • If bitterness and immorality (Hebrews 12:15,16) were threatening the congregation, what other sins could infect marriages (13:4b)?
  • In such an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, who could be allowed in your home? Was hospitality (13:2) just too risky?

The more our group reviewed some of the earlier passages, the more the seemingly isolated instructions in chapter 13 fit into the pastor’s sermon.  The stresses heightened by persecution would affect the relationships and attitudes he summarizes in those instructions.  Perhaps those applications would have come to mind in a congregation listening to the entire sermon in the immediate context of such persecution.  The pastor knew the people well.  The reassurance from Deuteronomy and Psalms was particularly pertinent for persecuted people.

Reverence and Awe

Another comment about the beginning of chapter 13 suggested that these instructions were ways to fulfill the conclusion at the end of chapter 12, to serve God “with reverence and awe” (v. 28).  If that is the case, we need to understand more of what is meant by those terms.  So I did some additional research after our group meeting.

Word studies in Scripture can be fascinating, or they can be frustrating.  Sometimes there are dozens (or more) occurrences of a word (e.g., “love”, ἀγάπη, agape, occurs over 250 times in various forms[1]). There are more than enough examples in different contexts by different writers to form a fairly full picture of the fine nuances of the word.  But at other times (such as the two words of interest in this section), a word occurs only once, maybe twice.  There is not much Biblical data to draw on.

• • “Reverence” (εὐλáβεια, eulabeia) occurs exactly twice in the New Testament, here and earlier in Hebrews at 5:7, where the prayers and supplications of Jesus were heard because of His “piety.”
  • “Awe” (δέος, deos) is used only in this passage and nowhere else in the New Testament.

For such rare words there are extra-biblical sources (personal letters, business documents, inscriptions) that can provide at least a little information on how the terms were used in other contexts.  A summary of a few of those sources may be helpful.

Reverence is described as “caution or discretion, reverence, piety, religious scruple.”^[2]  The attitude of submission[3] is also included in the word as indicated of Jesus in Hebrews 5:7.  Another source points to the use of the word in the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures in Proverbs.^[4]

How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.  Proverbs 28:14

That comparison seems particularly helpful because of the contrast between fear/reference/εὐλáβεια and a hard heart.  Recall that the hardness of heart (Hebrews 3:8) and the resulting “unpersuadablness” was a fundamental problem of the Israelites.  The Hebrew congregation was in danger of following that bad example (Hebrews 4:11).  The proper attitude of reverence would be a guard against the danger of a hardening heart.

The idea of fear is often an uncomfortable topic.  How can we fear a God who is love?  The word “awe” can offer some help.  For example, the word δέος “is distinguished …. from φόβος, [the common word for fear, as in phobia – mw] as being more lasting.”^[5]  “Awe” is not the instantaneous adrenaline surge when we are suddenly frightened.  That distinction is supported elsewhere.

deos, the fundamental idea of which is ‘timid apprehension of danger,’ as over against phobos, which speaks of the terror which seizes one when danger appears.^[6]

An earlier blog entry recounted the illustration of C. S. Lewis and the difference in reaction to a tiger or a ghost.  In another place, Lewis uses the word “awe” as a summary of that difference.

We have in English an exact name for the emotion aroused by the Numinous …; we have the word Awe – an emotion very like fear, with the important difference that it need imply no estimate of danger.”^[7]

Even from those limited sources we can begin to piece together a better understanding of “reverence and awe.”  Caution and discretion keep us mindful of the majesty of God, that we never trivialize or take Him for granted.  Our hearts remain soft and pliable and don’t harden as if we have Him all figured out. There is a sense of unease but without the terror associated with danger.  God is still a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), but the “darkness and gloom” of Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12:18) have been replaced by the joyous “festal gathering” of Zion (Hebrews 12:23).  The difficulty in defining “reverence and awe” may be due to the fact that we have no other parallels or comparisons.  Only the living God can or should evoke that unfamiliar (and even uncomfortable) emotional mixture.

Reverence and awe preserve our acceptable service (Hebrews 12:28b) from becoming routine or legalistic.  Our fear is not terror of Him but wonder and amazement at who He is.  The desire to please Him and to conform to His “unshakable kingdom” (Hebrews 12:28a) motivates us to the relational holiness described in verses 1-5.  Our love of the brethren, our hospitality, our concern for the ill-treated, our marriages and our finances all can reflect the reverence and awe He inspires in us.

Moses expressed that distinction between terror and awe even at the foot of Sinai.

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”  Exodus 20:20 (ESV, emphasis added)

Even in Hebrew the same word is used for fear[8] in both parts of this verse.  The fear of the Lord, what the pastor to the Hebrews describes as “reverence and awe,” gives the confidence to face any other fear.

Not Forsaken

The pastor used the passage from Deuteronomy to encourage the congregation facing difficult circumstances, “He will not fail you or forsake you,” neither corporately (Deuteronomy 31:6) nor individually (Deuteronomy 31:8).  Circumstances are not indications of abandonment.  God is still faithful.

A person in our group pointed out that Moses spoke those words in his lowest circumstance.  “The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan’” (Deuteronomy 31:2).  Even in that unbearably difficult discipline (or training) from the Lord, Moses was not forsaken by God.  He encouraged the Israelites that whatever difficult circumstances they faced in Canaan, “God will not fail you or forsake you.”  The pastor exhorted the Hebrew congregation that in the opposition and persecution, God had not deserted them.  The sermon’s repeated calls to discipline and endurance were based on that certainty.  Confidence in God’s continuing faithfulness fueled their love of the brethren and care for the ill-treated and purity in marriage and material contentment regardless of circumstances.

Contemporary Contentment

As our group discussed the circumstances of the first-century congregation, we considered our contemporary culture.  Our society, as one person commented, is built on discontent.  Our environment is not conducive to material contentment or love and hospitality for anyone who is different.  When we look to anything other than the living God for contentment and fulfillment, people become resources for our satisfaction.  Frustration with others (friends, spouse, church) is often a red flag.  Our expectations demand fulfillment in a relationship or in a circumstance, rather than in God.

Interestingly, providentially, before our discussion of Hebrews, one of our group members had shared a passage from Dietrich Bonhoffer’s Life Together.  A brief excerpt from that reading expresses the danger of our expectations of others, especially in Christian community.

Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and try to realize it. But God’s grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great general disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves.[9]

Even if we face “disillusionment” our attitude of “reverence and awe” in God Himself is central.  “Stimulating one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) includes reminding ourselves and each other of our submission to Him and our dependence on Him for our contentment.  The circumstances where He has placed us provide opportunities for training, molding our character more into His.  And as we grow more dependent on Him alone for our joy and satisfaction, we grow in our ability of imitating His unselfish love for others.

Those are drawing near to heaven who in this life find that they need men less and love men more.^[10]

The apostle Paul exhibited contentment in any circumstances where God’s will had placed him (Philippians 4:11).  Contentment in the circumstances in which God’s will has placed us is summed up by a character in Dante’s Divine Comedy:

In His will is our peace.[11]

A constant theme throughout the sermon to the Hebrews has been trusting God even in the most difficult circumstances.  Could the Hebrew congregation trust God and remain faithful to Him in their desperate circumstances?  Can we trust that our circumstances are the providential outworking of God’s love, wisdom, and power?  Our peaceful contentment is found in the confidence of His sovereign will.

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[1] John R. Kohlenberger III, Edward W. Goodrick, James A Swanson, The Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament With The New International Version (Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 25-26.

[2] Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (London: Oxford University Press, 1961), 720.

[3] https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/eulabeia

[4] James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), 262.

[5] Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (London: Oxford University Press, 1961), 379.

[6] Kenneth S. Wuest, Hebrews in the Greek New Testament, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament; Volume II (Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), 231.

[7] C. S. Lewis, “Is Theism Important?” in God in the Dock (Grand Rapids, Michigan:  William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), 174.

[8] The verb and noun forms, respectively, of ירָא, yirah.

[9] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1954) Kindle Electronic Edition Location 162;
Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Life Together (New York:  Harper & Row, Publishers, 1954), page 26.

[10] C. S. Lewis, “Agape” in The Four Loves Read by the Author (Dallas, Texas:  Word Audio, 1994), audio cassettes, tape 2, side 2, 20:12.  Note that the text of the printed versions of The Four Loves does not include the same wording as the audio production (a talk delivered by Lewis himself).

[11] Paradiso iii.85;  Translation by Robert Hollander & Jean Hollander, Paradiso (New York: Anchor Books, 2007), 71.