SEE THE BIBLE THROUGH
JEWISH EYES
In the previous Bible study, the writer of
Hebrews gave his readers instructions for godly
provided various directives for
religious obligations. He wrote,
of their conduct, imitate their
The word “remember”
suggests that these leaders were
dead, maybe even martyred,
and they should not be forgotten
since they were the ones who
likely introduced these Jewish
believers to their Messiah by
preaching the gospel to them.
If they were already dead
or martyred, (the audience
of Hebrews was fearful of
martyrdom), they were now
with the Lord, enjoying the
gospel message these former
leaders preached was focused
on Jesus, “the same yesterday
(v. 8). The writer told the
Jewish believers in Jesus that
remembering those leaders and
the message they preached to
them would help them “…not
(v. 9).
Rather than accepting
strange teachings, they were to receive strength by
receiving God’s grace through hearing His Word,
“…for it is good for the heart to be strengthened
(v. 9). The author emphasized that this
strength comes from spiritual rather than material
food. Obviously, one of the strange teachings
that was prevalent when this letter originated
was that either eating or abstaining from certain
foods would result in greater godliness. The
writer refuted that teaching at the end of verse 9
by stating that strength of heart comes “…not by
“We have an altar from
6 The Chosen People | MARCH 2020
According to Leviticus 7:15–18,
under the New Covenant feed
spiritually on Jesus Christ, the
Therefore, those still under
the Old Covenant, “who serve
the tabernacle,” had no right
to partake of Him for their
spiritual nourishment and
fellowship with God, since their
the Day of Atonement, Yom
Kippur: “For the bodies of
for sin, are burned outside the
In Leviticus 16:27, it
were taken outside the camp
to be burned. This principle of
“Therefore Jesus
also, that He might sanctify the
writer challenged these Jewish
to identify themselves unequivocally with Jesus
as Messiah: “So, let us go out to Him outside
All Christians
bear Jesus’ reproach when we identify with Him;
persecution and loss of community because of
their faith in Jesus as Messiah, these Jewish
believers were struggling with the temptation to
go back to what was safe and comfortable. The
Jerusalem of their day would soon be leveled and
in 70 AD. The author concludes this section with
an encouraging reminder, that all believers are
looking forward to “the city which is to come,” the
New Jerusalem.
Dr. Rich Freeman,
D. Min., serves as the
Vice President for
Church Ministries and
Conferences with Chosen
People Ministries and
lives in South Florida
with his wife, Julia.
HEBREWS 13:7-13 NASB
7 Remember those who led you,
who spoke the word of God to you; and
considering the result of their conduct,
imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and forever.
9 Do not be carried away by varied and
strange teachings; for it is good for the
heart to be strengthened by grace, not
by foods, through which those who
were so occupied were not benefited.
10 We have an altar from which those
who serve the tabernacle have no right
to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals
whose blood is brought into the holy
place by the high priest as an offering
for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might
sanctify the people through His own
blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So,
let us go out to Him outside the camp,
bearing His reproach.
BIBLE STUDY WITH DR. RICH FREEMAN
DIRECTIVES FOR RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS