To be born a Hebrew or Jew was a great advantage in the world, because it brought blessings that placed them into a special class of being “God’s people! This also brought fierce reproach to the nation Israel from the world (even today), but the believers in God held to their faith, as He continually delivered them, and will eventually deliver them—one more time; when the “the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom 11:25).
“Without the camp” is always a phrase that depicted one alone, by themselves. Hence God kept the sin separate from the righteousness by commanding that the sin offering be given outside the camp (Heb 13:11). Thus the Lord Jesus was ever alone (except for His Father and the Holy Spirit being with Him) in His life, being “separate” from man (sinners - Heb 7:26).
Judaism was God’s way of beginning with mankind through the Law of God, and was in no way to be seen as an opponent to Christianity, but a companion “to bring us unto Christ” (Gal 3:24, 25). It was to show their guilt for disobedience, and blessing for obedience; but man was to believe in Him either way in order to be blessed, for all were disobedient.
All who were disobedient but believed were always in union with Him (but often out of fellowship), and it was these of whom He continually brought back to fellowship with Himself; and it was these whom He chose to reach the world through Christianity. First, man must be shown his error (Jhn 15:22, 24; 9:41), in order to incur accountability. Such was the purpose of the Law, and it could not make one complete (Heb 7:19), thus requiring another way (7:11). The new earth will be much more than it is now; but the new heaven will be beyond comparison!
NC
The great object in the Epistle to the Hebrews is to present the Lord Jesus Christ in glory as our great High Priest, bringing many sons into glory. The great theme of Hebrews chapter 13 is the place which the Lord Jesus has down here on earth. We have learned that He is with us; we have heard who this glorious Person is, who is with is; we are now to learn where He is in regard to the religious world, Christendom, in order that we may take our place with Him.
To introduce this great theme a contrast is drawn between Judaism and Christianity. In the Jewish system there was indeed an appointed way of drawing near to God outwardly, in which the Gentiles, as such, had no right to participate. Now, the altar—the way of approach to God—belongs exclusively to Christians, and of this altar those on Jewish ground have no right to partake. From 9:14, we learn that Christ “through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,” in order that we might have our conscience purged “from dead works” to worship God.
Again, in verse 15 of chapter 13, we read, “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.” Christ and His Cross constitute our altar. The sacrifice which settles the question of sin is the way of approach by which the believer draws nigh to the Father as a worshiper. It is evident that those who clung to Jewish alters (after His resurrection—NC) were really despising the great sacrifice of Christ. They were clinging to the shadows and ignoring the substance (Heb 10:1, 34; 11:1). Obviously such had no right to partake of the Christian altar—Christ and His sacrifice.
The Jewish community were outwardly the people of God upon the earth, composed of the seed of Abraham. Hence to participate in this religious system, natural birth (in the line of Abraham) was the great necessity. With such, the question of new birth was not raised. In this system God was testing man as man; hence a definite appeal was made to the natural man. Its gorgeous ceremonies, elaborate ritual, and magnificent buildings, were entirely adapted to appeal to the mind and imagination of the natural man. It was a worldly religion, with a “worldly sanctuary” (Heb 9:1 – of the earth—NC), and a worldly glory (with Israel as God’s earthly representative—NC). No reproach attached to it; on the contrary, it gave man a great position in the world, and a portion on earth; but the system, as such gave men neither position nor portion in heaven (they will inherit the new earth—NC).
How completely different is Christianity! It “blesses us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). It gives us a wonderful place in the brightest spot in God’s universe—a position, the infinite blessing of which can only be measured by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the One who appears in heaven itself before the face of the Father for us. If, however, Christianity gives us the Lord Jesus’ place in heaven, it also gives us His place on earth (but not to dwell there for the Christian will live and rule with Christ from the new heaven—NC). The riches of Christ in heaven entail the reproach of Christ on earth. The inside place with Christ up there involves the outside place with Christ down here. The Jewish system is thus the exact contrast to Christianity (Jewish earthly; Christianity heavenly—NC). Judaism gave a man a great place on earth, save one of reproach.
What then is Christ’s place on earth? It is clearly brought before us in this passage by the one word “without,” used three times in verses 11-13. In verse 11 we have the expression “without the camp”; in verse 12, “without the gate,” and again, in verse 13, “without the camp.” The camp was composed of a people in outward relationship with God. “Outside the camp” is a place where there is no recognized relationship with God or man. It is viewed either as a place of judgement from God, or as the place of reproach from man.
Thus we come to the practical exhortation, “Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him without the camp” (Heb 13:13). Here, however, we must carefully note that this outside place is viewed no longer as the place of judgment from God, but as the place of reproach from man. We are not called to go outside under the judgement of God, but we are called to go outside under the reproach of men, and that to the uttermost. He suffered as the holy victim under the judgment of God: He endured as the patient martyr under the reproach of men. We cannot share His sufferings at the hand of God, but it is our privilege and responsibility to share in the sufferings He received from the hands of men (Rom 8:17; 2Ti 2:12). He went outside the camp to bear our judgment: we go outside the camp to bear His reproach.
The Christian is called to accept the place that man has given to Christ, and thus go outside the religious system that appeals to the natural man, which, in this passage, is called “the camp.” The camp, as we have seen, was composed of people outwardly in relationship with God, and with an earthly order of priests
who stood between the people and God. It had a worldly sanctuary, and an ordered ritual. It is briefly
summed up in Hebrews 9:1-10, where we are also told that it gave no access to God and no purged conscious to the one that did the service (v 9); and may we add, in the system there was no reproach.
In contrast with the Jewish camp, the Christian company is composed of a people not in mere outward relationship with God by natural birth, but in vital relationship by new, spiritual birth. Instead of a special class set side as priests, all believers are priests. Instead of a worldly sanctuary, the Christian has heaven itself; and, to the natural man (which all are until reborn—NC), it entirely sets aside man in the flesh (Rom 8:9), and hence carries the reproach of Christ in a world that has rejected Him (you would think most would accept Him, and it’s heart-wrenching to see it otherwise—NC).
“Without the camp” is always a phrase that depicted one alone, by themselves. Hence God kept the sin separate from the righteousness by commanding that the sin offering be given outside the camp (Heb 13:11). Thus the Lord Jesus was ever alone (except for His Father and the Holy Spirit being with Him) in His life, being “separate” from man (sinners - Heb 7:26).
Judaism was God’s way of beginning with mankind through the Law of God, and was in no way to be seen as an opponent to Christianity, but a companion “to bring us unto Christ” (Gal 3:24, 25). It was to show their guilt for disobedience, and blessing for obedience; but man was to believe in Him either way in order to be blessed, for all were disobedient.
All who were disobedient but believed were always in union with Him (but often out of fellowship), and it was these of whom He continually brought back to fellowship with Himself; and it was these whom He chose to reach the world through Christianity. First, man must be shown his error (Jhn 15:22, 24; 9:41), in order to incur accountability. Such was the purpose of the Law, and it could not make one complete (Heb 7:19), thus requiring another way (7:11). The new earth will be much more than it is now; but the new heaven will be beyond comparison!
NC
Outside The Camp (Hebrews 13)
The great object in the Epistle to the Hebrews is to present the Lord Jesus Christ in glory as our great High Priest, bringing many sons into glory. The great theme of Hebrews chapter 13 is the place which the Lord Jesus has down here on earth. We have learned that He is with us; we have heard who this glorious Person is, who is with is; we are now to learn where He is in regard to the religious world, Christendom, in order that we may take our place with Him.
To introduce this great theme a contrast is drawn between Judaism and Christianity. In the Jewish system there was indeed an appointed way of drawing near to God outwardly, in which the Gentiles, as such, had no right to participate. Now, the altar—the way of approach to God—belongs exclusively to Christians, and of this altar those on Jewish ground have no right to partake. From 9:14, we learn that Christ “through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,” in order that we might have our conscience purged “from dead works” to worship God.
Again, in verse 15 of chapter 13, we read, “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.” Christ and His Cross constitute our altar. The sacrifice which settles the question of sin is the way of approach by which the believer draws nigh to the Father as a worshiper. It is evident that those who clung to Jewish alters (after His resurrection—NC) were really despising the great sacrifice of Christ. They were clinging to the shadows and ignoring the substance (Heb 10:1, 34; 11:1). Obviously such had no right to partake of the Christian altar—Christ and His sacrifice.
The Jewish community were outwardly the people of God upon the earth, composed of the seed of Abraham. Hence to participate in this religious system, natural birth (in the line of Abraham) was the great necessity. With such, the question of new birth was not raised. In this system God was testing man as man; hence a definite appeal was made to the natural man. Its gorgeous ceremonies, elaborate ritual, and magnificent buildings, were entirely adapted to appeal to the mind and imagination of the natural man. It was a worldly religion, with a “worldly sanctuary” (Heb 9:1 – of the earth—NC), and a worldly glory (with Israel as God’s earthly representative—NC). No reproach attached to it; on the contrary, it gave man a great position in the world, and a portion on earth; but the system, as such gave men neither position nor portion in heaven (they will inherit the new earth—NC).
How completely different is Christianity! It “blesses us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). It gives us a wonderful place in the brightest spot in God’s universe—a position, the infinite blessing of which can only be measured by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the One who appears in heaven itself before the face of the Father for us. If, however, Christianity gives us the Lord Jesus’ place in heaven, it also gives us His place on earth (but not to dwell there for the Christian will live and rule with Christ from the new heaven—NC). The riches of Christ in heaven entail the reproach of Christ on earth. The inside place with Christ up there involves the outside place with Christ down here. The Jewish system is thus the exact contrast to Christianity (Jewish earthly; Christianity heavenly—NC). Judaism gave a man a great place on earth, save one of reproach.
What then is Christ’s place on earth? It is clearly brought before us in this passage by the one word “without,” used three times in verses 11-13. In verse 11 we have the expression “without the camp”; in verse 12, “without the gate,” and again, in verse 13, “without the camp.” The camp was composed of a people in outward relationship with God. “Outside the camp” is a place where there is no recognized relationship with God or man. It is viewed either as a place of judgement from God, or as the place of reproach from man.
Thus we come to the practical exhortation, “Let us go forth, therefore, unto Him without the camp” (Heb 13:13). Here, however, we must carefully note that this outside place is viewed no longer as the place of judgment from God, but as the place of reproach from man. We are not called to go outside under the judgement of God, but we are called to go outside under the reproach of men, and that to the uttermost. He suffered as the holy victim under the judgment of God: He endured as the patient martyr under the reproach of men. We cannot share His sufferings at the hand of God, but it is our privilege and responsibility to share in the sufferings He received from the hands of men (Rom 8:17; 2Ti 2:12). He went outside the camp to bear our judgment: we go outside the camp to bear His reproach.
The Christian is called to accept the place that man has given to Christ, and thus go outside the religious system that appeals to the natural man, which, in this passage, is called “the camp.” The camp, as we have seen, was composed of people outwardly in relationship with God, and with an earthly order of priests
who stood between the people and God. It had a worldly sanctuary, and an ordered ritual. It is briefly
summed up in Hebrews 9:1-10, where we are also told that it gave no access to God and no purged conscious to the one that did the service (v 9); and may we add, in the system there was no reproach.
In contrast with the Jewish camp, the Christian company is composed of a people not in mere outward relationship with God by natural birth, but in vital relationship by new, spiritual birth. Instead of a special class set side as priests, all believers are priests. Instead of a worldly sanctuary, the Christian has heaven itself; and, to the natural man (which all are until reborn—NC), it entirely sets aside man in the flesh (Rom 8:9), and hence carries the reproach of Christ in a world that has rejected Him (you would think most would accept Him, and it’s heart-wrenching to see it otherwise—NC).