The closing chapter of the Epistle contains important exhortations. We are exhorted to show brotherly love, to use hospitality, to consider those in bonds, to purity of life, to be without covetousness and to be content with our present circumstances. We are to remember our leaders (verse 7)—this refers to those who had died—and to consider the end of their life of faithfulness. In verse 17 the exhortation is, "Obey your leaders," JND, and here we have the living ones, who watch over the soul's welfare. Then, "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and forever": Everything connected with Judaism has passed away—its priesthood, its sacrifices, its rituals, and so on, but he remains, ever the unchangeable One. And the writer immediately adds, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." This is a most important exhortation in the present day, when the air seems filled with strange voices. Nothing leaves the people of God more open to be carried about by every wind of doctrine than not being satisfied with Christ. If He is really everything to the soul, this keeps the feet steady in following Him.
The Christian, then, has an altar; it is not the rituals of Judaism revived, but it is Christ, through whom we approach to God. In the case of those sin offerings whose blood was brought within the veil, the body was burned without the camp. Jesus, therefore, entered in with His own blood; and He suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem. This gives us the Christian's place: on the one hand liberty to enter in within the veil, in to heaven itself (chapter 10); and, on the other, identification with Him without the camp. His was a place of shame, of reproach, of ignominy. How far are we prepared to follow Him in it? What gives force to the exhortation is the fact that it is going forth unto Him. He bore the reproaches of men, and more especially of those who had a religious standing to maintain; those who boasted in a ceremonial religion, but had no heart for God or His truth. However little we may enter into it, yet it is true in principle today, as it was then, that the Christian's true place is identification with Christ in the place of reproach from the world—"bearing His reproach." And, as someone has said, "If the professing church takes the position of the camp here below, the place of the believer is always outside." But for this we need to go on in faith, knowing that here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
The Epistle has already shown us that a repeated or continuous sacrifice is the denial of the "one sacrifice" of Christ. There is, however, a sacrifice which is continuous, and that is the sacrifice of "praise to God continually," and "doing good and communicating"—praise arising by Christ to God; and giving to the needs of men, are sacrifices well pleasing to God.
Lastly, he asks for their prayers, because he has a good conscience—a most important thing for every true servant of God. Then he commends them to the "God of peace," and closes with a prayer that they may be perfected and well pleasing in His sight. "The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." This title is particularly beautiful. Peace of conscience about our sins stands, for us, on the solid ground of the blood, the value of which is evidenced by the resurrection of our great Shepherd; and we have peace of heart as regards our circumstances and difficulties, knowing that God is above all that may happen down here. May He enable us to know and enjoy this peace better, practically, from day to day!