Hebrews Chapter Thirteen, Covetousness & Christ

 

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [6] So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

 

Conduct, simply put, is our behavior or demeanor. The Hebrew Christians are instructed not to have their behavior and demeanor influenced by covetousness, which is greed, or the desire to amass things. Even our selfless acts can be influenced by this sin. We may not get material things from good deeds, but we may receive laud from it, which panders to sinful self.

Hebrews Chapter Thirteen, Defiling Marriage

 

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

 

The conversation regarding brotherly love transforms into general dictums of, to put it one way, Christian conduct. Love is the undergirding that upholds all other principles, which is why the writer led with its reminder. We are to love strangers, and the saints that are prisoners for His name’s sake.

Hebrews Chapter Thirteen, Suffering In The Body

 

Hebrews 13:3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

 

It becomes clear by this point that the author’s theme is brotherly love for this series of verses. Beginning with the succinct command to let brotherly love continue, he explores the topic of what constitutes brotherly love among the saints.

Hebrews Chapter Thirteen, Entertaining Angels

 

Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

 

Verse 2 continues the narrative about brotherly love, spreading it abroad to a universal love, whose veracity is occasionally tested by the angelic host, it would seem.

Hebrews Chapter Thirteen, Commending Love

 

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

 

The writer’s tonal shift culminated with the word picture of God being a consuming fire, devouring all that offends in His children, perfecting them for the kingdom they are predestined to become inheritors of. Material creation will abate, but that which is eternal remains. And God’s purification, or sanctification of the believer will have been completed and we will stand holy and blameless before God, free not only from sin’s power, but its very presence.