Outside the Gate

“Therefore, let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” (Hebrew 13:13)

This Scripture is part of a group of Scriptures naming sacrifices that are pleasing to God. In the previous Scripture Paul writes how Jesus sanctified the people, suffering outside the city gates. “Therefore, Jesus also, so that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” (Hebrew 13:12) The fact that He suffered outside the gate is significant. This fulfilled His sin sacrifice for us. In the Old Testament, the sin offering was to be slain outside the gate. The blood was then brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement. The blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, was brought before the throne of God in heaven, making atonement or payment for our sin for us. Unlike the blood of bulls and goats which was good for only a year, the blood of Jesus is so precious that it made atonement for eternity. “And the young bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall they carry forth outside the camp. And they shall burn their skins in the fire, and their flesh and their dung.” (Leviticus 16:27) The Old Testament was always signifying what Jesus; the Messiah would do.

The sin offering of bulls and goats was outside the gate. The sin offering of Jesus was outside the gate. And our sacrifice must also be outside the gate. Which gate you may ask? The author of Hebrews clearly impels us to go to Jesus “outside the camp.” What camp? It’s the camp where all of the people live. If believers go outside the camp, who stays in the camp? What we find inside the camp are all who are unbelievers. They live in the kingdom of the world. Our sacrifice of brotherly love (verse 1), hospitality (verse 2), remembering those in jail and in adversity (verse 3), an honorable marriage (verse 4), a way of life with contentment (verse 5) and our altar or worship where we eat the sacrifice is exclusive to us, believers, outside the camp (verse10). What does that mean to us? It means we are who are made holy by His blood outside the gate, must go out of the world to worship and give our sacrifice. We cannot take part of anything in the world and expect it to be acceptable to meet with Jesus.

What is the world? “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1John 2:15-17)

What feels good to the flesh? Is it not comfort, pleasure and pleasant feelings that feed and build up the ego? What is the lust of the eyes? Is it not riches, glamor, glitter, luxury, etc...? And what is the pride of life? Is it not approval, recognition, acknowledgement, fame and honor? These are the values of the world. They are not to be our values.  Our values are found in God’s kingdom. They are not esteemed in the world. We are reproached, just like Jesus was, for eternal values. Just to name a few we look at Matthew 6:33. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) We value the spiritual over the material. We value faith over self-reliance. “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) We focus on virtuous thoughts and values. “Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) We center our life on God’s eternal truths not temporary worldly things. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) We value justice, mercy and humility. “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does Jehovah require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) We seek God’s character. “But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) We are diligent to honor God and not man. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men;” (Colossians 3:23). We practice restraint in all things. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:19) We love above all. “Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) We esteem honesty above all. “Lying lips are hateful to Jehovah, but those who deal truly are His delight.” (Proverbs 12:22) We can see how this is opposite of what the world esteems and seeks.

Ultimately, we uphold and endure the reproach of Jesus when we leave the world and follow Jesus out of the camp. (Hebrews 13:13) Our sacrifice of worship, dedication and devotion involves leaving the world and anything that is defiled by it. It’s a daily rededication of our lives, a daily dying and a daily taking up our cross. Let’s do it!