No Continuing City Hebrews 13:14

Because Jesus “suffered without the gate” even as the “high priests” offered sacrifices of animals for “sins” “outside the gate”, the writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers to “go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach”. In chapter thirteen and verse fourteen of Hebrews, the writer shared how he and his readers had “no continuing city” where we read:

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

The verse begins, “For here have we no continuing city,...”. The writer began with the words, “For here” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, verily and therefore in this place” “have we” or “the writer and his reader have” “no continuing” which means “no abiding, tarrying and enduring” “city” or “native place in which one lives”. There was no “abiding and enduring” place for the writer of Hebrews and his readers to live.

The verse goes on to say, “...but we seek one to come.”. The writer continued with the word, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “we seek one” or “the writer of Hebrews and his readers inquire, search and seek diligently for a city” “to come” which means “intended, have in mind and to think towards”. The readers and writer of Hebrews “search diligently for” an “eternal city” which shall be in the future.

When we meditate upon these words in Hebrews, we see how the “city” of abode for the believer in Jesus Christ is not in this world. The future eternal “habitation” for the Christian is in heaven with God, and those who believe and trust in Jesus shall inherit the “place” Jesus has “prepared” for them. (See John 14:1-6) Those who are wise shall realize this world is not their home, and the “one to come” is one they should seek for every day.

Next time the writer exhorts his readers to “let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.