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Outside the Camp In dealing with the Law of Purification, Numbers 19 reads, "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him." (Vv. 2-3 emphasis mine D.T.) The term "outside the camp" is used again in verse 9. Outside the camp is where the bull used for sin offering was taken to be burned. The tabernacle of meeting was "outside the camp" (Exodus 33.7).The Hebrew writer used this reference in chapter 13, "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp." (Verse 11) He then points out to the readers that Jesus was crucified outside the gate. Christ was nailed to the cross on Calvary, outside the gates of Jerusalem. Christians are encouraged to go "outside the camp bearing His reproach." (Verse 13) Christianity is an outside the camp religion. That is we are to bear the cross of Christ, this done by denying sin and living righteously, Romans 6.3-6. To the Jews, outside the camp was a place of death and shame, to the Christian it is a place of salvation. If Jesus had not gone outside the camp, and died on the cross, we would not have a hope of salvation. But to follow Jesus, we ourselves will face persecution and reproach. The "Jewish Christians" that the writer is addressing in Hebrews did not want to face persecution. To be successful at being a Christian a person must be willing to die outside the camp, be different from our religious neighbors, and to deny ourselves the pleasures of sin. D.T. |