There is a story about a party where each person was to give a recitation. The partygoers were told before the party that each was going to give a brief recitation of something important. So they needed to memorize something to recite at the dinner party. A famous actor was at the party and he recited Psalm 23 with a great deal of elocution. “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and so on said the actor with a great and grand voice. Well, the next person got up and was sitting right across the table from the actor. This person was a simple layman, and he began to quote Psalm 23 and there was a twitter of laughter. The other party-goers thought “how would a man dare to quote Psalm 23 after this great actor and all the applause that followed. How would he dare do that?” There was just a little laughter at first, but all became quiet as the man spoke and recited the Psalm. When he was through, there was no applause just silence. The simple man sat down across from the actor and the actor reached across the table and touched his hand and said, “Sir, I know Psalm 23, you know the Shepherd.” And that really hit home. The author of Hebrews is talking here about the great Shepherd of the sheep that we may know Him. It is not about knowing ideas or thoughts or concepts, but simply knowing the Great Shepherd. This is the only place where Jesus is called the Shepherd in the whole book.
With that same sense of spiritual humility that led them to use “we” in most of the warning sections, the writer requested the prayers of their readers, and particularly that they might be restored to them soon. The writer’s interest in them was personal, and they were eager to see them.
In a lovely benediction which captures a number of the major themes of the epistle (e.g., peace, blood, covenant, Resurrection, Shepherd, equip), the writer expressed confidence in our Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd of New-Covenant people, through whom God was able to effect His will in the readers and in the author.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you. (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- May our focus be on knowing the Great Shepherd, who will equip us with everything good that we may do His will. He will work in us to make us pleasing that we may glorify God.
- Our requests for the prayers of others should spark our earnest prayers for them.
- Gracious words build fellowship among believers
Closer Look
Verse 17: If former leaders were to be remembered and their teachings retained (vv. 7–8), present ones were to be obeyed. Their responsibility before God was to be recognized and their shepherding tasks should not be complicated by disobedience.[1] Already we have received an appeal to imitate the lifestyle of leaders who have passed off the scene. Now we see an appeal to give a proper response to present leaders. Some specific occasion of disrespect or discontent probably made this appeal necessary (see Heb. 10:25). The response involves obedience and submission. Believers follow their leaders without grudging. The leader was to maintain a constant watchfulness over the souls of their flock and to give an account of their work. Leaders had responsibilities and not merely privileges.
If you have ever been in church leadership this verse really speaks to you. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” Notice that is a condition. It does not say obey your leaders no matter what they say or no matter what they do. But it is obvious it is assuming they are keeping watch over your souls. That is their responsibility. But then the writer says, “Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” And if you have ever pastored or been on a board with leadership you know exactly what that is saying. There is joy when the church is with you and when there is fellowship. And when you receive criticism and fault finding and nagging, and you’re going to have it, it can just wear you out. There are some people that are just brilliant at fault finding.
Verse 18: This verse requests prayer for the author of Hebrews and for those with them. The first thing I want you to notice is love is expressed in prayer. Have you ever noticed that if you love somebody, you pray for them? Love is expressed in prayer. It is a basic principle and the author just asked for the readers to pray for them. Such prayer was appropriate because the writer had a “clear conscience” and a desire “to act honorably in all things.” Perhaps someone among the readers of Hebrews had criticized them, and they needed to offer this personal defense. The author’s conscience and their behavior worked in righteous harmony with one another. We find it easier to pray vigorously for others when we see unquestioned spiritual integrity in their actions.
Verse 19: The writer of Hebrews made a specific request for prayer. Some circumstances hindered a reunion between the author and their readers. The author felt convinced that their prayers could change those circumstances. We must bring into intercession the conviction that God can use our prayers to effect changes when, humanly speaking, change seems impossible. The author’s request to “be restored” did not suggest that they had been imprisoned. The statement of verse 23 suggested that they enjoyed liberty. The author wanted the privilege of being restored to fellowship with their friends after an absence. Verse 19 says, “I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.” Probably that is an illness. Pray for them that they may be restored. I do not think that’s jail because verse 23 has the idea of release. It tells the readers to take notice that their brother Timothy has been released which is more the idea of imprisonment. So I do not think the writer is in jail, but probably is experiencing some physical infirmity. Thus this is more of a pray for me that I may be healed.
Verses 20–21: Then we have this tremendous benediction, verse 20. “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep” and so on. This is the only place in the whole book of Hebrews where Jesus is called the Shepherd. A great, great truth. He is a great Shepherd and that is what He is called here, the great Shepherd of the sheep.
The author uttered a theologically packed benediction for the readers with statements about both the Father and the Son. The author identified God as the “God of peace” seeking to promote peace among the readers. God’s dynamic actions caused the resurrection of Jesus. (This is the only clear reference to the resurrection in Hebrews.) The resurrection presents clear evidence that God has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice and that He has established a new covenant on that basis.
Jesus is presented as that “great Shepherd of the sheep.” He will lead us through any circumstances which threaten our peace with God. The writer of Hebrews prayed that God would bring out the full potential of each believer. This might reconcile factions in the church, or it might produce individual believers who were fully developed and mature. The supreme desire of the prayer was that God would provide the readers with everything good for doing His will and to produce in their lives only what is pleasing to Him. The work of God is necessary to make our work a reality. If God produces in us what is pleasing to Him, we will be supremely equipped to do His will. The prayer concludes with a doxology. Grammar would let the praise be directed either to Jesus or to the Father. Likely the author calls for eternal glory to the Father. We can only give an Amen to thoughts about God as wonderful as these.
Verse 22: Hebrews ends with two comments about the entire letter. First, it is a “word of exhortation.” Its message throbbed with encouragement and appeals for godly living. Second, the author has only written to them briefly—brief at least in comparison with what was on the mind of the author (see Heb. 5:11; 9:5b). The letter covered a vast subject, but it could be read in less than an hour. Perhaps such contrast of a vast subject and a quick coverage of the subject led the writer to describe their letter as brief.
Verse 23: Good news is always welcome. The readers knew and loved Timothy and would have been overjoyed to know of his release from imprisonment. The readers must have known about Timothy’s imprisonment, but the writer of Hebrews only wanted to assure them that he hoped to accompany Timothy on a visit to them. He was not sure of Timothy’s travel plans, and we can learn no other information about Timothy other than the fact of his earlier imprisonment.
Verse 24: The greeting to the leaders and to the members shows personal interest and a desire to communicate with all the believers in the congregation. The writer presumed they would read the letter to the gathered church. The author’s use of “all” twice in the verse suggested that not all leaders and members would be present at any one time. The author wanted to be sure that they omitted no one from a happy greeting. This verse contains the third reference in this chapter to church leaders (see also vv. 7, 17).
We do not know where “those who come from Italy” were living. They could have been residing in Italy, or they may have been elsewhere. The writer may have been sending greetings to those living in Italy from some Italian residents who had moved away. The writer may also be writing from Italy (Rome) to believers living in another country and sending greetings from other people in the area. Settling the issue is impossible, and any attempted solution will not affect our understanding of the letter.
Verse 25: All people can conclude letters with a word of personal greeting and good will, but only Christians can understand the importance of God’s grace. The writer of Hebrews filled this letter with a presentation of all that God has done through Jesus. An appeal for an experience of God’s grace is a fitting way to conclude the message. After giving them greetings, he committed them to God’s grace
[1] Hodges, Zane C. 1985. “Hebrews.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:812. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.