BIBLICAL HOSPITALITY
1 Peter 4:7-11
The context of this
passage is the “end of all things”
(v. 7) for Israel, which is who Peter is writing to. [Compare 1 Pt. 1:1 (“the strangers scattered…”) to Jas. 1:1
(“to the twelve tribes which are
scattered abroad”). Paul never refers to members of Christ’s body as
strangers (only Gentiles in times past; cf. Eph. 2:12). “Strangers” (and
“pilgrims”) are kingdom terms used in the old testament and in the general
epistles, showing their unity.]
Project yourself
forward to the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7). Won’t it be tough to be hospitable
then? The practical point here is that as the last days approach, both in the
mystery age and Daniel’s seventieth week, people are going to be less and less
hospitable, since they’ll become more and more “lovers of their own selves” etc. (2 Tim. 3:2) and “because iniquity shall abound, the love of
many shall wax cold” (Mt. 24:12). So we need to note the importance of
hospitality in all ages, since it’s a timeless grace. Before there was
scripture reminding men of the duty of hospitality, it was written on their hearts,
as we’ll see from examples pre-dating scripture.
In this series I’d
like to (1) define hospitality; (2) present examples
of it through the entire canon (Genesis – 3 John), both good and bad; and (3) conclude
with applications for the body of Christ. The first lesson defines the grace
and begins the examples. The second lesson continues the examples, and the
third will wrap up any remaining examples and discuss applications to members
of Christ’s body.
You’ve probably
noticed that I like to define the
graces that I teach about. But that’s not to get too technical with them.
Someone said, “An infinite question is often destroyed by finite answers. To
define everything is to annihilate much that gives us laughter and joy.” I
agree with that. Sometimes you cannot define something, and the Bible makes
that clear (cf. Job 38-39). My intent, though, is to see how scripture defines
these graces, not society or culture, and show how God wants to express them in
the body of Christ.
DEFINITION
While it’s easy
enough to find a definition of hospitality in Webster’s Dictionary, it’s not as
easy to find one in the Bible itself. So I’m going to present my best attempt
at it, and you decide if you agree. I looked at the passages around the four
mentions of hospitality, and the best clue I found was in a comparison of 1
Tim. 3:2 to 1 Tim. 5:9-10.
In 1 Tim. 3:1-7 Paul
presents a list of requirements for
bishops (notice “must be” in v. 2).
One of those is found in v. 2: “given to
hospitality.” Later, in 1 Tim. 5, he gives a list of requirements that widows
must meet before the church supports them in lieu of family.
Two requirements in
the widows’ list, I believe, throw light on the definition of hospitality: “if she have lodged strangers, if she have
washed the saints’ feet” (v. 10). So the essence of hospitality is taking
people in (“lodged strangers”) and
meeting their physical needs (“washed
the saints’ feet”).
We find a great
example of this in the elderly farmer who hosted the Levite and his concubine
in Judg. 19. Look at 19:15-22 and notice the following:
·
“…there was no man that took them into his house to
lodging” (v. 15); a very cold city,
as we see in the horror that follows.
·
However, there is
one person who cares about the stranger: one of his kinsmen from Ephraim (vv.
16-17).
·
The Levite says
that their needs are covered, other than lodging, and reveals the duties of the
host: food for their animals (transport), and food and drink for the travelers.
·
In vv. 20-21, the
farmer amplifies these duties: “Peace be
with thee; howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the
street. So he brought him into his house and gave provender unto the asses: and
they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.”
·
“Let all thy
[physical] wants lie upon me” sums
up hospitality to me. It includes lodging men and beasts, feeding them, providing
for bodily cleansing, and ensuring their safety. These are basic laws of
hospitality.
A hospital is a place you go to renew your strength;
physical or mental, hence hospitality is generally connected with the home, as
we’ll see in further examples. But it isn’t restricted
to the home, since it’s a spiritual grace. One can take hospitality to others—e.g. food to the sick and grieving in
our culture—or act hospitably away
from the home. Two great examples of “taking it to the streets” are Barzillai in
the old testament (2 Sam. 17) and the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and Onesiphorus
in the new testament (2 Tim. 1:16-18), all of which we’ll consider later.
EXAMPLES
Job
(Job 31:31-32)
I’d like to begin
with the oldest book in the Bible, if not the first specific act of
hospitality, which will come next. Job lived in the days of the patriarchs,
before the Exodus and giving of the law. His friend Eliphaz is a Temanite, and
Teman was Esau’s grandson (Gen. 36:11). Furthermore, Elihu is a Buzite (Job
32:2), and Buz was Abraham’s nephew (Gen. 22:21; note “the father of Aram,”
matching “of the kindred of Ram” in Job 32:2). Finally, Lam. 4:21 shows us that
Edomites dwelt in Uz, Job’s homeland, so Job may have been distantly related to
Abraham, though likely living after him.
As
I mentioned earlier, before there was any written law, it was written on men’s
hearts that they should be hospitable. In Job’s final self-defense to his four
friends (Elihu came along after chapter 2), he mentions his hospitality (v.
31). Notice, “stranger…lodge…opened my doors…the traveller.” Are you seeing the
unity in these passages? the importance of being hospitable? To Job, it’s a
matter of righteousness before God, and God notes Job’s personal righteousness
twice in Ezek. 14:14, 20).
For
us in the body of Christ, it doesn’t affect our standing before God, but “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth” Paul said (Eph. 5:9), and if we’re walking in
the Spirit, we’ll produce righteousness, which includes hospitality.
Our
God cares for the stranger (Ex. 22:21; Eph. 2:11-21); shouldn’t we whom he
indwells?
Abraham
(Gen. 18:1-8)
·
Abraham hosting
the Lord and two angels is the first specific
act of hospitality I found in scripture.
·
He provided water
for their feet, a place to rest, and high quality food; he’s certainly blessed
for it, amen? The divine promise of a son and…a chance of intercede for Lot
after the promise is made (18:16-33)
·
He had
discernment to welcome these special, supernatural guests.
o
Heb. 13:2 is a great
reference on hospitality, but it’s not referring to Abraham; both he and Lot
knew that their guests were heavenly.
·
Do you have the
discernment to welcome heavenly guests, i.e. other believers? We’ll talk more
about the importance of that in our final lesson.
Lot
(Gen. 19:1-8)
·
Hospitality
involves protecting those under your roof, as we saw with the elderly farmer
and the Levite; your guests have entrusted their safety to you. Lot is rewarded
for his hospitality also, in a sense: the angels deliver him, his wife, and two
of his daughters. Both he and
Abraham discern the angels, but their fates are quite different due to the
choices the two men made leading up to these fateful meetings
Rebekah
and family (Gen. 24:12-33)
·
Which girl was
the servant’s sign as the right bride for Isaac? a hospitable one (good
indication that she was righteous, as well as pure)
·
Laban is
hospitable too, but perhaps with ulterior motive (it’s noted that he saw the earring and bracelets); could be foreshadowing
the greed he would show his nephew, Jacob, years later
Pharaoh (Gen. 47:1-6)
·
Even the heathen
can be hospitable to those in need.
·
He gives the
Hebrews the best land in Egypt and offers them jobs.
·
Granted, Pharaoh
did appreciate Joseph, but he didn’t have to welcome his kin, especially in
light of their abominable profession.
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