Compare Job 31:32 with Hebrews 13:2 on entertaining strangers. What similarities exist? Scripture Passages Job 31:32 – “but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—” Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Immediate Contexts • Job lists proofs of his integrity; hospitality stands alongside moral purity and justice. • Hebrews ends with rapid-fire exhortations; hospitality appears as a non-optional mark of Christian living. Shared Theme: Open-Hearted Hospitality • Welcoming the unknown person is treated as a righteous duty, not a social courtesy. • Both verses assume an open door: Job describes what he has done, Hebrews commands what believers must keep doing. • Each verse sees the stranger’s need as urgent (“lodge on the street,” “do not neglect”). • Blessing accompanies hospitality: Job’s reputation before God, Hebrews’ hint of angelic visitation (cf. Genesis 18:2-5; 19:1-3). • The practice bridges Testaments, affirming God’s unchanging concern for the outsider. God’s Heart for the Stranger • Deuteronomy 10:18-19 – God “loves the foreigner,” so His people must do the same. • Isaiah 58:7 – True fasting includes “bringing the homeless poor into your house.” • Matthew 25:35 – Welcoming the stranger equals welcoming Christ Himself. • Romans 12:13 – “Practice hospitality.” • 1 Peter 4:9 – “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Motivations Highlighted in Hebrews 13:2 • Possibility of entertaining angels recalls Abraham and Lot; the ordinary moment may have eternal weight. • Hospitality displays faith in God’s providence: resources given to serve, not hoard. • It tangibly expresses love within the body of Christ and to the watching world (John 13:35). Practical Applications Today • Keep a “door open” mentality—budget time, space, and resources for unexpected guests. • View hospitality as ministry, not merely socializing. • Remember that generosity to strangers honors the Lord just as surely as tithes and offerings (Proverbs 19:17). • Involve the household; teach children that welcoming others is normal Christian behavior. • Pray for eyes to see needs on the “street”—college students, refugees, traveling believers, the homeless—and step in quickly. Summary Job 31:32 and Hebrews 13:2 unite Old and New Testament believers around one timeless call: open your door, meet the stranger’s need, and trust that God Himself stands behind—and sometimes inside—the guest you receive. |
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