01.042. WHAT GOD DID THROUGH THE HEBREW PEOPLE
Lesson Thirty-Seven WHAT GOD DID THROUGH THE HEBREW PEOPLE Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.
Scriptures to Memorize: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:24-25).
126. Q. Why did not God send His Son into the world to save the world immediately after the fall of our first parents?
A. Evidently because considerable time was necessary in order to prepare Christianity for mankind, and to prepare mankind for the reception and enjoyment of Christianity.
Why did the Redeemer wait four thousand years and more, before He came into the world to suffer and die for us and to save us from our sins? Why was not the kingdom established in its fulness immediately after man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden? To these questions, we might counter with the following: Why did not God so constitute the acorn that it would grow into an oak instantaneously? Or, why has He not so constituted an infant that it will grow into a man or woman in a few minutes, or in a few weeks or months? None of these questions is so easily answered. It seems, however, that “sundry matters had first to be practically demonstrated before the Gospel could be fully and properly revealed to mankind as the power of God for the salvation of every true believer” (Milligan, Scheme of Redemption, p. 73).
127. Q. What proposition was left to the Gentiles to demonstrate, in preparing the world for Christianity?
A.It was left to the Gentiles to demonstrate the inadequacy of Natural Religion to meet and supply the wants of our fallen race. This proposition the Gentiles demonstrated by their numerous failures in theoretical and practical morality, such as, for instance, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Cynicism, etc., and all forms of Philosophy; and by their equally numerous failures in trying to establish an adequate system of religion with only the dim light of Nature to guide them. This matter is fully discussed in Questions 22, 23, and 24. Romans 1:20-32, “For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” The reference here is to animal worship, and even insect worship, which prevailed among the ancient heathen peoples. Continuing: “Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature; and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.” The reference here is to the degrading sexual practices which prevailed among the ancients, such as abortion, sodomy, sex perversion, etc., and which prevail all too generally even in our day. Continuing: “And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful; who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.” This entire section is a scathing delineation and denunciation of the sins of heathendom. See also 1 Corinthians 1:21—“For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe.” How utterly absurd, then for any human being to attempt to apprehend and know and worship God rightly from the revelation of Nature! How true, by way of contrast, the words of Jesus: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
128. Q. What, firstly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
A. Through the Hebrew people, He perpetuated and increased the knowledge of Himself, His attributes and His works, among men.
Through the Patriarchs, He revealed His self-existence, His unity, His personality, His spirituality and His benevolence. Through Moses and the demonstrations in Egypt and in the Wilderness, He revealed His Omnipotence. Through the Prophets especially, He revealed His wisdom and holiness. And throughout the entire history of the Hebrew people, He revealed His infinite justice, righteousness, and compassion.
129. Q. What, secondly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
A. Through the Hebrew people, He perpetuated and developed the essential principles, laws and institutions of true religion.
Those elements of true religion are, as we have learned: Altar, Sacrifice and Priesthood.
130. Q. What, thirdly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
A.Through them He revealed the essential principles of moral conduct, and of national and social righteousness. The principles of moral conduct, i.e., of right and wrong, “for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.” Ecclesiastes 12:13—“Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Proverbs 14:34—“Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.” Psalms 111:10—“The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have they that do his commandments.” The Prophets were outstanding advocates of social justice and national righteousness. Amos 5:11—“Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them,” etc. Amos 5:14—“Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live,” etc. Isaiah 1:15-17, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: our hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widows.” Jeremiah 25:5-6, “Return ye now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Jehovah hath given unto you and to your fathers, from of old and even for evermore; and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands: and I will do you no hurt.”
131. Q. What, fourthly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
A. Through them especially He made known the inadequacy of Law to save people from their sins.
Romans 8:3—“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Hebrews 10:1—“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.” The Hebrew people were specially called and used of God to demonstrate the exceeding sinfulness of sin, our inability to save ourselves through works of the moral law, and consequently the need on our part of personal regeneration and holiness.
132. Q. What, fifthly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
A. Through them He built up a system of type, symbol and prophecy, designed to identify the true Messiah at His coming, and to establish the divine origin of the entire Christian System.
1 Corinthians 10:11—“Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.” Romans 15:4—“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.” Hebrews 10:1—“For the law having a shadow of good things to come,” etc. Most of the characters, institutions and events of the Old Covenant were typical of Christ and His Church. Adam, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Jonah, etc., were all types of Christ. The deliverance of Noah from the ungodly antediluvian world, through water, was typical of our deliverance from the bondage and corruption of sin, through baptism, water in each case being the transitional element through which deliverance is wrought (1 Peter 3:20-21). The Tabernacle and the Temple were both types of the Church. The Paschal Lamb, the Smitten Rock, The Brazen Serpent, etc., were typical of Christ. The Levitical Priesthood was typical of the priesthood of all Christians. Canaan was a type of Heaven. In fact the entire Mosaic System was, in its essential features, typical of the Christian System. Typology is a most convincing proof of the divine origin of the Scriptures, for it must be admitted that the points of resemblance between the types and their corresponding antitypes were designed and preordained by the same God who established them and revealed them through His Holy Spirit. We may rightly say, therefore, that The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, And the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
REVIEW EXAMINATION OVER LESSON THIRTY-SEVEN
126. Q. Why did not God send His Son into the world to save the world immediately after the fall of our first parents?
127. Q. What proposition was left to the Gentiles to demonstrate, in preparing the world for Christianity?
128. Q. What, firstly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
129. Q. What, secondly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
130. Q. What, thirdly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
131. Q. What, fourthly, did God do through the Hebrew people?
132. Q. What, fifthly, did God do through the Hebrew people?