1.00000. Preface

PREFACE

Much need not be said by way of preface to a work of this kind. The title and contents alone sufficiently indicate its character and scope. Neither will I enter into an argument, or even statement, on the importance of a more close and systematic study of the Old Testament Scriptures—that “scroll of the Book” wherein it is written of Jesus.

What is needed with regard to this is, not argument or persuasion, but relish and appetite—the symptoms of a vigorous spiritual health which, alas! as far as the majority of professing Christians are concerned, is sadly wanting. It is only a shallow and sentimental piety that will pick and choose from the Word of God and declare itself satisfied with certain portions of it only, to the neglect and depreciation of the rest; and if Christians will thus insist on abstaining from partaking of the variety of food which God has graciously, in His infinite wisdom, provided for the sustenance of their spiritual life, of course they have only themselves to blame for their loss of spiritual vigour and the setting in of moral decrepitude, which in time makes not only service, but even the partaking of the “fat things” which are provided for them in the Word of God, at best a wearisome duty instead of a privilege and pleasure.

I have tried in the following chapters to concentrate some of the “Rays of Messiah’s Glory” which stream from the pages of the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, with which I have been familiar from my childhood, but the meaning of which was hidden from me until some nine years ago, when suddenly a new light from Calvary’s cross shone into my heart, and at the same time illumined the pages of that sacred volume, so that I could for the first time see that from its beginning to its end, it is written of Him—Jesus Christ, the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel—the Son of David and the Son of God. The first chapter, which formed no part of my original plan of this work, but which I have written at the suggestion of one for whose judgment I have the greatest deference, and whose name is well known to the Christian Church, and also the chapter on Isaiah 53:1-12 and the many critical footnotes, together with the Appendix—in all which I have more particularly kept the Jewish controversy in view—will, I trust, form not the least acceptable portion of this volume. But, on the whole, the following pages were not written with any controversial aim in view, but entirely for Christians, to whom—especially to the British Christians—I dedicate it as a token of gratitude for having on their shores first heard of Him, faith in Whom has ever since filled me with “joy unspeakable and full of glory;” and also as a token of appreciation of their endeavours to bring those to a knowledge of Christ, through whom in the first place their salvation came (John 4:22), and “whose are the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, whose also are the fathers, and of whom is Christ, as concerning the flesh, Who is over all, God blessed for ever.” The greatest difficulty in writing a work of this kind is to make it what is expressively called it “popular,” or generally interesting; but I have endeavoured to make it so, and how far I have succeeded I must leave to the judgment of the reader.

I am conscious of many imperfections both in the plan and composition, but such as I have I give, and beg the reader’s indulgence on two grounds: first, on account of my imperfect acquaintance with the language, and secondly, on account of its being the work of spare moments, done mostly when away from home on itinerant missions.¹ Were it not for the faithful and industrious pen of my dear wife, who has transcribed it all from hasty and almost unintelligible pencil-scribbling, it would be very long before the following pages would see the light in print.

¹ In connection with the Mildmay Mission to the Jews.

One more remark I have to make here by way of explanation, which is this, that what follows, with the exception of the first chapter and the chapter on Isaiah 53:1-12, was written before the Revised Version of the Old Testament came out, as is well known to two or three of my honoured friends, to whose criticism these pages have been submitted; so that the corrected renderings, where they agree with that version, are not adopted from it, but are made from the original Hebrew.

It is my prayer that, at least in some little way, these pages may conduce to the glory of the God of Israel and His Messiah.

DAVID BARON

January, 1886