Christ, Christianity and the Bible Part 15

_Luke_, although he announces our Lord Jesus Christ as King, sets him forth pre-eminently as _The Man_, going among men, eating and drinking with them, and speaking in such plain and simple terms that the "common people heard him gladly."

In _John_, this Jewish King, this Servant of G.o.d and men, this Man among men, who received sinners and ate with them, is revealed as the Mighty G.o.d, the eternal _Word_, the Holy One of Israel, who came down to visit his people, was made flesh and "tabernacled" among them, as of old he dwelt in the tabernacle of the wilderness in the Shekinal glory above the Mercy Seat and between the outstretched wings of the golden Cherubim.

Take away the book of _Acts_, and nothing can be known of the origin of the church and its apostolic history. Without the book of Acts the epistles are wholly unintelligible when they refer to the Church.

Do without the _Second_ epistle to the _Corinthians_, and you have no revelation of the state of the Christian dead either as to their location or condition.

Without the _Second_ epistle to the _Thessalonians_ you cannot fix the ident.i.ty of the Antichrist.

Leave out the epistle to the _Hebrews_ and there is no key to _Leviticus_.

Without the book of _Daniel_ it is impossible fully to understand the book of _Revelation_.

No matter at what period the book of _Revelation_ may have been written, it can have but one place in the Bible, and that the last.

It must have this place because it shows us the foreview of Genesis fulfilled: the seed of the woman has bruised the serpent's head, Satan has been bound and Paradise is regained.

The Old and New Testaments stand related to each other as the two halves of a perfect whole. In the Old Testament the New is _concealed_; in the New Testament the Old is _revealed_.

_Genesis_ finds its key in the first chapter of _John's_ Gospel, and identifies the creator of heaven and earth with him who was made flesh and dwelt among us as the Son of G.o.d.

_Exodus_ is explained by the _First_ epistle to the _Corinthians_, in which we learn that "Christ" is the "Pa.s.sover sacrificed for us."

_Leviticus_ is expounded by the epistle to the _Hebrews_.

_Numbers_ has its correspondence in the book of _Acts_.

In Numbers you have the experience of the Children of Israel in their journey through the wilderness. In Acts we get the story of the Church in its pilgrimage through the world.

_Deuteronomy_ is to be read with _Colossians_.

In Deuteronomy the people of Israel are being prepared for an earthly inheritance. In Colossians the Church is being prepared for a heavenly inheritance.

_Joshua_ stands over against _Ephesians_.

In Joshua the redeemed people have to fight with flesh and blood in order to possess the covenant land. In Ephesians "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in the heavenly places."

_Judges_ may be understood by reading the _first_ chapter of the _first_ epistle, and the _twelfth_ chapter of the _second_ epistle to the _Corinthians_.

The book of _Ruth_ is illuminated by the _third_ and _fifth_ chapters of the _Ephesians_.

In Ruth you have the Gentile bride of a Hebrew Lord, the kinsman, redeemer and advocate; who presents his bride to himself in the gate before all the a.s.sembled judges.

In Ephesians, the Gentile Bride is seen to be the Church, the kinsman, redeemer and advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, having loved the Church and given himself for it, will "present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing."

The books of _Samuel_, _Kings_ and _Chronicles_, may be read with the four _Gospels_ and the book of _Revelation_.

In Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, you have the story of David, the anointed king, man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, triumphant warrior, exalted king--Solomon, prince of peace, ruling over the established kingdom and the queen of Sheba coming from the uttermost parts of the earth to own and celebrate his glory.

In the Gospels we get the story of our Lord Jesus Christ as anointed king and man of sorrows. In Revelation he is seen coming forth at the head of the armies of heaven, a mighty warrior, a triumphant king and, at the last, as Prince of Peace ruling in splendor over his established kingdom; while the Gentiles, coming from the uttermost parts of the earth to Jerusalem, bow the knee before him and acknowledge his glory.

_Ezra_ may be read with the latter half of the _second_ chapter of the _Ephesians_.

In Ezra you have the building of the material temple. In Ephesus the building of the spiritual temple.

_Nehemiah_ can be read with the twenty-first chapter of the _Revelation_.

Nehemiah gives us Jerusalem below. Revelation, Jerusalem above.

In the book of _Esther_ the name of G.o.d is not once mentioned; but it shows us the unseen G.o.d acting in his secret providence to deliver his covenant people, the Jews, from the hand of the Gentile oppressor, and setting them in the place of authority and power over the Gentiles.

The _eleventh_ chapter of the _Romans_ explains the book of Esther.

In the eleventh chapter Paul shows that G.o.d has not forgotten the people whom he foreknew. The nation as such has been set aside. It is now, as Hosea says, _Lo Ammi_, _"not my people,"_ not the people of G.o.d.

An election according to grace is going on among the Jews. These are being called into the Church and will form a part of the Body and Bride. The Gentiles have come dispensationally into the place of Israel, and G.o.d is sending his Gospel among them--calling out those whom he has foreseen and known among the Gentiles. The nation as such would seem to be cast aside. The people are walking in darkness and the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their true G.o.d and only Saviour, is not owned among them; but while the Lord is thus denied by them, he has not forgotten them. His providences are round about them in their preservation and multiplication, and in his judgment of the nations which persecute them. Their present condition nationally is temporary. Paul warns the Gentiles that the Jews have been cut off and set aside because of unbelief. The Gentiles have been brought in, and stand alone by faith. It is well for them not to be "high-minded," but "to fear"; for so surely as G.o.d spared not the nation and set it aside because of unbelief, just so surely will he deal with the Gentiles if the Gentiles fall into unbelief.

The Gentiles must not be wise in their own conceits. The blindness and the setting aside of Israel will last only till the "fulness of the Gentiles be come in," that is, till the election among them is complete; then the Lord will take up Israel as a nation again, and precisely as he delivered Mordecai and the Jews of Esther's and Ahasuerus' time and made them to be accepted and feared, so, it is written, the Lord himself will come forth in behalf of his ancient people. "There shall come out of (unto) Sion the Deliverer," and, "so all Israel shall be saved."

The book of Esther read in the light of the eleventh chapter of the Romans is illuminating as to the unchanging faithfulness of G.o.d and his unceasing love for the nation and people of his choice.

Thus book after book of the Bible may be studied; and the more they are examined and studied, the more manifest will be the intimate relation and marvellous correspondence between the Old and the New Testaments.

When you realize the fact that these Old and New Testament books, so remarkably related and inter-explanatory of each other, have been written by different authors, without possibility of collusion or agreed plan; that each part fits into the other; that it cannot have one book less or one book more; that to take from it would destroy the completeness, to add would mar the harmony; that it is perfect in itself, having the key of each book hung up at the entrance; that it gives but never borrows light; that it cannot be explained or interpreted outside of itself; that to him who diligently searches it, it will reveal itself and make him wise both for this world and for that which is to come; when all these facts are faced, it ought to be evident that in the Bible we have a living thing and not a mere handiwork wrought by man; that man can no more claim to be the actual author of it than of the mountains that are round about Jerusalem or the heavens that are high above them.

The unity of a book demands unity of objective.

This book has a great objective--a supreme theme.

That theme is not Israel--although two-thirds of the book considered as a whole are taken up with the history of that people. The great theme is not the Church of Christ--although the Church in this age is the supreme thing in the sight of G.o.d. The one great theme, the one immense objective of this book towards which it moves through history and prophecy, through figure and symbol, through self -sustained prose and musical song--the one great objective is--

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

It seeks to present him in his person, his work, his present office and coming glories.

It sets him before us as,

The Child born.

The Son given.

The Counsellor.

The Mighty G.o.d.

The Prince of Peace.

The Everlasting Father.