VOL.
XLV July/August 1962 No. 4 Liberty in Christ"The Word of God is not bound." - 2 Tim. 2:9 Synopsis of a discourse delivered by Brother W.
Sargeant. WHEN
WE were
boys and went to school after arriving home at noon we generally beheld various
pots steaming away on the stove. Being anxious to know just what they contained,
at times we would lift up the lid and look in. Or perhaps the steam was raising
the lid up and down. Well, we are older now, and we have discovered that there
are other and bigger pots than those of our school days, and pots that it is
impossible to keep a lid on. For instance, there is the great pot of the
earthquake, such as destroyed San Francisco and Chile. There is the mighty pot
of the volcano, such as wiped out Herculaneum and Pompeii and St. Pierre. There
is the vast pot of the ocean, which flowed over the city of Galveston in Texas
some forty years ago. There is the cyclone. And there are other pots. or great
natural forces which man cannot control and which are utterly beyond his power
to cope with. Now
then, if man cannot control natural forces, most assuredly he cannot control
spiritual forces. and the greatest of these forces is what is known as truth.
At one time a certain king thought he could control this force. He set up a
tall image in the plain and commanded men to bow down to it. Three young men
refused to do so and were cast into a fiery furnace. Then the king beheld an
exhibition of divine power, and learned that truth as represented in God's
servants could not be controlled by any human effort. The princes of Babylon
learned the same lesson. They got the king to make a decree that was the means
of casting Daniel into a den of lions, and then they found that they had God
and his omnipotent power to deal with. EFFORTS TO BIND THE TRUTHAll
through the ages the enemies of righteousness have tried to overthrow the
truth. Throughout the Gospel Age one attempt after another has been made to
keep truth down. The Papal system tried to bind truth, and made it a crime
punishable with death to have a copy of the Bible in the home. But in spite of
all that it could do, in time came the Protestant Reformation, when chains of
ignorance and prejudice were broken and a great blaze of light was sent forth.
However, the Protestant systems fell into something of the old error and soon
forged creedal chains which bound them into denominations and sects, each
claiming to be the exclusive channel of truth, and this state of things
continued until the ending time of the Age, when another great burst of light
went forth. When
a knowledge of the Plan of the Ages came as we have it today, we felt that at
last the Church had stepped into full liberty. But gradually, in time, chains
were forged again, and history repeated itself in a kind of bondage being
forced upon God's people. ple. Eventually this became so bad that one could
not open his mouth in Class to express an independent thought unless that
thought was backed up by the Watch Tower. And indeed all our discourses were
required to be thoroughly in line with the doctrinal presentations of the
Tower. The restriction upon the conscience became so great that we were obliged
to withdraw from that organization. Then once more we felt free and accordingly
rejoiced. We called ourselves free brethren and said that never again would we
come under any kind of religious bondage. LIBERTY TODAYNow
then, the question is, Did we keep our word? Have we a full measure of liberty
today? Or have we simply a certain kind of liberty which needs to be examined
to see if its elements are sound? You see, the Catholics had what they called
liberty, which was freedom to accept as truth what the Catholic Church taught.
The Anglicans gave liberty to conform one's religious life to their faith and
practice. A similar kind of liberty obtained among Presbyterians, Baptists,
Methodists, and others. Since that time all the Protestant denominations have
broadened out, but at one time each of them taught that the liberty of -Christ
was confined to itself, and that the way to heaven lay in harmony with its
creed. Well, the question for us to face is this. Is it possible that today
there is manifested a certain brand of liberty
--Bible Students' liberty, which is liberty to believe precisely what a certain
number of "orthodox" Bible Students are handing out as truth cut and
dried, mandatory and supposedly unassailable, which must be followed in all the
letter of the law whether the spirit of the law be conformed to or not? Just
here some one may raise the question, After all, what is liberty? In answer
to this suppose we say that . liberty is freedom to do what we believe to be
right according to commonly accepted moral standards so long as our actions do
not interfere in any way with the rights of others. Liberty
then begins in the mind, in the thoughts. One learns to think independently.
This is a bigger thing than it seems, for in the case of most persons
thoughts run in channels grooved out for them by others. People think they
think when they don't think. They wear the thought-caps of pioneer thinkers. They
fail to analyze and classify for themselves. They throw the responsibility for
this upon some one else. Then
thought must find adequate expression. When untrammeled thought finds its
inception in the sources of truth and love, and is directed to an avenue of
expression that is altruistic and that rings true to itself, liberty is
unfolded in all its beauty, producing
the outflowering of virtues that ultimately lead to the highest attainment. Now
liberty may be restricted in various ways. Thus coercion may be exercised by
the opinion of a number of persons as expressed over the opinion of one. In
this way there may be developed a sort of unwritten creed, to which all the
friends may be called upon to subscribe. If the one person cannot bring his
reasoning powers to endorse the consensus of other people's views, a pressure
is gradually and subtly brought to bear upon him that makes things
uncomfortable for him and in due time pushes him out of association with the
rest. In this way new Classes are formed, and the friends say, "Why did
certain ones go out from us? What a bad and unwarrantable thing they
did!" Yet this process has gone on, repeated hundreds of times in the
history of the Church. We find that through the tightening of the lines of
certain tenets of faith, brethren are being pushed out from us today, and the
pity of it is that the views that cause the separation are not doctrinally
vital, and are not made tests of in the Scriptures. Years
ago the test of Christian discipleship was a very simple one. If Pastor Russell
knew that a certain brother was fully consecrated to the Lord, he deemed it
quite proper to. call on that brother for prayer, and did so on different
occasions. At one meeting a Presbyterian preacher, a D.D. was present, and the
Pastor asked him if he would like to address the assembled brethren, although
all were expecting the Pastor himself to speak. Probably most persons would
think that this was carrying courtesy too far. Formerly the questions put to
candidates for immersion were concerning justification and consecration.
Whatever the questions are today, it would seem that the lines have narrowed
in. We talk a good deal about liberty, but have we the proper conception of
this quality? DIFFERENT CLASSES OF BIBLE STUDENTSIn
a talk given in New York I tried to show that, analytically examined, there is
no, real difference between the doctrinal teachings of various branches of
Bible Students. One group I have in mind: these friends accept all the great
doctrines of the Bible from the creation to the times of restitution. They
believe in the state of the dead, the Abrahamic promise, the miraculous
conception and birth of Jesus, his sacrificial death on behalf of mankind, his,
resurrection, the call of the Church, justification by faith, sanctification
by the truth, glorification to the divine nature, restitution for mankind, and
the second death for the incorrigibly wicked. Their journal sets forth these
various truths in its columns. The
tenets of faith of another group that are believed to distinguish them from
other Bible Students are two in number, viz., as regarding (1) the Covenants,
and (2) the Sin Offering, and are set forth as follows: (1)
The Bible is divided into two parts called Testaments (properly translated Covenants)
the Old and the New. When the old Law Covenant passed away, there was
instituted a new arrangement of things, calculated to give life, first to the
Church, and then to the world. The Covenant therefore was of two parts-the
Church's part and the world's part. What Pastor Russell called two separate
covenants is better regarded as one covenant of two parts, and this was
typified by the High Priest's ephod, which was one garment of two parts.
Practically the whole difference here lies in terminology, for it is
identically the same truth stated in slightly different terms and should cause
no separation between brethren. In Jer. 31:31 the Prophet refers to the world's
part of the covenant. The Apostle Paul refers to the Church's part where he
says that "God hath made us able ministers of the New Covenant." The
Church is under the covenant of grace or special favor (the first part of the
new, life-giving covenant). In due time the world will come under the Millennial
part of this arrangement. (2)
The Sin Offering. The expression, "The Church has part in the Sin
Offering," is not found in the Bible. Those who think the Bible teaches
this will find that the Bible does not set forth the truth in this form, but
expresses the proper thought in another way, namely, "If we suffer with
'him, we shall also reign with him; if we be dead [with him] we shall also live
with him." And, "Except a man forsaketh all he hath he cannot be my
disciple." To say that the Church has part in the Sin Offering is
calculated to be misleading and to give the impression that the sacrifice of
Jesus was not sufficient for purposes of propitiation. When Scriptural terms
are used no one can dispute them. Then why not use such terms as will admit of
no dispute? Pastor Russell himself said that types must not be used to teach
doctrine, but merely as illustrations of truths otherwise clearly presented in
God's Word. All Old Testament types must measure up to the teachings of the
New Testament, otherwise they can only mislead. In
regard to the doctrine of the presence of Christ, these friends do not make a
test of this. Some of them believe it and some do not, but full liberty is
granted to the individual to accept it or to reject it. However, they all
believe that we are in the time of the end of the Age and that the divine
Kingdom will soon be established. I
have briefly mentioned the foregoing points in order to show that there is no
difference in substance between the above mentioned friends and other Bible
Students, and all of us should exercise the fullest measure of love and
fellowship toward these friends as well as toward all who accept the general
features of the divine plan. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTHThe
Apostle said, "Though I do understand all mysteries and all knowledge . .
. and have not love, I am nothing." Yet I have known so-called Bible
Students to treat a man with black looks because he dared to think for himself.
When, oh when will people get away from this narrow, sectarian spirit? Our
hearts should demand the strength of a pure faith, the power of an expansive
love. In some Classes if an elder attends any function not approved by the
other elders he is likely to be reprimanded and, if he ,goes again, will
probably be voted out of office. That is not just or right, it is too restrictive.
It -is this policy that sectarianism has pursued all through the Gospel Age. It
puts a ban on independent thought and expression, it kills initiative, it
precludes growth. We have condemned this spirit in others, yet have cherished
it in ourselves. We have made God's way narrow in a manner that He does not
own. The narrowness of the Christian's pathway consists in the fact that it
will not take in the world, the flesh, and the devil, but God never intended
that it should be narrowed by prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance. O what a
fight it is to keep out of ruts, and to keep in that way that will ultimately
lead to life. Do
we not take pride in our narrowness? Do we not glory in out shame! We need to
let our mental window shades fly up and permit the sunshine of divine love to
pour itself into every chamber of our hearts. We need to sing and to believe,
Have
we been most wonderfully kind? Or have we chiefly been kind to those who accept
every point of doctrine exactly as we accept it? How have we treated God's
other consecrated ones who are doing the best they know how? Have we regarded
them with any suspicion as being not fully in the truth? If they are
Christians, the Son of God associates with them, and they ought to be good
enough for us to associate with. THE VALUE OF PERCEPTIONAre
we headed where went the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society? Is Satan making
works look so great that the quest of truth and its sacred character is taking
a subordinate place? Had we not better pause in the maelstrom of activity for a
brief period and figure out just where we stand? Some of us may yet have to
stand alone. Indeed, the Pastor thought that many of the Lord's true people
might have to do so at the close of the Age. From Pentecost until now true
Christians have been called upon to stand out from others in defending the
truth. It is always easy to go with a crowd, and is easier to do things than to see things because it involves
less mental effort. The first great thing in life is not fellowship and is not
service, but is perception, for unless one has a clear mental vision, his
service may turn out to be misdirected. We
must not think the truth all stopped with Pastor Russell, for truth cannot be
tied down to one man. The Methodists made this mistake with Wesley, the
Calvinists with Calvin, and the Lutherans with Luther. In its very nature
truth is progressive and is marching on whether we keep up with it or not. In
March 20 Manna
the Pastor
himself said: "Divine truth is never found except in the divinely appointed
channels; and those channels are the Lord and the Apostles and Prophets. To continue
in the doctrine set forth in the inspired writings, to study and meditate upon
them, and faithfully to conform our characters to them, is what is implied in
continuing in the word of the Lord." MORE LIBERTY REQUIREDA
quotation from Vol. III, Scripture Studies, page 184 (C184) is the following: "There are
different degrees of bondage. . Some who would indignantly resent the utter and
absolute slavery of individual conscience and judgment required by Romanism,
are quite willing to be bound themselves, and anxious to get others bound. .
. . True, their chains are lighter and longer than those of Rome and the dark
ages. .. . But why wear human shackles at, all? Why hind and limit our
consciences at all? Why not stand fast in the full liberty wherewith Christ
bath made us free? Why not reject all the efforts of fallible fellow men to
fetter conscience and hinder investigation?" "The
real need of the Church is still more liberty until each individual member
shall stand free and independent of all human bonds, confessions, etc." -
Vol. VI, page 241 (F241). The
great foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ, for in Him is made manifest the
love of God. "He that bath the Son bath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life." That is the grand test. In order to have the
Son we must have the Spirit of the Son, and that is the spirit of love, and
that must find expression toward all God's people whether they are in one class
of Bible Students or in another. Verily "we know that we have passed from
death to life because we love the brethren. He -that loveth not his brother
abideth in death." How shall we answer for it to God if we are unkind in
our treatment or in our judgment of any of the Master's followers? Dear
friends, I am saying these things to you because I love you. If I loved you
less I should not go to this trouble. But our associations together have been
very pleasant ones. I feel that you have exercised toward me much good-will,
and this has been fully reciprocated on my part. Knowing that all the knowledge
in the world is useless if one fails to have the spirit of the truth, I want to see that
spirit manifested by all the Lord's professed followers. Whether I myself
reach the heavenly inheritance or not, I want you to be there. It cannot be far
away now; and God would not have called us if it were not possible for us to
win the prize. Why then permit ourselves to set barriers that God never
intended to be set? Why trifle with the sacredness of love? Why take away any
liberties for the sake of pleasing others? We cannot transfer our individual responsibilities to the shoulders of any one. We
stand or fall in our own personal relationship to the Lord. While we are trying
to please him, we need not care what men will say of us. In past ages God's
true people have been regarded as dissenters and heretics. It is much the same
today. Of the great Head of the Church it was said that he had a devil and was
mad. To take up our cross for him means that we are to follow in his footsteps
until that cross be laid down. So
then -- may we all stand for the full liberty of Christ, for "one Lord,
one faith, one baptism," for the great hope of immortality, and for our
glorious heritage of faith and love. And may God bless you, each one. May his
grace abound unto you. And may you finally arrive at the ineffable consummation
of life in his divine Kingdom. "Where
the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty." -2 Cor. 3:17. Australian CorrespondentFor
many years the Berean Bible Institute at Melbourne has very kindly served us
in connection with Australia and New Zealand subscriptions to The Herald, as well as in other ways.
They have been particularly helpful in matters relating to foreign exchange. As
other Herald subscribers in those
countries may wish to avail themselves of this service, we are publishing the
Berean Bible Institute's address on the second page of The Herald, that all may know that it
will be quite satisfactory to us if Herald renewals are forwarded to us through them. Israel TodayFor thus saith the Lord; Sing
with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye,
praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I
will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the
earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that
travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They
shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they
shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of
the Lord, 0 ye nations, and declare it in the
isles afar off,
and say,
He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his
flock. For the Lord bath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than
he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow
together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and
for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they
shall not sorrow any more at all." - Jeremiah 31:7-12. Immigration
to Israel in May reached a record figure for recent years, Mr. S. Z. Shragai,
head of the Jewish Agency Immigration Department, told a press conference in
Jerusalem. He added that the increased "aliya" (immigration) of
recent months is expected to continue, resulting within a few years in the
liquidating of several Diaspora (exile) centers. Mr
Shragai noted at the same time that immigration from certain countries
undergoing social and economic upheaval
had not been especially high. Only 450 Jews came from Cuba, with about 4,000
going to the U. S., and only 70 came from the former
Belgian Congo while about 600 went to Belgium. On
the other hand, some 1,500 went to Israel from South Africa in the last 18
months, but, Mr. Shragai said, few Jews have left that country for other
countries. He
reported that the last 300 Jews of Cochin, India would arrive in Israel by the
end of May. They are mainly the sick, the aged, and social cases. Of the other
3,000 Cochin Jews who have one to Israel over the years, not one as left, Mr.
Shragai claimed. Since
the last World Zionist Congress about 18 months ago, 54 Zionist leaders have
settled in Israel from South Africa, England, North Africa and the United
States. EXODUS WITH DIVINE CONTROLJewish
immigration to Israel during the past fourteen years makes a very interesting
study. We are convinced that there has been some rhyme and reason to it all.
To a student of prophecy Divine Providence is very apparent. In the early days of Israel's statehood,
hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees flooded the newly established country.
It was overwhelming and created a Herculean task for the fledgling nation. Then
followed a few lean years of immigration, which gave Israel a breathing spell,
so that it was possible to construct adequate housing for the vast majority
of newcomers who
arrived
penniless and had to be sheltered temporarily in tents as well as wooden
and tin huts for months and years. As
soon as Israel began to see light with regard to integration and complete
settlement of the early vast immigration waves, a renewal of heavy immigration commenced, and from all indications it is going to keep up now for many
months to come. There
were only 650,000 Jews residing in Palestine when the Jewish State was created
in 1948. Now there are well over 2,000,000. So the capability of absorbing the
thousands who are now flocking to Israel is much greater than it was fourteen
years ago. If Jews were expelled from all the nations simultaneously, it would
be impossible for Israel to absorb and settle them properly. We see the hand of
the Lord in all this. "From the north country,
and ... from the coasts of the earth." Not
much is being said about the Jews who are arriving in Israel from behind the
Iron Curtain. Even the press in Israel seems silent about it. This is all being
done deliberately. Several years ago when the Rumanian Jews were permitted to
go to Israel and much publicity was given to this exodus, it stirred up the ire
of the Arab leaders. They put pressure on Moscow and soon the Rumanian
Government curbed the flow of Jews to Israel. Now we have every reason to
believe that Jews are again being permitted to leave some Communist satellite
states for the Promised Land. Reports we have received even indicate that a
few Jews from Russia itself are finding their way to Israel. This is a most
interesting development. Algerian
Jews, fearing the possible effect of Moslem independence on Jewish communities in
Algeria, are leaving the French colonial protectorate after disposing of their
holdings for a pittance. Many of them reach the Jewish State penniless. South
African Jews live in a mood of insecurity with turbulent racial conflicts all
around them. Wisely, through the years, the South African Jewish Community has
made heavy investments in Israel. Many South African Jewish parents have sent
their children to
Israel to live
there. Eventually the more than 100,000 Jews in South Africa will have to leave
that hostile country. South
American Jewish businessmen and industrialists are showing concern over the
spreading influence of Castro Communism. This indicates trouble for the Jews in
Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and other countries. There has been a steady
emigration of Jews from South America. Zionism is growing among the South
American Jews. THE DEAD SEA IS VERY MUCH ALIVEThe
Chicago firm of Construction Aggregates Corporation has won the tender for the
construction of a 60 square mile lake in the Dead Sea. The project will cost
$25,000,000. Work
on the 25 mile long dike will start very ~ soon and will take three years to
complete on a 24 hour-a-day schedule. At its peak, the construction is expected
toy employ 800 men. The dike will be built
at a distance of 1,000 feet from the international frontier. The artificial
lake it will form will serve as a vast evaporation pond for the concentration of carnalite, the raw
material from which potash is produced. Over ten million yards of earth will
have to be moved in the construction of the dike, which will rise over six feet
above sea level. It
has also been announced that work will begin in June on a new potash plant at
the Dead Sea, which will be constructed by Sterns and Roger of Denver,
Colorado, at a cost of $16,000,000. Scheduled for opening in 1966, the factory
will have an annual capacity of 400,000 tons. The
potash will be transported by road to Ashdod and Eilat for export. Loading
facilities for 10,000 tons per day are being built at Eilat. A
power plant will be put up, in conjunction with the potash factory, to use
natural gas from Zohar. A
refinery for table salt is expected to be ready in October. Its yearly production
Will be 20,000 tons, mainly for export to
Africa. A
plant for bromides is under construction in Beersheba and by November should
be producing industrial, medicinal, and agricultural bromides for export. The
raw material will be brought in glass tankers from the Dead Sea bromine plant. INDUSTRIAL GROWTHIsrael
pretty well reached agricultural self sufficiency some time ago. Now she, is
reaching out for adequate industrial output to keep her people employed and
become economically stable. A strong effort is being made to have exports
balance the imports. In Israel industrial production grew at a faster rate during 1961 than
in any previous year, according to a table put out by the Central Bureau of
Statistics in Israel. On
the basis of provisional statistics, production in 1961 was worth approximately
IL 2,900,000,000,
constituting a 21 per cent increase over the
previous year. In comparison, the 1960 rise was only 13 per cent. The
largest rates of growth were recorded in textiles, electrical supplies, and
basic industry. A 21 per cent increase in industrial output over the previous
year is certainly a mighty accomplishment for Israel. ISRAEL'S PEACE CORPSIsrael
is giving assistance to or engaged in technical cooperation with some 65
African, Asian, and Latin American countries, the Assistant Director General
of the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Ehud Avriel, informed the weekly meeting of the
Commerce and Industry Club in Tel Aviv. Mr.
Avriel quoted an African leader friendly to Israel as saying that his country
could easily have received assistance from the East Bloc countries, Russia
and Communist China. But he felt that by accepting it his country would come
under the influence of these countries -- a much more powerful influence than
Africa had been subject to under Western colonialism. He had therefore decided
on technical cooperation with Israel, because Israel was a small country which
did not seek to dominate other countries. "You
can hardly manage to dominate yourselves," Mr. Avriel quoted this African
leader as saying. The leader reportedly had gone on to say that the White man
had wronged the Jews much more grievously than he had wronged the Africans. Mr.
Avriel noted that Israel has Embassy relations with 18 African countries and
will soon open Embassies in three more. There
are 900 Israelis engaged in technical assistance activities throughout Africa
at the request of the Governments involved, he said, stressing that this
figure does not include members of the diplomatic missions. Since the beginning
of the assistance program, about 3,000 Africans have undergone advanced
training in various fields in Israel, and another 1,000 are in Israel now. NEW CITY HALL FOR JERUSALEMSir
Isaac Wolfson, the British Jewish philanthropist, informed Mayor Mordecai Sir
Wolfson, a religious Jew, has already done quite a bit to help beautify the
Holy City. However, he announced that the corporation which he heads has also
advanced additional funds to be invested in further development projects in
Jerusalem. BRITISH VIEWSBritish
Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Patrick Hancock, said that "Israel is the only
democratic and efficiently administered country in the Middle East. Every year
that goes by increases Israel's indirect influence on the whole region and
consequently increases hopes for eventual permanent peace." In
speaking to a group of Jewish National Fund workers in London, Mr. Hancock
stated, "There is always the danger of ambassadors in Israel becoming
active Zionists and then useless to their own Foreign Office." Mr.
Hancock also said, "I enjoyed every minute of my two and one half years in
Israel and never met anything but kindness." He advised his listeners to
go and see Israel. "For you this is an opportunity not only of a
lifetime but also of 2,000 years:
as Jews you are lucky to be of the generation that is building Israel." According
to a Reuter dispatch, "Cassandra," columnist of the "Daily Mirror"
(independent left-wing London newspaper), had this to say about the Jewish
State: "Things have greatly changed in the Palestine that became Israel.
Abraham's vineyard is an inspiration to all who go there, where an heroic
example has been set for the post-war world." - Casimir Lanowick "So built we the wall
... for the people had a mind to work." - Neh. 4:6. ONE
of the main methods by which a man may receive his education and knowledge of
spiritual as well as of mundane things, is through his observation of what other men have been and what other
men have done. We find evidence that God also recognizes this fact in the
detailed accounts which he has preserved in the Scriptures "for our
learning", of the lives of many men both good and bad, and through our
careful study of how God dealt with them, we may learn a good deal about what
our Heavenly Father requires of us. Autobiographies
form a part of the record, accounts of lives written by the men who lived them;
and these are always interesting because in each case we get the intimate
personal viewpoint of the writer and his reaction to the events and
circumstances of his life. No attempt is made, as with many of our modern
biographers, to gloss over personal weaknesses and mistakes in order to make
an attractive "front", or to place in the best possible light the errors
which swayed a life. In
addition, as the writer concisely recounts the experience that came to him, we
get, through the very brevity of the record, a sort of birds-eye view of the
leading of God in his life, as well as some idea as to where he fitted in the
development of God's plans. There can be no doubt at all that the life of
everyone who is trying (who is putting forth his best efforts) to do the will
of the Father, occupies a unique and necessary position in the Divine
arrangements until the great plan of salvation shall have been carried to
completion. We
know, of course, that no slightest hint of compulsion of any kind is brought to
bear upon anyone in the filling of the positions God offers, and that it is
strictly up to those to whom the opportunities have been offered, and who
recognized them, to grasp firmly the privilege that is theirs, and to follow
the course of training necessary to fill each place in His Kingdom. Otherwise
the opportunity will simply be offered to someone else until finally the one is
found who is faithful, for each position must be filled. Only
those who have been convinced of the great importance of the positions to which
they have been called as workmen for God, to the extent that they are made
unhappy by any circumstance which may delay that work, will ever have the
necessary stamina to complete their appointed task. Only those who have the
continual urge "to be about their Father's business" will be able to
obtain the reward which has been promised by God for faithfulness. THE BUILDER'S BACKGROUNDThough
he is but infrequently referred to except in his own book, such a workman for
God was the historian Nehemiah, and we have selected his autobiographical
account as the basis for our study. Shakespeare says in his play "Julius
Caesar" that "the good men do is oft interred with their bones. This
is not true of Nehemiah, for the account of his life contains many valuable
lessons for us. His character was such that we might with profit develop one similar
to it, even if it is over 2300 years
since Nehemiah finished the task God had put in his heart to do, the rebuilding
of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. In
Nehemiah we have the last book of Old Testament history, but we find here more
than mere history, for between its lines we read of the repair of the defenses
of the Christian against the assaults of his enemies. Even while we read of the
restoration of the literal ramparts of the Holy City, and the replacing of the
charred timbers of its gates with stout beams and new hardware, in order that
the peace and security of its inhabitants might be serene and undisturbed, we
can see with little stretch of our imaginations, the application to our
spiritual building today. We
remember the record of how the entire nation of Israel, as punishment for its
idolatry and wickedness, had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.
The captivity, according to God's prophecy through Jeremiah, was to last
seventy years, and we find that events as they occurred had exactly fulfilled
this prophecy. At the end of that time, in about 536 B.C., had come the decree
of Cyrus, that the temple of Jerusalem was to be rebuilt, in harmony with the
prophecy made earlier (in 712 B.C.) by
Isaiah, as we see it recorded in the 44th chapter. In
the 26th to the 28th verses (Isa. 44:26-28), Isaiah had foretold how Cyrus was
to initiate the rebuilding of God's house, though Cyrus was a Persian and a
Gentile, not of the house of Israel. Between the time of the decree of Cyrus,
and the beginning of the account of Nehemiah, two groups of Israelites had
gone back to Jerusalem, one of about 50,000 under Zerubbabel, who was of the
house of David, and another of around 42,000 under Ezra, the priest. Very much
like the first Jews who returned to Palestine in our own time, most of these
people had not prospered greatly in exile, and so looked forward to their
homecoming with high hopes for the future. But Jerusalem was a shambles when they reached it, for weeds and
even trees grew in the streets, water supply pools, of which there were a
number under the city, had long since been filled with stones and other debris,
and very few of the houses which still stood were habitable. Try to imagine
what your city or town would be like if everybody left it for even one year;
and these people had been away, and the city left deserted for longer than the
average lifetime. Besides, at the time of the captivity, Jerusalem had been
looted, and a complete wreck made of everything which could be destroyed, even
the gates having been burned up. Now,
at the time Nehemiah became interested, the temple had been rebuilt and
rededicated, a twenty year task, but little progress had been made on the
buildings, and none on the walls. Lack of money and the opposition of the neighboring
Samaritans, as well as constant raid by bandit tribes of the desert had given
the struggling little nation, in its unprotected city, little chance to do
more than barely keep itself alive. Such was the sorry state of the chosen
people of God, when their condition was called to the attention of Nehemiah,
who at the time this account begins,
was cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. The position of cup-bearer to the
king in those days, was one of great
influence, for in addition to being responsible for the king's life, he was
usually the confidante of the ruler in matters f state. It was a position
something like that which in our country is herd by the Secretary of State, but
even more confidential in some ways. His duties included tasting the king's
fold and wine in his presence, as assurance to the monarch that they contained
no poison or harmful drugs. The
cup-bearer had access to the king at all times, and it was important that he be
a peasant as well as a wise companion, since the displeasure of his sovereign
cold cost him his life. It was not unusual for a Jew to occupy such a high
office in these heathen kingdoms, for led by God as they were, they often
showed the superior wisdom which God had given, them, and for that reason were
very highly esteemed by the Gentile rulers, who were glad to have their
services. The cases of Joseph, the son of Jacob, end of Daniel, as well as that
of Nehemiah, will serve as illustrations of this fact. It
may seem strange, accustomed as we are to rapid means of transport and
communication, that Nehemiah knew so little of the circumstances of his people,
but there I were no radios, telephones, 90-mile-an; hour diesels, or jet planes
to spread news in his day. Then too, as one writer has said, possibly Nehemiah's
parents had been too comfortably situated, and perhaps too prosperous to take
much interest in the return of Israel, and that Nehemiah himself, as a young
man in a fine position as far as wealth and influence were concerned, had
probably given but little thought as to what had become of the others of his
nation, and had therefore made no inquiries. Since travel by camel caravan in
those times was so slow, it is probable too, that it was seldom anyone came to
the Persian court from Jerusalem. We may be sure, however, that it was not an
accident that the brethren from Jerusalem, when they did come, went direct to
the one man who had both the will and the power to help those who were so
greatly in need of assistance, but that the hand of Jehovah was operating
behind the scenes, as it always does in connection with everything which
concerns His people. With this background in mind, let us turn to the record
which Nehemiah gives us, and see if it contains lessons for us. In
the beginning, as the account opens, we can see something of the parallel
between the experiences of the young Hebrew, Nehemiah, and that of the
Gospel-Age Christian, if we read not only the lines as written, but also read
between them for their message. "One of my brethren came, he and certain
men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were
left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The
remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great
affliction and reproach-the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the
gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these
words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven." -Vs. 2-4. We
notice first of all, that the message of the broken-down walls and burned
gates came to Nehemiah through his brethren. Likewise, are not St. Paul, Peter,
James and others, our brethren who have informed us in much vivid detail of the
dilapidated condition of our defenses against sin and evil? And these are not
only all around us, but even inside our walls, the gates having been burned
long since by the Adversary. As we read of how Nehemiah wept and mourned
certain days, are we not reminded of the love and pity in our Master's voice as
he wept over the pathetic state of his brethren? And can we not feel the
yearning in the words of Paul, the Lord's chosen vessel, as he pours out his
heart to the churches through his Epistles, trying to bring them to a
realization of their true state? And have not our own hearts, understanding,
been made tender and touched with sympathy for all mankind and their undone,
pitiable condition The
fact that the message came to one like Nehemiah, with a naturally sympathetic
heart as well as the ability to help his people, seems to assure us that we too
have been drawn because we are capable, with the help of our King, Jesus, of
completing the task He has assigned to us of restoring the walls and the gates
that shall keep sin from the chosen ones of God. In other words, an all-wise
and loving Father would not hold out to anyone the truth of his plan nor the
call to consecration that comes with it, unless that one can, with prayerful
diligence and faithfulness, complete the task he has been given to do. Nehemiah,
after he had come to a clear realization of the condition of Jerusalem and its
inhabitants, must have in his own mind gone over the entire question of why
Israel had been cast out from the favor of God. He must have thought of how the
nation had been forewarned of the very things which had come upon them as the
direct result of their deviation from the doing of God's will as his law and
his prophets had revealed it. He
must have seen, too, the glimmer of hope that lay in the promises of God, and
how a return to a proper condition of heart would also bring a return to
harmony and favor with Him. We see in the fasting and prayer which followed,
how earnestly Nehemiah was seeking a state of heart and mind which would be
receptive to a revelation of the will of his God. As
we look about us and see the sorry plight of the world and of the individuals
who compose it, we see plainly that it is the same lack of obedience to God's
holy laws which is the cause of all their sorrow and trouble. It is apparent
then, that we should first cease from everything which might prevent our
getting the clearest possible insight into God's will concerning us. Having
prepared himself in this way, Nehemiah turned properly to prayer as the channel
through which he would receive God's instructions. The
book of Nehemiah opens and closes with prayer, the opening one being
especially interesting because it contains, like our Lord's model prayer
taught to his disciples, the basic essentials of all prayer to the Father.
There is, as well as petition here, confession for wrongdoing and
acknowledgment of God's faithfulness to those who revere his name and keep his
commandments. In
this confession before the God of heaven, Nehemiah admits that all the trouble
which had befallen the nation was the result of their neglect of God, and of
failure on their part to keep the covenant which He had made with them. Nor did
the prophet forget to include his family and himself with these erring ones. PLANS INTO ACTIONIt
was probably December when the news of those who were already at Jerusalem
came to Nehemiah, but it was about April before a favorable opportunity came
to present before the king the plans he had matured. During that four month
period Nehemiah had continued in an attitude of seeking to know the will of
God concerning himself, and during that time also his intention to devote all
that he had to the welfare of God's people had crystallized. Now his one
purpose to do what he could to bring peace and security to those at Jerusalem
was placed ahead of personal possessions, influence with the king, and all else
that was at his disposal. The first six verses of chapter 2 show that even in
the face of possible disapproval of the king, firmness of purpose prevented any
drawing back. As
soon as the enemies of Israel heard about the plan of Nehemiah, opposition
started, and how much the same is it in the life of the Christian! As soon as
he makes up his mind to repair his defenses, to rebuild his walls to keep out
sin and selfishness, the adversary takes immediate notice, and begins to do all
in his power to discourage the builder,
using ridicule, obstructions, or even threats, as suits the individual case.
"They laughed us to scorn and despised us," says Nehemiah--"and
said, What is this thing you are doing, are you rebelling against the
king?" Would
we dare to
rebel against the prince of this world by setting our insignificance against
the power of the "ruler of darkness"? Nehemiah
answers for us in his own words, "And I returned them an answer, and said
unto them, 'The God of heaven will indeed give us prosperity, and we His
servants will truly rise up and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor
memorial in Jerusalem.'" - Neh. 2:19, 20. We
are told by Nehemiah in verse 13 of the second chapter, that he went quietly by
night to view the walls and the gates, telling no one, and it would seem that
there is an important lesson for us in this-our plans for rebuilding our
Christian defenses are not to be advertised or revealed to any one but our
King. In the 3rd chapter we are given details as to how the actual work on the
walls proceeded, and how each of the groups started on the wall closest to
where he lived. Though this was but economy and common sense, yet there is in
this an indication that rebuilding the walls which protect us against the
"world, the flesh, and the devil" is an individual matter, and that
we should start as close to home as possible, on the worst fault we recognize in ourselves. These who worked
under the leadership of Nehemiah were not wall-builders by trade, nor
stone-masons by training, but merchants, goldsmiths, priests, apothecaries,
etc., which might suggest that any who have the will to say, "Let us rise
up and build," will find their hearts and hands strengthened by the Lord,
as were those of Nehemiah's helpers. The suggestion is here also, that if we
are called to be workmen for God, he will instruct us by his Word and give us
the training we need by his spirit, while we work for him. Building
anything is hard work, but rebuilding is even more difficult, as anyone who has
tried it knows. The tribe of Judah told Nehemiah, "There is much rubbish
and therefore we are not able to build the walls." - Neh. 4:10. How
true it is, dear brethren, that rubbish of many kinds can and often does hinder
our labor in building the walls of a Christ-like character! Prejudices,
creeds, even more than worldly ambition or yearning for ease and security, are
among the kinds of rubbish which must be carried away, before unselfishness,
patience, brotherly kindness, and entire devotion to God will have space to go
to work on the wall! Each of us should get acquainted with his own rubbish heap
(not always so easy to recognize as rubbish) which must be removed before the work on
the wall can go forward, and right now is not too soon to begin moving it. In
answer to the earnest prayer of Nehemiah, we find that God gave him both wisdom
and tact in the handling of the work on the walls, so that he was able to
impart enthusiasm and to give moral strength and encouragement to the workers.
We find similar help and encouragement in the leadership and instruction of
our loving Master, no matter how unsuited we may deem ourselves to be for
building walls against the adversary. As
the work progressed, and the enemies of Israel saw that there was a possibility
that the wall-building might continue with no let-up in spite of their
opposition, they increased their efforts to stop it to the point where the workmen
had to labor with a building tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. (Neh.
4:17.) But Nehemiah had seen to the arming and the preparation of his men, just
as our Captain has done, and we have His armory of truth, St. Paul assures us,
upon which to draw for tools as well as weapons. In
our battle against sin and whatever might hinder us in the work to which our
Lord has called us, we should remember that we are not fighting for the old
creature, but for the new, and that this fight is a very worthwhile battle.
Being of good courage then, and full of faith in our Master's leadership, and
assured that our God will fight for us, is of first-ranking importance in our
lives. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even your
faith." -
F. R. Heitland Melchisedec
"And
Melchisedec King of Salem brought forth bread and wine, THREE
verses in Genesis (Gen. 14:18-20) contain all that the Spirit of God has seen fit to record historically of this remarkable
personage. Melchisedec, the king of righteousness, ruler of Salem,
"priest of the Most High God," who appears in this incident for a
moment and then suddenly vanishes, in all ages, alike from his name, which in
itself commands respectful awe, and the silence observed respecting his origin
or history, has been a favorite subject for speculation. Around this personage
tradition has gathered many legends which have no credibility in themselves and
no foundation in history. The words of our record are these; "And
Melchisedec King of Salem brought forth bread and wine, and he was priest of
God Most High. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High
possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered
thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all." There
are difficulties in this narrative the 'solution of which has never been
successfully attained. The presence of Melchisedec, "priest of the Most
High God, in the midst of the probably heathen population of Salem, is
perplexing. We are scarcely prepared for the sudden appearance of this priest
(Cohen), offering bread and wine in connection with the first-fruits of the
spoil, blessing Abram, and receiving tithes from the patriarch, who had seemed to
be the one witness to Monotheism among an idolatrous people. To see him now
holding a position inferior to this hitherto unknown chieftain is an unexpected
difficulty. Who he was, of what family or nation, is left in utter obscurity.
This illustrious personage comes forth in the page of history for one brief
moment, and then his name is heard no more for a thousand years, when it is
found in the Book of Psalms (Psa. 110); a thousand years more pass before it
occurs in the Epistle to the Hebrews; so that there is a mystery connected
therewith, which gives to it a preponderating interest and charm. The True God Known to OthersThat
this king of a Canaanite city should be "a priest of the Most High
God" is a peculiar circumstance. Attempts have been made to explain it
away. The Hebrew phrase for the Most High God is El Elion, and it appears that the Phoenicians also had a god to
whom they gave the title of Elion, or the Highest. Nothing, however, can be
clearer than that Moses, the sacred historian, intended the words to be
understood in their fullest sense of the true God. Nor is there any excuse for
being incredulous about the fact, for, when we remember the longevity of the
patriarchs, it is probable that the worship of God would have been preserved in
some families. Melchisedec's pure and holy faith in the "Most High
God" was doubtless a relic of the anciently universal recognition of the
one Creator, and is one of the proofs incidentally afforded in such other
cases as that of Abimelech. King of Gerar; Jethro, the Midianite; Balaam, from
the mountains of Assyria- and Job, the Arab; that God has at no time left
Himself without a witness even in lands secluded from the direct privileges of
His people. It must not be overlooked, however, that while Melchisedec uses the
general expression "the Most High God," Abram, in repeating it, when
he answers Bera, the King of Sodom, prefixes the personal name Jehovah or Yahweh; as if to claim for Him
exclusive right to supreme divinity. With this weighty addition, though not
without it, he recognizes the God of Melchisedec as Him whom he himself
worshiped. Identity of MelchisedecAs
to the identity of the personage himself, speculation has been rife. Melchisedec has been regarded as the divine angel of the Lord; again, as the
Holy Spirit; the Jews, in order to account for his acknowledged superiority to
Abraham, identified him with Shem, the most pious of Noah's sons, who
according to their genealogies lived till Isaac's time; others suppose that he
was Ham. Seiss, in his work, "A Miracle in Stone," ingeniously argues
Melchisedec's identity with the great patriarch Job, near the end of those one
hundred and forty years of glory which succeeded his sore affliction; and in
fact connects both characters with a third, the mysterious shepherd prince
"Philition," associated with the building of the Great Pyramid and
the subsequent building of the city of Jerusalem as mentioned in the writings
of Herodotus and Manetho. Some Christians, both in early and later times, have
maintained that Melchisedec was the Son of God appearing in human form, which
of course would nullify his typical character on which such stress is laid in
the Epistle to the Hebrews. He could not be a type of himself; nor would it
have been said (Heb. 7:3) that he was made "like
unto the Son of God," if he had been the Son of God Himself. Christ
was not made like Melchisedec; but Melchisedec like Christ. But
though the historic account of this remarkable personage is very brief and
attempts to identify him have so far proved fruitless, it is not in the literal
history, but rather in the inspired commentary upon the three verses in
Genesis referred to previously, that much richness of detail in spiritual
wisdom has been set before us; proving this meager account to have been
divinely recorded to preserve just the salient facts purposed, and even teach
wonderful lessons in the deliberate omission of some details which otherwise
would have been naturally included. In
the Epistle to the Hebrews, one great subject is the priestly office of the
Lord Jesus. Chapters 4, 8, 9, and 10 are mainly occupied with showing Him to be
the great Antitype of the Aaronic Priesthood. But even it, with all its
details and ceremonies, fails to show fully the glory of the priesthood of
Christ. Therefore the prophetic allusion of Psalm 110 is taken up and used as a
text, so toy speak, of a discourse, the burden of which is to exalt yet further
the official glory of Christ by showing the superiority of the Melchisedec to
the Aaronic Priesthood, and that Christ is a Priest forever, after the order
of Melchisedec as well as after the pattern, or type, of Aaron. The Unnamed, Exalted OneThis
Psalm, where next we find Melchisedec mentioned, is wonderfully dramatic and
impressive. From beginning to end it celebrates a single mysterious Hero. The
Psalmist portrays Jehovah Himself as addressing this great unnamed One,
bidding Him to be seated at His right hand until He shall put His foes beneath
His feet. That this Psalm is Messianic is of course a foregone conclusion by
reason of the solemn quotation of it as such by Jesus Himself. But, apart from
this, its very terms make it impossible to imagine such an honor as being
invited to, sit on. Jehovah's right hand, attributed to any other person known
in sacred story or song. And it is here in the description of the exaltation of
God's Son and His subsequent triumph over all enemies, that the significant
statement is made in verse 4: "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent,
Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." At once, the
brief history of Abraham's superior assumes a new importance; so much so, in
fact, that we find the entire 7th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews devoted
to an exegesis of Abraham's mysterious contemporary. Through the inspired and
eloquent writer of this epistle our attention is called not only to the general
resemblance between Melchisedec and Messiah, but to see in the likeness a
verification in a number of details. From the 4th to the 10th verses, the
argument is devoted to proving the superiority of Melchisedec's priesthood to
that of Aaron in seven particulars
And
having thus shown by these many particulars the immeasurable superiority of
the Melchisedec Priesthood of Christ to the Levitic Priesthood and thus
teaching the important truth that this tranference of priesthood involved the
entire abrogation of the Mosaic system in due time, the inspired writer adds a
weighty summary in the concluding words of the chapter: "For such an High
Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to
offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for
this He did once, when He offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high
priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for
evermore." - Heb. 7:26-28. Melchisedec Both Priest and KingIn
the second verse of this wonderful chapter, the name Melchisedec is shown to be
more properly a title conveying two meanings, "King of Righteousness,"
and also "King of Salem," which is King of Peace. Thus in the
combination in one person of the two offices of priest and king is shown the
most prominent superiority of the Melchisedec over the Aaronic Priesthood. His
was a "Royal Priesthood." In Israel, the priest was of the tribe of
Levi, the king was of the tribe of Judah, Hence, so long as our Lord was upon
the earth, He could not be a priest. (Heb. 8 r His priesthood began in
resurrection. Death could not come in to interrupt even for a day this new
order of priesthood; it is "after the power of an endless life." Thus
in heaven, Jesus, the risen Son of God, is invested-with the new and
surpassingly glorious order of priesthood, "a Priest upon His
throne." (Zech. 6:13.) He shall one day be revealed as the "King of
kings" to sway the scepter of universal dominion, whilst as the great
Melchisedec, He shall come forth with all the blessings of the New Covenant --
shadowed forth in the "bread and wine" -- to comfort and to
strengthen Abraham's ultimate seed, restored humanity. And this being the character of the priesthood of
the Lord Jesus, the same applies to the saints. As it is written, "He hath
made us kings] and priests unto God" (Rev. 1:6), and again, "Ye are a
Royal Priesthood." - l Pet. 2:9. That
which appears most prominently in the Aaronic Priesthood is the offering of
gifts to God; that which is
presented in the Melchisedec Priesthood is the bringing forth of gifts from God. In both these characters our Lord
Jesus appears. He is the true Aaron appearing before God in all the acceptance
of the one offering, which He accomplished on Calvary; but He is also the true
Melchisedec bringing forth and dispensing to His people the fruits of His
death and resurrection. He breaks the bread; He pours the wine. Ascended up on
high, He received gifts for men, even for those now rebellious, and freely and
gloriously did He lavish those gifts at Pentecost and a after it, and will do
so during His Millennial reign. Dual Significance of His NameIt
is significant, and attention is directed to the fact in Heb. 7:2, that
Melchisedec is first King of
Righteousness arid "after that also King of Peace." This is always
the divine order. It could not be otherwise, for "peace at any price"
is not God's principle. Righteousness must first be considered, and all the
claims of perfect righteousness owned and honored before peace could be
proclaimed. Thus the Gospel of Peace is based upon the righteousness of God.
The Lord Jesus, the true Melchisedec, in securing peace for guilty and condemned
sinners, first "suffered for sins, the just for the unjust." He
"made peace by the blood of His cross." On the day of His
resurrection, He greeted His trembling disciples with the glad salutation,
"Peace be unto you," and having so said, as if to show the righteous
ground of peace, as if to declare that first He was "King of
Righteousness," "He showed them His hands, and His side." And
thus it is written, "the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the
effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." (Isa. 32:17.)
"Righteousness and peace kissed each other" at the cross of Christ,
and are eternally united for us in His glorious person as our Melchisedec
Priest. "Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: Mercy and
truth shall go before Thy face." (Psa. 89:14.)
In accordance with this great divine principle of righteousness being
first, it is written: "The Kingdom of God is . . . righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17.) So also "the wisdom that
cometh down from above is first pure, then peaceable." - James 3:17. Personal Spiritual LessonsThe
saint of today feels quite at home, if we may so speak, in Genesis 14. The
symbols of bread and wine are much more familiar to us than the sacrificial
types and shadows of Leviticus. And surely there is much for our hearts to
learn from the occasion upon which these familiar emblems were brought forth.
Abram had gained a great victory; it was an hour of prosperity. Little is a
saint aware, ofttimes, of his deepest need. "We know not what we should
pray for as we ought." But there was an eye upon him that knew and anticipated the temptation that was
coming, and fortified him for the further victory that followed. First, Abram
gives to Melchisedec tithes of all, owning him thus as the servant of God, who
is "Possessor of heaven and earth." He then meets the offered bounty
of the King of Sodom in the strength of the blessing received. He had lifted up
his hand to the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth; therefore would
he not take from a thread to a shoelatchet, nor anything that pertained to the
King of Sodom, lest he should say, "I have made Abram rich." Who can
tell how the heart of Abram might have yielded to the temptation, had he not
thus ,been met and strengthened with might through the blessing he had received
at the hand of Melchisedec? Thus Abram repeats to the King of Sodom the very
words of the blessing he had received. He had treasured them in his heart. The
King of Salem yet lives, "a Priest forever after the order of
Melchisedec"; and the believer who has striven with the rulers of the
darkness of this world, will yet meet Him with His bread and wine in the
pilgrimage. "As we have heard, so have we seen, in the City of the Lord of Hosts, in the City of our God." - Psa.48:8
-
W. J. Siekman Distinguishing MarksWhat
are the distinguishing marks of a ripe character? One
mark is beauty.
Ripe fruit
has its own perfect beauty. As the fruit ripens, the sun tints it with
surpassing loveliness, and the color deepens until the beauty of the fruit is equal to the
color of the blossom, and in some respects superior. There is in ripe Christians the beauty of
realized sanctification, which the Word of God knows by the name of the
"beauty of holiness." Another
mark of ripe fruit is tenderness.
The young, green fruit is hard and stone-like. The mature Christian is noted
for tenderness of spirit. Another
mark of ripeness is sweetness. The unripe fruit is sour. As we grow in grace,
we are sure to grow in charity, sympathy, and love. We shall, as we ripen in grace, have greater
sweetness toward our Fellow-Christians. Bitter spirited Christians may know a
great deal, but they are immature. Those
who are quick to censure may be very acute in judgment, but they are as yet
immature in heart. I know we who are young beginners in grace think ourselves
qualified to reform the whole Christian Church. We drag her before us, and
condemn her straightway; but when our virtues become more mature, I trust we
shall be more tolerant of infirmity,' more hopeful for the people of God, and
certainly less arrogant in our criticisms. Another and a very sure mark of
ripeness is a loose hold on earth. Ripe fruit easily parts from the stem. - Spurgeon, (Reprints, page R1317.) The Question BoxQuestion: Will
you please distinguish the ceremonies outlined in the 8th, 9th and 16th
chapters of Leviticus, and show their relationship, if any. Answer: Chapter
8 has to do with the consecration of Israel's priesthood, both the High Priest
and the Under Priests. Chapter 9 shows the inauguration of that priesthood,
following its consecration;--the purpose or object of that consecration. In
chapter 16 is given the account of the services performed by the (previously
consecrated and inaugurated) priesthood, on the Day of Atonement. Only when consecrated, as
outlined in chapter 8, and inaugurated, as set forth in chapter 9, was the
priesthood qualified to engage in the ceremonies of the Atonement Day, dealt
with in chapter 16. The
Atonement Day arrangements, detailed in chapter 16, were performed once a year,
on the 10th day of the 7th month, the month of Tishri. (Lev. 16:29, 34.) It is
to these, not to the ceremonies of chapters 8 and 9, that the writer of the
Epistle to the Hebrews makes specific reference in chapter 9, verse 7. The
consecration of the priesthood was not an annual performance, but took place
only on the accession of a new High Priest. (Ex. 29:29, 30; Lev. 16:32.) The
consecration ceremonies lasted seven days. (Lev. 8:33-35.) For these ceremonies
the High Priest wore the garments collectively described as garments of glory
and beauty. (verses 7-9.) Nor were these garments changed on the 8th day, but
continued to be worn during the inauguration ceremonies of chapter 9. However,
this was not the case throughout the Day of Atonement. After
the morning sacrifice (Numbers 28:4) the High Priest took off his garments of
glory and beauty, and after washing his person, put on his holy, linen
garments. (Lev. 16:4.) On that day, it was only after the sacrifices of the
bullock and goat were completed, and the scapegoat sent into the wilderness,
that he put off these holy linen garments, and resumed his "usual"
glory and beauty garments.(*) Moreover, whereas the blood of the animals (sacrificed
as sin-offerings on the Day of Atonement) was taken into the Most Holy by the
High Priest (Lev. 16:14, 15), this was not the case with the blood of the
animals sacrificed during the ceremonies of chapters 8 and 9; nor did the High
Priest, throughout the entire seven day period of consecration detailed in chapter
8, venture within that sacred enclosure. He did so only at the close of the inauguration ceremonies
of chapter 9, and then only when accompanied by the Lawgiver, God's highly honored servant
and representative, Moses. ------------------------------- * The
linen garment worn by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:4),
should not be confused with the broidered linen coat, worn next to his person,
as the first of the garments of glory and beauty put on him in connection with
his consecration. (Lev. 8:7) These were two different garments. Again,
it is important to observe that throughout the entire seven days of consecration,
the leading figure was not Aaron, but Moses. He it was, who slew the bullock
for the sin-offering, the ram for the burnt-offering, and the other ram, (the
ram of consecration). He it was, who applied the blood to the tip of their
right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their
right feet. Yes!-it was Moses, supervising everything throughout the entire
seven days of their consecration, not Aaron. Moses supplied the animals, too. However,
in chapter 9, a change occurs. It is no longer Moses, but Aaron, who appears
prominently. The sacrificial duties are seen to pass to him. Aaron it is, who
slays the animals and officiates throughout the day, not Moses. Moreover, Moses
does not supply the animals for ceremonies of chapter 9. They are furnished by
Aaron and the people. We
note, too, that the ceremonies of chapter 9 follow immediately after the seven
days of consecration, namely on the 8th day. (Lev. 9:1.) What does this
portray? We answer: the priesthood, being now consecrated, is about to be installed
in its office and duties. Even
yet, however, Aaron does not venture within the sacred precincts of the
Tabernacle-the Holy or the Most Holy. It was necessary that Moses, the divinely
appointed leader of the nation, should induct Aaron into the Tabernacle. After
he had done so, what took place? Moses and Aaron came out together and blessed
the people. This joint blessing (of Moses, the Mediator of the covenant between
God and the nation, and Aaron, the High Priest,) was the solemn conclusion of
the consecration and inauguration ceremonies of chapters 8 and 9. And what was
the immediate result? We read: "the glory of the Lord appeared."
(Lev. 9:23.) How did the glory appear -- that is to say: How did it manifest
itself? The next verse tells us: "Fire came out from before the Lord, and
consumed the burnt-offering," -- thus manifesting God's acceptance. The
foregoing, as nearly as we are able to determine them, distinguish the
ceremonies themselves, as may be verified by reference to the scriptures. What
their antitypical significance may be is, of course, a matter of
interpretation. - P. L. Read THE TABERNACLE
Notice of Annual MeetingAll
should be aware of the fact that the affairs of our Institute are in the hands
of seven brethren who are elected from its membership to serve for a period of
once year or until their successors are elected. Our
Annual Meeting last year was held in Cicero in June. This year our directors
have given favorable consideration to the suggestion that the meeting be
scheduled for Atlantic City, and that it be held in September. Accordingly,
the next Annual Meeting of the Institute will be held (D.V.) Saturday,
September 22, at 10:00 a.m., in the Central Y.M.C.A., 1315 Pacific Avenue,
Atlantic City, New Jersey. Membership
in the Pastoral Bible Institute iss, and always has been, open to any
consecrated brother or sister who "is in full harmony with the purpose,
spirit, and policy of the Institute, and who intends to support it "in all
reasonable ways as he or she shall deem to be the Lord's will." As
stated in its charter, the purpose for which the Institute was formed, is
"the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the
publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers, and other religious documents, and
by the use of all other lawful means which its Board of Directors, duly
constituted, shall deem, expedient for the furtherance of the purposes
stated." The
membership fee is five dollars ($5.00) Which should accompany the application.
If an applicant lacks the membership fee, but is otherwise acceptable, the fee
will be paid out of a special fund provided for that purpose. In
order, to participate in the election of directors at the next annual meeting,
anyone, not already a member, who desires to apply for membership should do so promptly as, according to
our by laws, "the registration of such membership must be made twenty
days prior to the election." Members,
of the Pastoral Bible Institute are hereby reminded of the privilege which,
is theirs of nominating in the pages of this journal the brethren they wish to
elect as directors for the fiscal year 1962-63. The
brethren whose term of service will expire are: F. A. Essler, J. C. Jordan, A.
L. Muir, J. T. Read, P. L. Read, W. J. Siekman, and P. E. Thomson. The
brethren named above are pleased to report that a spirit of Christian love and
harmony exists in their midst; and they have every reason to believe that the
Lord has seen fit to bless their association in this ministry. They realize,
however, that those carrying on any work may fail to see opportunities for
improvement and expansion apparent to others not charged with such responsibilities,
and that for this reason changes in office sometimes have beneficial effects.
They therefore urge upon all the members of our Institute that they make this a
special occasion for prayer, that our Father's will may be expressed in the
vote of the members. If after prayerful meditation any are led of the Lord to
nominate brethren, and will forward the names and addresses of such brethren
so as to reach this office on or before August 10, 1962, such names will be
published in the Sept.-Oct. issue of the "Herald," that all members
may have an opportunity of voting for them. PROJECT JOYFULAt
the invitation of the Young Bible Students Circle in England for a young
Brother to serve them this year, the Youth for Truth Conference in Buffalo
selected John Panella who, about August 28, will undertake a three week
itinerary. As in Project Bolster (Bonds Of Love Strengthened Through English
Representative) which resulted in Bro. John Thompson visiting America last
year, the objective of Project joyful (Journey Of Youth Fostering United Love)
is to draw the young people of both countries closer together in the bond of
Christian love. They earnestly request the prayers of all brethren for God's
blessing upon this effort. Recently Deceased
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