THE KING’S BUSINESS
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th a t A b ra h am m u st b e raised b e fo re h e cou ld inherit. (S e e also H eb . 2 :5 , R . V . m argin, “ th e in h ab ited e a rth to c om e ;” 2 P et. 3 :1 3 ) “W e look fo r a new h e av en an d a new e a rth ;” (R ev . 2 1 :1 ) “ I saw . . . a new e a rth .” T h e n th e C hu rch o f th e R e d e em ed , th e New Jeru salem , com es d ow n to ta k e possession o f it. A fte r a full d e sc rip tion o f its g lo ry it is a d d e d (R . V .) “h e th a t ov ercom eth shall inherit th e se th ing s.” ll. T h e Inheritance as such com es b y righ t of succession. H e re note, (1 ) E a rth w as given p rim arily to A d am (G en . 1 :2 6 ), an d to all th e ch ild ren o f m en (Ps. 1 1 5 :1 6 ). (S e e a b o v e .) T h is d o m inion o v e r th e e a rth lo st b y th e F a ll (see Gen. 3 :1 7 -1 9 ), end ing w ith “u n to d u st th o u sh alt re tu rn .” D e a th is th e fo rm al eviction from th e inh eritan ce fo rfe ited b y sin, an d now fallen in to S a ta n ’s h an d . ( 2 ) C h rist com es in as th e second A d am , th e legal heir, to repu rchase th e fo r feited inheritance fo r H im self an d H is b re th ren . H e is “ th e Seed to w hom th e p rom ise (o f th e lo st in h e ritan c e ) w as m a d e ,” G al. 3 :19 . By H is d e a th H e has re d e em ed it, an d now p ro p o se s to give it to H is y o u n g e r b re th ren , “jo in t heirs” w ith H im . T h e receiving o f th is in h e rit ance necessarily invo lves re su rrec tio n ; fo r ou t of th e e a rth w e a re cast b y d e a th ; an d only b y resu rrection can b e re-in sta ted in it.
3 : 1 8 ) : th e inh eritan ce is n o t o f th e law ; b u t G o d gav e it to A b ra h am b y prom ise (G a l. 3 :9 ) , th e y which b e of faith a re b le st w ith faithful A b rah am . “ If ye a re C h rist’s th en a re y e A b ra h am ’s seed an d heirs a c co rd in g to th e p rom ise” (G al. 3 :2 9 ) . W h a t, then , w as th e in h e rit ance p rom ised A b ra h am ? N o t m erely C an a an — b u t th e world (R om . 4 :1 3 ) , “ th e prom ise . . . th a t h e shou ld b e heir of th e w o rld .” A n d it is this prom ise which is said (v. 16) to b e sure to all the seed. T h is referen ce to A b ra h am sends us b a c k to th e O ld T e stam e n t; w herein it is n ev e r p rom ised th a t th e g o o d m an shall inherit heaven , b u t th a t he shall inherit th e earth . This is said in . . : “T h e seed o f th e good m an ” (Ps. 2 5 : 1 3 ) ; “T h e m e ek ” (P s. 3 7 :1 1 ) ; “T h ey th a t w a it on th e L o rd ” (P s. 3 7 : 9 ) ; “T h ey th a t b e b lessed o f th e L o rd ” (P s. 37:1 1 ). No w o n d e r th a t m en w ith th e p re con c e iv ed no tio n th a t th e inh eritan ce is heaven , de c la re b ecau se th ey find n o th ing o f this in th e O ld T e stam en t, th a t th e re is no re feren ce in th e O ld T e stam e n t to a future life. In tru th it is "full of re feren ce to a future life; an in h e rit ance o f th e e a rth to b e a tta in e d in th e resurrection. See again M att. 2 1 :3 1 , 32, our L o rd ’s arg um en t from E xodus to p ro v e resu rrection on th e basis of th e co v en an t w ith A b ra h am , implies
Easter Hymn
H e healed th e sick, H e raised th e dead, A n d dem ons from H is p resen ce fled; T o d ay as y e sterd a y th e sam e, O h, p raise o u r stro n g D eliverer’s n am e I A nd d eath th ro u g h d e ath H e vanquished, The pow ers of hell H e captive led; N or d e ath n o r hell can those affrig h t W ho tru st H is love a n d saving m ight.
Sing w e th e C hrist, to e a rth H e cam e. E xtol th e g re a t Em m anuel's nam e; A s m an H e toiled, a n d shed a grace O n all th e toilers of o u r race. H e w restled w ith th e tem p te r’s pow er, A n d knew th e d a rk a n d try in g h our. H is sym p ath y for ever flows T o us in all o u r varied woes.
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