THE KING’S BUSINESS
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IV. T he W ord R ules the W orld . Instead of “Logos" the Rabbis used “Memra" (also meaning Word). They used to read, “Jehovah saith unto Memra” (Ps. 110:1). The Lord Jesus applied this verse to Himself (Matt. 22:44). To the Rabbis the Memra was the revealing Je hovah; with the cloud that led Israel ; the Angel of the Presence. Now when John , says He “was the light of me n j j He “shineth in the darkness;” He “was in the world” (vs. 4, 5,' 10); he refers not to the incarnation but to the times before it. So then the “Word” of the New is the “Memra” of the Old Testament, ruling the destinies of Israel not .only but of all na tions. V. T he W ord P repared the W orld for H is O wn A dvent . 1. The Prepared People.- He called Is rael to receive and transmit the spoken and written Word, to predict, identify, and be the instrument of the Incarnate Word. John the Baptizer was not the only but the last and greatest of them that prepared His way (Matt. 3:3). 2. The Prepared Peoples. The pre-in- carnate Word (the Memra) raised up (1) Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian (2:37); and (2) Cyrus; the Persian (Isa. 44:28; 45:1); and (3) Alexander, the Greek (Jo sephus’ account of Alexander’s vision of the High priest calling him to his mission, is almost certainly true, but providence certifies that he was ■ appointed) ; and (4) imperial Rome (clearly the fourth kingdom of Daniel 7:23, c. f.). By “ (1)” He dis persed' the-Jews,., everywhere bearing the moral law, the prophets, the'synagogue and the hope. By “ (2)” He restored themuto Palestine to rebuild its cities, its temples, restore its worship, and prepare local con ditions suitable to His manifestation “under the Law.” By “ (3)” He disseminated the .Greek language (previously, and provi dentially, refined to be the 'vehicle of the truth) with its • philosophies or gropings after God and truth, which got so far as to say, f I t may be that God can forgive
sin, but I do not see how?” and “We shall have to wait for God, or a God-sent man to show us what we should do“’ and with its Septuagint or Greek translation of the Old Testament. By "(4 )” He established Roman law, administration, lines of com munication by land and sea, facilitating travel; universal evangelism, extended to the confines of civilization and beyond, and made Jerusalem a religious as Rome was a civic center of the world, while the syna gogue everywhere offered a pulpit, and the Septuagint a text-book for the introduc tion of the Gospel universal. Meanwhile all attempts—governmental, political, philo sophical, religious, and moral, proved worse than failures to bring peace and hope to society or the individual (Eph. 2:12; Rom. 3:19). The wisest of men were in de spair. The darkest hour—but next the dawn. VI. “T he W ord B ecame F lesh ” (R. V.). 1. “Became Flesh.” This means not that the Logos took merely the physical form of man, but that He became man in all that is essential to perfect humanity (Heb. 2:14-8). Christ was the first com plete fulfillment of the Word, “Let us .make man in our image” (Gen. 1:26), the first man worthy to have and able to hold the dominion, and therefore the cause of and key to history; which is, logically, dated from the day He became flesh; all previous years being dated from, as they were ruled by, that event, and all subse quent years accredited to, as they are ruled by, Him—B. C. and A. D .! embrace time. 2. The Wonder of It. All these things have been said to enhance our estimate of .the grace and glory of Him of Whom we sing, “Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shin ing, Low lies H is head ’mid the beasts of the stall,” and of Whom the Apostle wrote the mar vel of Philippians 2:6-11. At this point the sweet stories of Mat thew 1:18-2:11, and Luke 1:26-35, 46-55- 2:1-80 should be considered.
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