of the human race. David’s concern for Absalom gives us a foreview of our Redeemer’s mercy concerning the rebellious human race. David is simp ly a faint type of the loving-kindness each of us can experience through God’s Son. Christ exceeds and ex cels them all. Sinners can do nothing but make wounds which Christ will heal. They can only make debts which He pays baok. They continually fall that He may raise them to life eter nal. This is the ministry of Jesus Christ in His marvelous grace. P art II O ne op the most impressive pas sages of Scripture is the impor tant account of the nativity given to us in Matthew 1:18-25. This under scores the importance of the virgin birth. Matthew’s account sets Joseph in the foreground. We see his inner struggle and concern. Embarrassing as his position may have been, he takes God’s leading to be the path to follow. Matthew speaks as he would talk from Joseph’s point of view. Luke, on the other hand, takes the view from Mary’s maidenly wonder. We see her meek submission. These two important accounts beautifully sup plement one another. They give us two sharp and vivid pictures of these two devout souls. Think of the shock to Joseph with such a sudden discovery crashing in upon him! He was bound by engage ment to Mary. The situation is brought out most delicately. As a just man, Joseph would not ignore his loved one’s condition. He could not bring her to public shame, as had been the custom among the Jews. The divine guidance, which is ever given to waiting minds, was bestowed freely upon Joseph by way of a dream. This was one of the Old Tes tament’s means of divine communi cation. The most stupendous fact in his tory is announced by the angel to 14
Joseph, which is the main reason for his going on with the marriage. Joseph, tortured with doubts about Mary and hesitations as to his own duty, moves in the realm of the Spir it’s leading. Because children are partakers of flesh and blood, Christ must also take part of the same. No less a requisite is that He must be free from the taint in nature which passes down to all born of the will of the flesh. Both necessities were met in His supernatural birth of the virgin Mary. How does Christ come to be free of flaws of which even the smallest spoil the noblest of characters in the human race? Suppose there were mil lions of chain links all of which have been forged of mingled metal. Then there comes One of pure gold. How can it have the same origin as the others? Scripture says, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” You see, it was cast and molded in another forge. That which was con ceived in Mary was of the Holy Ghost. Joseph was to assume the position of father, even though he had abso lutely nothing to do with the con ception. The name Jesus or Joshua was given to many in those days. Parents, in the hope that Israel might some day be freed, bestowed this name on their offspring. Yet this wasn’t the only reason Joseph gave Christ this title. Salvation from God was to be of another kind than that human deliverance which Joshua had brought. Here was eternal life, the forgiveness of sin as promised in Genesis 3:15. This deliverance would not be political, wrested from Rome by a sword. It was something which changed the life from within. It could be effected only by moral and spiritual weapons. We find in Isaiah’s prophecy a wonderful description of Christ, giv en more than 750 years before His birth, in the name which was to be bestowed upon Him (Isa. 9:6). Ever
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