STRONGHOLD OF TRUTH
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And so, when we look upon creation in the light of that great Colossian passage, we think of Christ as God's instrument in the making of all things. Many passages can be associated with this period of our Lord's life. nr. Obrist in the glory of the revelation of the Old Testament. It would seem as though the primal Divine purpose had been fellowship between God and man; but that purpose failed three times. It failed first in Adam, it failed next in Seth and his line, it failed in Noah and his family; and then God had to make a fresh start with Abraham. God introduced a new method, a covenant not of works but of grace; and from the time of Abraham onwards the Old Testament is essentially a revelation of grace, though also for the purpose of grace a record of works in the Mosaic law. All through the Old Testament there are these two lines of teaching: God was preparing the Messiah for the people, and preparing the people for the Messiah. All along from Genesis to Malachi these two processes are at work. And as we look at the Old.Testament from the stand point of the Jews we see this first of all: in the Pentateuch there is a Divine religion of redemption and deliverance. Then, in the history of the Jews, the Divine religion of redemption is developed, while in the prophetical and poetical books it is deepened. That is the Old Testa ment view of religion. From the standpoint of the Messiah we see something similar. In the Pentateuch it is the Messiah pre-emi nently as Priest; in the historical books it is the Messiah pre-eminently as King; in the poetical and prophetical books it is the Messiah pre-eminently as Prophet: Prophet to reveal, Priest to redeem, King to rule. "Jesus, my Prophet, Priest, and King." And let me say here that we clergy do ourselves and our people immense injury if we avoid preaching sermons from the Old Testa ment. As some one has said: "We must not rob the children of at least half of their bread."
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