It is edifying to consider how the familiar references to the Old Testament in the New Testament take for granted that "the Scripture " is the word of God; and that it is the very air that faith breathes, and the food on which faith lives, and its light amid darkness. " It is written " put Satan to flight; it was the Lord's weapon against him.
"Take, my brethren, the prophets," says James, "who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of ten- der mercy." Thus Scripture refers to Scripture as what cannot be gainsaid – as a living reality – and something we are supposed to know, and to submit to. The "prophets" are living realities; and so is Job and his wonderful history:just as any well instructed child in a Christian family to-day, or in a Sunday-school, is taught and becomes happily acquainted with these precious sacred histories and teachings as the sure word of God.
" What saith the Scripture," Paul says, as we say, What says "the Book," that is, the Bible? "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). This one verse is enough for faith The same God speaks in Genesis who speaks in Romans. It settles the great question of eternal moment for the whole world – for all time – the one way of approach to God is by faith. Genesis 15:6 says so-that is enough; and the soul reposes in the word of Him '' who cannot lie."How wicked the critic who would dare to cast a shadow of doubt upon that Word :"Better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea." Thus we have the believer's start marked out from the Old Testament; and we have already had before us the testing of the wilderness way, and encouragement from the example of the prophets and of Job. To this we add another quotation, setting our "hope" before us, to complete this portion of our article. "Again Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust (hope);" and then Paul adds, " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may a-bound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 15:12, 13). Thus our hope is presented, the "hope of the glory of God."In this same chapter, we learn that "whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."
We add here some more quotations, to show how full an outline of the Old Testament is contained in the references to it in the New; so that if the Old Testament were destroyed, one would have a considerable acquaintance with it by the quotations from it in the New.
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews alone gives a general outline. "The worlds were framed by the word of God;" then, "Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain; " "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death," and "By faith Noah …prepared an ark to the saving of his house."Then, "Abraham when he was called …went out;" and " by faith sojourned in the land of promise.""Through faith also Sarah . .. was delivered of a child when she was past age," and a multitude sprang from one who was "as good as dead."Then we have Abraham offering Isaac, and we are told that he had faith that God was able to raise him from the dead. Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and their crowning acts of faith are mentioned; and the faith of Moses' parents, and his own faith and separation from Egypt. Then Jericho is mentioned, and Rahab, and Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, and David, and Samuel, and, last mentioned, "the prophets" take us on to the close of the Old Testament. And all this accompanied by comments by the Spirit of God. This is a precious consideration, that the Spirit of God should teach us in the New Testament by His own record in the Old. It is His own record all through; and so in chap. 3:7 we have, " as the Holy Ghost saith," and then follows a quotation from the Old Testament. Again and again, in Hebrews, instead of saying, "It is written," we have quotations from the Old Testament as the words of the Holy Ghost. Thus in chap. 10:15:"Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us," and then follows a quotation from the Old Testament concluding with, "and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more"-that is, this quotation from Jeremiah is the Holy Ghost's witness to us. This would have a special influence with Hebrews. It has no reference to the Spirit's witness in us, which is not presented in this epistle. What is presented is, rather, the perfect offering and the Great High Priest, and we the sons of Aaron.
In Heb. 3:the coming up out of Egypt is referred to, and the forty years in the wilderness. "For some when they had heard did provoke:howbeit not all that- came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was He grieved forty years ? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the
wilderness ?"
In Stephen's address we have mentioned Abraham's call, and reference to Isaac and Jacob and Joseph, and the famine, and the oppression of Israel, and the birth of Moses, and his rejection by his brethren, and his being sent as a deliverer- a type of Christ Himself." This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, Him shall ye hear. This is he. . . . to whom our fathers would not obey." The tabernacle of the wilderness is mentioned, and also the fact that it was made "according to the fashion" that Moses "had seen;" a witness that accords with that of Heb. 8:5:"As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle:for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shown to thee in the mount."All that is told us therefore about the tabernacle is a message from God-from heaven-as is every part of Scripture. The possession of the land under Joshua is mentioned, "the days of David" also, and his desire to build a dwelling-place for God, and how "Solomon built Him a house."Last, the prophets are referred to thus completing an outline of the Old Testament, as in Heb. 11:, already before us.
In Paul's sermon at Antioch, he passes rapidly over the calling of Israel out of Egypt, and their failure, or rather God's forbearing mercy towards them in the wilderness, and His giving them judges until Samuel the prophet, and then king Saul; and "when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king." And this is a resting point, arrived at after this rapid introductory review. The resting point is "Jesus." "Of this man's seed (of David's seed) hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus,"and thereafter it is the glad tidings. The rejected One is the Saviour. "God raised Him from the dead . . . and by Him all that believe are justified from all things."
Let us note the wisdom of the Spirit in this ministry out of the Old Testament Scriptures. In Stephen's farewell appeal to rejecting and unrepentant Israel we have prominently set before us the doings of the people; they rejected Joseph, and rejected Moses-a double type of the rejected Christ. Then Stephen brings home the charge, "As your fathers did, so do ye." In the previous rehearsal he had said, " Our fathers," taking his place with them in their sin; now he changes the pronoun and says, " As your fathers did, so do ye." He takes his place with Christ, outside the camp, and is stoned to death. This is the closing drama of the moral history of man. But now in Paul's address at Antioch, we are beyond the dark shadow of the history of the first man and his unchangeable enmity to God; and we have the glad tidings of the resurrection of Christ, and of forgiveness and justification by Him, for the worst of sinners. How suitable that he should pass rapidly over the early history of Israel, to arrive at the announcement of the glad tidings about Christ.
In comparing such portions of Scripture, characteristic words or phrases are interesting and instructive. In Stephen's address the phrase, "Our fathers," is prominent, and what they had done. In Paul's, God's doings are prominent, from His choosing their fathers, until He raised Jesus from the dead. In the one case, we have " the patriarchs moved with envy ' sold Joseph into Egypt," and "our fathers found no sustenance" and "so Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers;" and "another king arose" and "evil entreated our fathers." And he (Moses) supposed his brethren would have understood, but they understood not." And again,"This is he … to whom our fathers would not obey, . . . saying unto Aaron … as for this Moses . . . we wot not what is become of him." But in the other, we have, "The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people, . . . and . . . suffered their manners in the wilderness; and when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan . . . and after that He gave unto them judges . . . and God gave unto them Saul . . . and when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David … Of this man's seed hath God, according to His promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour," Jesus:and after speaking of His rejection and death, "but God raised Him from the dead."
The comparison is impressive and instructive:a contrast that is perfectly drawn by the hand of God
-it is the end of the Old, and the beginning of the New. In the one picture, we have the misery and wickedness of man; in the other, the glorious work of God:the Holy Spirit's ministry to us from the treasury of the Old Testament in the light of the New.
How all is bound together-the Old and the New
-as one glorious and perfect whole; bound together by indissoluble bands, as God's testimony to man- for God's glory and for blessing to man.
May we study this wonderful record with devout humility. "The humble (the 'meek' in A. V.) will He guide in judgment; the humble will He teach His way" (Psa. 25:9). E. S. L.