(Some Suggestions.)
If the very frame-work of Scripture, and the relationship of its parts to one another, is based upon the meaning of numbers, as now taught and increasingly evident, it will be interesting and profitable to search and find examples and illustrations of this. It will be to the glory of God that we should in this fresh development be impressed with His handiwork as well as instructed and sanctified by the truth so illustrated. But the suggestions are made as such, and therefore open to objections and corrections, but trusting they will commend themselves as scripturally based, and simple.
Attention is called to three examples. In Matthew (omitting the temptation), we find the Lord is on the mount seven times before the cross, and the eighth time after He rises from the dead.
In Genesis, God covenants with Abraham seven times; and then "after these things," when He offers up Isaac, and receives him in a figure from the dead, the covenant is renewed an eighth time.
And in Joseph's history, typical of Christ dealing with Israel, he communicates in that character with his brethren seven times; and then, when Jacob has passed from the scene, an eighth time.
I refer first in detail briefly to this latter scripture.
Joseph tells his brethren (Gen. 37:6) his dream about their sheaves making obeisance to his.
In his second dream he tells them how the sun and moon and eleven stars made obeisance to him; and they hated him. Is not this the double witness the Lord spoke of to Nicodemus-"If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?" The Old and the New Testament give the complete witness of God to convict the unbeliever.
Heavenly glory as well as earthly were typically predicted.
Thirdly, Joseph sent to them in love by the father, and rejected and cast into the pit, is raised to the right hand of power, unknown to these despisers of grace.
The next three communications are by the brethren being compelled to go to Joseph. Twice they go down to Egypt, and a third time get outside the city and have to turn back, the cup being found in Benjamin's sack, when, after deep and affecting exercises on their part (Gen. 44:18-Judah's prayer) Joseph proclaims himself.
Three times (as three days), throughout Scripture, sets forth complete heart-searching experience, and deliverance at the close, by God who raises the dead. (Abraham; Esther 4:16; Paul; waters of Marah; and many other examples of three days and three times.) So in the case before us. Three times they denied and rejected him; three times they have to come to him, and the third time pass through distress (fearing the effect upon their father of the loss of Benjamin as well as Joseph) similar to Joseph's and their father's when Joseph was rejected. Their third was marked by complete hatred and rejection; Joseph's third by complete mercy and tender welcome.
But we have only reached a sixth, not a seventh, communication. It is short of completeness, for Jacob has not yet been brought-has not yet been persuaded that the rejected Joseph lives. All this tells us beforehand, in a wonderful way, how tender and patient the Lord will be in His dealing with Israel at last, to recall them to repentance, and how slow of heart they will be to believe. A remnant will become missionaries to the rest. All is incomplete until Israel as a whole (all Israel) shall be restored. The powers of the whole world will be at their service to help them in returning to the land of their fathers.
All this is set forth in the seventh communication (Gen. 47:).
"And Israel took his journey, with all that he had." Not now "Jacob." He is called "Jacob" previously in this narrative-halting and doubting and fearing; but now "Israel took his journey." A prince once more- power with God and with man-he comes to Beersheba, the well of the oath, where Israel's (Abraham's) supremacy over the Gentiles (Gen. 21:31) was shown in the Philistines making suit to Abraham, and where a center of worship was established in the name of Jehovah as the everlasting God. And God spoke to him in a vision of the night, and called him "Jacob"-He calls him " Jacob," but at Beersheba, which assures of final and everlasting blessing and supremacy. He is not to fear to go down into Egypt. From Beersheba, though only Jacobs, we can face the world, leaving all behind, sure as to the end. "And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father to Goshen (Gen. 46:29), and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while." All is now complete. And now Israel, like Simeon in Luke, says to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive." The nation at large will at last use the language of Simeon-" Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."
It is truly a seven-nothing more to be desired:the heart is full, and finally at rest. God has tenderly and patiently led up to a desired end. Ararat has been reached:the ark rests, and the world is to be possessed and governed in peace, and filled with blessing from the presence and glory of Christ. The once rebellious and hateful are now reconciled to the One long before rejected, but who all through this long and terrible experience had never ceased to love them and to deal on their behalf, to accomplish His purpose. All Pharaoh's resources are now at the service of Jacob and his sons, being the brethren of Joseph.
"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isa. 60:1:) "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising . . . thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side." "All they from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and incense. and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord . . . and I will glorify the house of My glory . . . Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows ? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of Jehovah thy God, and to the holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. … I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations … I, the Lord, am thy Savior, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob . . . The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory . . . the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. . . . They shall inherit the land forever."
"And Joseph placed his father and his brethren (Gen. 47:ii) and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded."
Thus complete as a history and as a type is the portion before us. But there remains an eighth communication,
"And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.' And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, 'Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil:and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.' And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. . . . And Joseph said unto them, Fear not:… as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. . . .' And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."
In what has already been before us we have had presented the completeness of God's dealings with Israel to restore them-that general thought; but now, in this eighth, we have made prominent Christ in resurrection recognized, and to whom they are reconciled. Jacob having passed away, they were brought face to face with Joseph,-that is, the remnant of Israel, in the last days, realizing the utter failure of the nation, and that the scattering of the nation had written death upon all natural hopes, their heart is turned to Christ, to find in Him, exalted and glorified, not an avenging Judge, but a Shepherd and Savior and Friend.
Nothing can hinder the accomplishment of His will; and the long night of Israel's sorrow, sure to end in His presence in everlasting joy, lights up the whole world's history with a glow of deepening interest. If He so deals with Israel, much more will He not forsake His Church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He will present it to Himself, in heavenly glory, a glorious Church, with no blemish to remind of the shame and sorrow of the past. E.S.L.