CORRESPONDENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 16

CORRESPONDENCE

(To the- Editor.) Sir, —There recently appeared in the ‘‘Standard” a short paragraph which is probably of deep interest to many—“Dr Frank Bueliman and members of the Oxford Groun arc rendering the nations the greatest possible service any man or movement can give at this critical time, by insisting upon the necessity of listening to God, to find His plan (purpose? “Plan” suggests possibility of failure) for ourselves and the world. There are, today, graver and more complex problems than men have ever been called upon to face. We can only find the way out in quiet times with God.” The statement was made by Mr Ernest Brown, Minister for Labour in the British Cabinet. We have many times heard the question, “What is this Oxford Group? What is it all about?” And this plain statement of its aims, “Listening to God to find his purpose for the world,” appears to answer the question. Your leading article of August 3, “The Bible,’ 1 truly states the fact that “the Bible is for many (most?) people of Britain (as well as other countries, of course) a sealed Book,” and the reason therefore is written in Isaiah 29:11-14. Men can only “listen to God,” as He speaks through His Word, the Bible, and the time has come when “the deaf shall hear the words of the Book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness,” if they will. (Isa. 29:18, 19.) For now “The Lord is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth keep silent before Him” (Hab. 2:20), that is, cease to advance their - own plans and ideas, as, for instance, Premier Aberhart, of Alberta, who urges a three months’ prayer campaign on behalf of his own social credit plan. Other nilers, likewise, including New Zealand, are busy with tlieir own confused ideas.

The purpose of Jehovah, without possibility of failure, was foreshadowed about three thousand years ago. It is necessary, first, for a proper understanding of the subject, to state briefly the cause, as revealed in the Bible, of the world’s present condition. Mankind -forfeited his right to life, health, liberty and happiness when he joined Satan, wilfully, in his rebellion against his Creator (1 Tim. 2: 14) and it is far beyond the power of any politician or other human to restore that which was lost.” Consider the exact meaning of the words of the sentence for that first act of disobedience and disloyalty—“ Unto the woman.” He said, “I will greatlv multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, and unto Adam,” He said, “because thou hast (done this thing), cursed is the ground for thy sake (thy benefit). In sorrow shalt ,'tliou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns, also, and thistles, shall it bring forth unto thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.” No logical mind could construe this to mean some form of punishment “after” death. (Gen. 3: 16-19.) And, so that the penalty should go into effect, “The Lord God said, lest he put forth liis hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” Therefore, he was driven from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken, and access barred to the life-giving food, that would sustain life indefinitely. (Gen. 3: 22-24.) Mankind has continued to pay that penalty in full until now. Nevertheless, Jehovah has declared, in various ways, and at different times, His purpose to restore to man his life and his lost dominion of earth : to again give him access to the “tree of life.” (Rev. 22: 1,2.) Through the Jewish nation Jehovah chose to foreshadow, in living pictures, the method he would use in the fulfilment of His promise to restore man. So precise were .these pictures to be that any mistake on the part of the high priest, or under priests, was punishable by death. (Lev. 16: 1.2 and 13.) “And thus shall Aaron (the high priest) come into the Holy place, with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering (v. 3) and Aaron shall bring liis bullock for the sin offering which is for (represents) himself and make an atonement for himself and for his house (the whole of the tribe of Levi).” He could not sacrifice himself and and yet carry out his office, so the bullock was substituted. It was also for an atonement for himself and his house. Two goats, previously taken from the congregation of the Israelites (v. 5) were presented for sacrifice at the door of the Tabernacle, and “Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.” (Lev. 16: 8.) ‘‘Then •shall he bring the goat of the sin offering (the Lord’s goat) that, is lor the people, and bring liis blood within the vail and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat (v. 16) and he shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat (the scape goat), putting all the transgressions of the children of Israel upon the goat and shall send him away (sin laden) bv the hand of a fit man into the wilderness,” where he would die and be forgotten. (Lev. 16: 21.) The bodies of both the bullock and goat, of the sin offering, with tlieir flesh, skin and offal were burned outside the camp (v. 27). When these atonement day sacrifices were completed. “Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle and came out and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.” (Lev. 9: 23.) Thus Jehovas foreshadowed His purpose. The twenty-four hour atonement day represented the whole nineteen centuries of the gospel age. The sacrifice of tlie High Preist, offering himself in Adam’s stead (1 Cor. 15: 21, 22), and so “tasting death for every man” (ITeb. 2: 9). cancelled the death sentence upon the human race as well as the “curse” (Gen. 3: 17-19). and so preparing the way for “subjecting all things under man’s feet.” (1 Cor. 15: 25-28; ITeb. 2: 7-9.) The sacrifice of the bullock (Jesus) was “for His House.” The last of the plagues upon the Egyptians was the d°ath of the first-born son. (Ex. 12: 12 13 ) The Israelites were protected therefrom by the smiting of the blood of the Passover Lamb, upon the door posts and lintel. Only the life of the first-l>om was here in danger, so the first-born of Israel was sanctified or set apart, to Jehovah’s service. (Ex. 13 • 2 ) For this first-born son the tribe of Levi was afterwards substituted. (Numbers 3: 12, 13.) The tribe of Levi therefore represented the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven” (Hein 12: 23). The household of God” (Enh. 2: 19-—.), or “the first-fruit, of His creatures (James 1: IS. Rev. 14: 4). goats (representing the whole church) were presented for sacrifice, but only one, the Lord’s goat, completed its sacrifice, which was “for the people. (Lev. 9: 15. Lev. 16: 15 Heb. 7: 27.) The scape-goat represents that section of the church which did not faithfully complete its sacrifice. The camp of Israel, arranged round the tabernacle, represented the world in general. It had no part at all in anv of these atonement day sacrifices. It was, for them, a period of inactivity, or “rest.” I “In the seventh month on the tenth I day of the month ye shall do no work |at all.” (Lev. 16: 29.) Likewise during the nineteen hundred year “day”

of sacrifice or atonement, the world has been “resting” so far as being able to help itself is concerned. Its struggles have only mired it more deeply, as the facts show. But earth’s long “day of atonement” is closing, and the time has come for the antitypical Moses and Aaron (his spokesman), to come out of the tabernacle and “bless the people,” as in the type. In confirmation, it is written, “And (that is Jehovah) shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets since the world'began.” (Acts 3: 1921.) Of necessity that “restitution” must commence with the restoration of the truth of God’s word to all people who desire life. We are now living in that day.—l am, etc., NORMAN KELLY. Tokomaru, August 10- 1937.