| The Christian Life | April 1942 |
Under the Blood
ACCORDING to the Apostle Paul’s statement recorded in I Corinthians 10:11, God’s dealings with Israel contain valuable lessons for spiritual Israelites of this present Gospel age. One of the outstanding lessons for us is that contained in the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover lamb in connection with God’s deliverance of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. God’s typical people, Israel, were still in Egypt and enslaved despite the nine plagues which had already been visited upon the land. All of these plagues were God-sent, but were not fully effective so far as bringing about the deliverance of Israel was concerned.
This does not mean, however, that God’s purpose in the first nine plagues was thwarted. Quite to the contrary, for He had His spiritual Israel in mind when these scenes were enacted, hence was not dealing with Pharaoh nor with the typical Israelites merely with the thought of what was being accomplished in connection with them. Regardless of the immediate result of many of Israel’s experiences a glorious divine purpose was accomplished because all that happened to them was for ensamples, says the apostle, and “they were recorded for our admonition.”
Let it be noted that it was the tenth plague that brought relief to the: Israelites, but this only through the sprinkling of the lintels and door-posts of the houses of Israel with the blood of a Passover lamb. To us this seems to say that while all of God’s providences are designed to bring us closer to deliverance from the bondage of this world, yet actual deliverance is accomplished only through coming under the blood of Christ our Passover, who has been sacrificed for us.
The fact that the typical Passover lamb had been slain was not sufficient. The Israelites had to bring themselves under the sprinkling of the blood, in order to be assured of divine deliverance and protection. So it is with God’s antitypical Israelites. They must through faith bring themselves under the blood of the real Passover Lamb. Mere belief in the fact that Jesus died for the sins of the world is not sufficient. Faith in the fact that He died for us personally, and that through His blood we may be cleansed from a “consciousness of evil,” is the necessary prerequisite to justification. Only thus can we be assured of redemption from the curse. Yet even then this deliverance is not in itself complete, although it does become the means to that end.
The apostle is quite specific when he declares that we are to have a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience. (Heb. 10:22) In Volume VI of the Studies in the Scriptures, page 463, the thought is suggested that this means to have our hearts sprinkled from a “consciousness of evil.” Such a sprinkling does not come as a result of merely believing about Jesus, but rather, by an obedient belief or faith in Him, and a whole-hearted acceptance of His blood as the price of our redemption. A belief that is merely about Jesus still leaves us outside the court of justification. This full heart belief in Him brings us within, through the gate, which is Christ Jesus.
Furthermore, such faith in the blood of Jesus inspires a glorious hope. The Apostle Paul speaks of this faith as the “basis of things hoped for.” (Heb. 11:1, Diaglott) What is it that we hope for? Ah, it is for that complete deliverance from this present evil world that was illustrated by the complete deliverance of Israel’s firstborn from the slavery in Egypt. The apostle says concerning Jesus, “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world.”—Galatians 1:4
In Romans 7:24, St. Paul tells us about another deliverance to which all Christians should look forward—a deliverance from what he calls “This body of death.” Concerning it the apostle says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?” He answers this question by showing that deliverance comes through Christ, and that even now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, and who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.—Rom. 8:1
This deliverance from the body of death, that is, from the flesh, is described by Paul as a deliverance into the “glorious liberty of the children of God.” Even now we have a foretaste, as it were, of this glorious liberty revealed to us by the Spirit. Concerning it the Apostle says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”—I Corinthians 2:9,10
While it is true, as the apostle declares, that God has already revealed these things to us by His Spirit, yet we are unable to appreciate them as fully and completely as when our deliverance into the glorious liberty of the sons of God will be complete. The Apostle John declares on this point that while we are now the sons of God, yet “it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (I John 3:2) Even so, Israel could, by faith, already see the “land of promise” from afar, but to experience its goodness they had to await actual entry into it.
FAITH A MEANS TO AN END
Thus we see that while it is Jesus’ blood that contains the merit for our justification, yet this merit becomes ours only through faith in that which God has thus Himself provided. Nor is faith itself the end of our salvation. Rather, it is the means to that end. It evidences itself in the glorious hope to which it gives rise, and this hope brings the impetus that drives us ever on to the fullness of the glory that is promised. Concerning this we read, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”—I John 3:3
Faith is itself God-given, for without the blood of Jesus, which the Father Himself supplied, there would have been nothing upon which a justified faith could lay hold. This is even what the Apostle Pail tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”—Eph. 2:8
While faith is the means whereby we bring ourselves under the blood, yet faith must be added to, and this adding is the purifying work of the faith-inspired hope, and by means of this we add to our faith, fortitude, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. (II Pet. 1:4-8) It is only thus that one’s calling out of antitypical Egypt, and his election to be one with Christ in the glories of the Kingdom, are made sure. Affirming this, the apostle adds, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”—II Pet. 1:11
We emphasize that the blood of Christ itself does not afford deliverance or salvation unless we bring ourselves under it by obedient faith. With this accomplished, our journey toward the spiritual Canaan rest of God is only begun. Many indeed will be the trials and experiences as we journey on through the various wilderness experiences until we enter fully into the Land of Promise.
God’s Word tells us that Israel did not enter into rest because of disobedience and unbelief. (Heb. 3:10-19) This should indeed serve as a very timely and valuable “admonition” to us. (I Cor. 10:11) The apostle assures us that there is a “rest” which yet remaineth for the spiritual people of God of this age, but if we are to enter into that rest, we must labor to be faithful and obedient. (I Cor. 4:6-11; Heb. 4:1-11) The deliverance from Egypt and the abundant entrance later into Canaan were based entirely upon the blood of the Passover lamb. But this blood meant deliverance into the land only if they continued to exercise themselves in recognition of the blood of sprinkling which brought their original deliverance. They were ever to recognize that, having been delivered by God’s provision, they were not any more their own. We know that in this Israel failed. And with the exception of Joshua and Caleb they all died, not in Egypt, or yet in Canaan, but in the wilderness that lay between.
TAKE HEED LEST WE FALL
Let us remember that the mere fact that we once came under the blood and were delivered from the bondage of this world, is no guarantee that we shall finally enter the Heavenly Canaan of promise. The account tells us that God was grieved with many of the typical Israelites. (I Cor. 10:5) We, too, then ought to take heed lest we, like them, should be overthrown in the wilderness because of unbelief and disobedience. It is not for us to presume on God’s mercy and to suppose that He will always strive with us and lead and protect us. True, He knows the weakness of our frame, but then we cannot depend upon His knowledge and mercy to overlook our lack of faith and obedience. There comes a time when He ceases to do this, for continuance in this presumption on our part is failure to take God at His word. (Gen. 6:3) It is unbelief, yea, it is disobedience.
God has promised us the victory, but we must make use of all of His provisions whereby we may attain it. (Deut. 7:2) Israel failed because when they reached the portals of the promised land, they doubted. They forgot God’s promised grace in every time of need. Hence they decided that it was necessary to send spies into the land to determine whether or not they would be able to conquer it. (Deut. 1:19-26) For this failure to fully believe God and obey Him, they were turned back, not into Egypt, but into the terrible wilderness where finally they lost their lives.—Num. 14:26-45
Failure of the antitypical Israelites to take God at His word will, likewise, exclude them from the spiritual “Land of Promise.” If the typical Israelites had been rightly exercised by their experiences and had recognized God’s abounding grace, ever keeping in mind the fact. of their unworthiness of this grace, they would have sought His aid in cleansing themselves of their secret faults which gradually developed into the presumptuous sin of disobedience which resulted in their overthrow. See Psalms 19:12,13.
The typical Israelites felt so sure of themselves, so sure that they had a permanent standing before God, that they became careless and indifferent and finally presumptuous. Thus they stumbled and fell. The blood could not serve to take them all the way into Canaan except as they would keep in mind the fact that it was by means of the blood that they were delivered from Egypt by the grace of God. Forgetting God’s grace through the blood would lead to other deflections and finally to their fall. The lesson for us in this is very well stated by the apostle, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”—I Corinthians 10:12
Our salvation, while an accomplished fact insofar as the blood is concerned, needs to be worked out with “fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12) God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure, and when we co-operate with what He is doing, we become partners with Him in apprehending that for which He has apprehended us. (Phil. 3:10-14) It is only as we remain under the blood that we can continue in this co-operative arrangement with God. These lessons, illustrated so impressively by the experiences of typical Israel, should be taken to heart by the Israel of God now—the Israel according to the Spirit. All should strive to remain under the influence and the effect of God’s grace, as it is represented in the blood of deliverance, the blood of redemption—the blood of the antitypical Passover Lamb sacrificed for us.
While the whole nation of Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage in the morning following the passing over of the Death Angel, it should be noted that the lamb was particularly slain only for the firstborns. They were the only ones in immediate danger of death. However, the blood which caused the passing over of the Angel of Death so that the firstborns might be saved was also that which brought about the release of all Israel in the morning. What a picture! In anti-type, Jesus is the true Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world; but first, the church of the firstborns are delivered through the blood, and, in association with Christ in the Kingdom, will share in the work of bringing deliverance to all mankind. It is for this manifestation of the sons of God that the whole creation now groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.—Romans 8:19-22