i. Self-Surrender in the OT.— (a) This is an important element of the Hebrew faith in its various phases. In the patriarchal history it appears in the submission and obedience of Abraham and his family in leaving Ur of the Chaldees and migrating to an unknown land where they must live a no- madic life in response to the call of God ((4n I'2'"°), and in the subsequent conduct of I.saac (2t;''*) and Jacob (28'""-). In the prophets it is apparent as the very foundation of their work and mission. The prophet is not an involuntary instrument in the hands of God through whom the Divine will is declared. Before he receives his message he sur- renders himself to the call of God ; he must be a ' man of God ' if he is to be a ' seer.' Moses sur- renders his prospects at the court of Pharaoh in the passion of patriotism ; and later, receiving his call at the buniin'C bush, gives himself up to the service of God as His ambassador to Pharaoh. A spirit of complete self-surrender is seen later in his willingness to be blotted out of God's book that the ollending peoi)le might be forj,'iven (Ex 3'2'^). Kuth's devotion to her mother-in-law, though issuing in a great act of .self-surrender (Kii I"'-"), has only a secoiulary bearing on the giving up of self to (Jod. Samuel is dedicated to God from his birth by his mother (IS 1"), and his subsequent career shows that he confirmed this dedication by his own conduct. Elijah throughout his adven- turous career manifests a life completely given up to the service of God in face of the greatest dangers. Elisha, responding to the call of the older prophet, takes solemn farewell of his parents and the circle of his friends at a final feast (1 K 19^'), which may have furnished Levi the publican with the precedent for his similar action (Lk S-"-'). Amos leaves his herds and his orchards to go as God's messenger to the dissolute court of Jeroboam II. at Bethel. But the typical act of prophetic self -surrender is seen in the case of Isaiah, who gives us a full account of God's call and liis response in a vision at the temple (Is 0). Jeremiah, shrinking from the diflicult task laid on him, but going to it with the supreme courage of a naturally timorous man who is braced to face danger by a strong sense of duty and a full faith in God, lives his martyr lifi' in the spirit of entire self-sacritice.
(6) When we turn from the history to the teach- ing of the OT, we find that this supremo act of religion is repeatedly insisted on. 'The prophets call uiKjn the people to give themselves up to God- Hosea invites the unfaithful to return (Hos 14'' '•') Isaiah, denouncing the sin of Jenisalem as unfaith fnluess and rebellion (1'"'^), calls the people back
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to their loyalty, and promises a redemption that implies a return to Goa iu the spirit of submission (v.'-'). Early in the Captivity, Ezekiel sketches the ideal of a restored nation fully devoted to God, and in Deutero-Isaiah the restored Israel appears as a people given up to the service of God. The completed Pentateuch gives a large place to the i<lea of self-surrender on the part of the Jewish people. The whole nation is lioly, i.e. set apart for God {e.a. Ex 19» 22^'). The Levites and the priests are dedicated to God in an especial way for the performance of specific functions, but not to the exclusion of the self-dedication of the laity. Thus the people generally are expected to ' sanc- tify ' themselves and to be ' holy ' {e.g. Lv 20'). Among the sacrifices the bumt-otfering (6lah, i.e. ' that which goes up') was especially significant of the self-surrender of the man who offered it. This was entirely consumed on the altar (therefore thought of as a ' whole oft'ering'), while other sacrifices were eaten in whole or in part by the priests and the worshippers. As the smoke as- cended to lieaven the essence of the Wctim was supposed to pass up to Jehovah, and represented the oii'erer, who was thus supposed to give himself up to God under the symbol of his sacrifice (see Bennett, Theol. of OT, pp. 148, 149, and art. Sacrifice).
ii. Self-surrender in the NT.— (a) This is first presented to us in the life of Jesus Christ, whose whole course consists in the abandonment of self and self-interest In order to do the will of God ; which is summarized in sayings reported in the Fourth Gospel, ' My meat is to do tlie will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work ' (Jn 4**); ' I came down from heaven not to do mine own viil, but the wUl of him that sent me ' ((i^'), and described in Hebrews by the ajiplication to Christ of Ps 40* ' Lo, I am come to do thy will ' (He 10'). The agony in the garden reveals the spirit of perfect self -surrender under the severest trial when our Lord cries, 'Howbeit, not what I will, but what thou wilt' (Mk 14**), and the endurance of the passion consummated in the crucifixion completes the sacrifice.