2. But because Moses was the rejjresentative of the Old Dispensation, Jesus and the NT writers thought of him as something more. He was an historical personage of such unique prominence in Israel's history, that his whole career affords parallels to spiritual factors in the New Covenant. The history of the old Israel repeats itself in that of the new. To say this is not to affirm that the OT writers had the slightest idea that the events which they described were one day to receive a spiritual fulfilment. The mind of God alone knew it, when He guided the events and inspired the writings.
The series of Mosaic events which NT writers cite as affording points of comparison with things spiritual, form an extremely interesting studj% since they cover so many of the distinctive features of the New Dispensation, and illustrate in a striking manner the essential unity of the ' Divine Library.'
(a) 2 Co 3'7-i8. The centre of Christianity is the Incarnation — the dwelling of God's glory among men in the Person of Jesus Christ (Jn 114). And St. Paul argues that the ' glory ' upon Moses' face,* which accompanied his reception of the Law, was so great that the Israelites could not bear to gaze upon it, although that law was merel.y a ministration of death, and of condemnation : much more will the ministration of the spirit, and of righteousness, be of surpassing glory. Again, Moses realized that the ' glory ' on his face was transitory, and so he could not boldly leave his face uncovered. And the veil which he wore still lies, spiritually speaking, on the hearts of the Jewish nation, and will not be removed till they ' turn to the Lord,' as Moses used to remove it when he returned to the Divine presence. But we Christians can speak boldly, and with un\'eiled face can reflect the glorj' of the Lord. If we are told that our gospel is obscure and hidden by a veil, it is only so in the case of those who are spiritually perishing. It is they who have been blinded by the ' god of tliis age,' to prevent the ' glory of God,' which is, in fact, the Incarnate Christ, from dawning upon them.
(6) Jn 31-*. The Incarnation had its issue in the Passion. The connexion of this verse with v.'^ by the opening 'and,' and the repetition of the title 'Son of Man,' express this thought (see Westcott, in Inc.). The difficulties in arriving at the ideas attached to the brazen serpent in the original story (Nu 217-s*), and of our Lord's application of it, are great. Patristic writers deal with it in a variety of ways — some of them deeply suggestive (see Westcott, p. 63 ff.)." Two points stand out clearly — the lifting up of the Son of Man upon the Cross, and the spiritual healing of those who look up with faith to Him. But two others suggest themselves, though we cannot esti- mate the exact part which they played in our Lord's thought. (l)The sei-pent on the pole symbolized the evil from which the people had suffered ; and Christ identified Himself with sinful humanity so completely, that when He was crucified He took sin ' out of the wav, nailing it to his cross ' (Col 2i-», cf. Gal 31-*, IP 2-24, with RViii). (2) The word 'be lifted up' ((j-^aKvxi,
* His use of the narrative is rendered easier by the LXX, which renders y\p (' shone ') by iiSoia.(TTa.i and liiolairfj,ivvi (Ex
34291.).
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exaltari) is applied elsewhere, not only to the Passion (Jn S** 12"--*i), but also to the Ascension (Ac 2^* 5-*i, cf. Ph 2'^ Cth- v-4-aw£»). Christ ' rei'o'ned from the Tree ' in the supreme moment of victory, but that was only the first stage in a triumphal progress upwards.
(c) Jn 1936. Christ's death and the shedding of His blood procured atonement This, in the minds of all Christians, has its counterpart in the Passover (He ll'-*^). St. John traces a fulfilment of a particular detail in the fact that no bone of our Lord's body was broken. And see 1 Co 5"'-.
((f) Christ's sacrifice is more clearly connected with the cove- nant sacrifice at Horeb (Ex 2*-'-*). Our Lord explicitly refers to it in the words of the institution of the Eucharist (Mt 2&^, Mk 14H Lk •22->o, ICo 1125; gee also He 9is-a>, IP l^, with Hort's note).
(e) He 121*-''^. Though pleadhig in heaven, Christ is still pre- sent among men ; He is still incarnate ; hence the existence ot the Church which is His Body. In these verses the position and condition of the Church under the Xew Covenant is con- trasted with that of the Israehtes at Sinai, the characteristics of the two covenants being summed up in the words " terror ' and ' grace '(cf. Keble's ChriMian Year, ' Whitsunday').
(/) 1 Co 102. Sacramental incorporation into Christ's Divine life had its countei-part in the old Jewish Church ; all the Israel- ites were ' baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.'
Jn 630-35 41-5S. By the other great sacrament, the Divine life is fed and nourished in the members of the Church. Our Lord teaches that ' it was not Moses, but God revealing Himself through Jloses, who gave the manna ; and again the manna — the perishable bread — was not in the highest sense "bread from heaven," but rather the symbol of spiritual food.' [It is not here asserted that our Lord's discourse had reference exclusively to the Sacrament of the Holy Communion, which He was after- wards to institute. But it must have been impossible for St. John— and it is impossible for us — having heard the words spoken at the Last Supper, not to see in the present passage their fuUest and deepest application].