The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 24

prophett: and Moses did say Bbould oome : tl11tt Christ should suffer, and that he should be t,be fi~t that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and w the Gentile..," Add to these the many instances in which the writers of the New Teslllment declare the gospel to be the fulfilment of Old 'l'est&ment prophecy, nnd it becomes apparent that the Founder and first preaohers of Christianity all claim thab the Hebrew Scriptures testified beforehand to their glorious theme. Il. THE KEN BY WHOM THE GOSPEL WAS FORETOLD WERE GoD1B PBOPIIETB, They were so oa.lled because they uttered forth, s.s bis representatives, the mind and will of God. And they fulfilled this office, not only with a view to the time then present, it.I circumstances and duties, but with a view to a time to come. Thus prophecy and prediction were closely linked together. With God is neither past, present, nor future. The promise was first made to our first parents, and through .Adam to his posterity. The l!88d. of the wom.&n should bruise the serpent's head. .Abraham, in whom the human race t.ook a new departure, was assured that in hie seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. This declaration, made to the father of the faithful, was believed by him, and his faith was accounted as righteousness. Through him it became the property of his desoendant.s; for it was evidently so understood by Jacob. To Moses the promise was given, and by him it was recorded, that God should raise up a prophet like unto himself. But Moses prophesied of Christ rather in the ordinances he iastitut.ed than in the words he uttered. The sacrifices especially of the Jewish dispensation were an earnest of him who in due time should die for the ungodly. In the Psalms of Damd are several passages in which the Holy Spirit s.ssured to the lsraelitish monarch a successor to more than his own dignity and dominion. Isaiah spoke of a sulfering and victorioUB Messiah. And others of the goodly fellowship, especia.lly Jeremiah, Zechariah, Malachi, and Daniel, announced beforehand the advent or Israel's and the world's Deliverer. Ill. TEE 5CRIPrURES WJm.E THE BECOBD IN WHICH THE PROMISE OJ!' THE GOSPEL wA.S PRESERVED. Admire the wisdom of God manifested in this provision. Men have sneered &ta "book-revelation;" but it should be remembered that the only alternative to this, so far 11S we can see, was tradition-shifting, untrustworthy tradition. The Hebrews valuea their sacred writings, and they had good reason for doing so. The Lord Jesus bade his opponents" search the Scriptures," knowing that these testified of him. The apostles always appealed, when reasoning with the Jews; to the books they justly deemed inspired. These books contained a treasure which those who knew only their letter, not their spirit, often failed to discern and value. "Holy," because inspired by the Holy Ghost; because written by the pens of holy men; _because con- taining holy doctrine ; because tending to foster a holy character and hfe, to leaven society with holy doctrines and principles. Above all, holy because witnessing to him who was the" Holy One and the Just," God's" holy Child Jesus," The Scrip- ~es are the casket, and Christ the Divine Jewel within. IV. CoxsmEB THE PURPOSES FOB wmcm: THE GQBPEL WAS THUS FORETOLD AND PUBLI6HED, with growing clearness in the centuries before the coming of the Christ. There wa..s Divine reason in this arrangement; and Paul saw this to be so, or he would not have put this forward in the forefront of this document. Observe these three evident intentions. L Thus the hopes of God's people were BUBtained. How needful must express promises have been to the godly who lived in the twilight of Judaism, sur- rounded by the dark night of heathenism I Often must their hearts have sunk within them, only to be revived by the gracious declarations of the universal Lord and King. 2. Thus were displayed the wisdom and the benevolence of God. He would be known, not only as the moral Ruler, but as the gracious Saviour, of mankind. The glowing lan.:,ITll&ge of inspired prophets depicted the attributes of the great Redeemer in 811Ch wlourB as to inspire the nation with a. lively and a blessed hope. 8. ThUB was pro- Yision made for e&tablishing the credibility and authority of the gospel, when revealed. Much that was written aforetime could not at that period be fully understood. These things were written, not for those who then lived, but for us. Looking upon the pro- 1,hecy, and then upon the fulfilmwt, recognizing the wonderful correspondence, we ace the presenCf. of the r;a.me God in the old covenant, and in that new covenant which is tD truth more ancient tl,o.u the old. .&l'l'LlCATION. 'l'he grc:a.t practical lesson conveyed in this passage is obvious enougb. oa,L 1-82.J THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 17