Alice M. Hodgkin - Christ in All the Scriptures

MAGISTERIUM PRESS

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Copyright 2015 by Alice M. Hodgkin

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Christ in All the Scriptures

By

Alice M. Hodgkin

Christ in All the Scriptures

Published by Magisterium Press

New York City, NY

First published 1909

Copyright Magisterium Press, 2015

All rights reserved

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

About Magisterium Press

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On the glorious resurrection morning Mary went to seek for Jesus. She sought Him in the tomb, but He stood beside her. She thought He was the gardener, but the one word Mary revealed to her her Saviour.

As we read some passage in the Old Testament how often our eyes are holden, and we see only the earthly form: we see Aaron the priest, or David the shepherd, or Solomon the king; but if, like Mary, we are really seeking the Lord Jesus, He manifests Himself to us through the outward type, and we turn in glad surprise, and, looking up, say, Rabboni (lit. my great One).

As we continue to seek, we find Him in the least expected places of the Old Testament, until the whole grows luminous with the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In the volume of the book it is written of Me. All the lines of history and type, of Psalm and prophecy, converge towards one centreJesus Christ, and to one supreme event. His death on the Cross for our salvation. And from that centre again all the lines of history in the book of Acts, of experience in the Epistles, and of prophecy in Revelation radiate out once more to testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

After His resurrection our Lord not only opened the Scriptures to His disciples, but also opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. He is ready to do the same for us. The same Holy Spirit who moved holy men of old to write the Scriptures, is close at hand to make the words life to our souls, by taking of the things of Christ and revealing them unto us.

Of the books of the New Testament only a brief summary is here given, partly because they are so much more studied, partly because to treat of them at any adequate length would swell this book beyond the limits of a single volume, and still more because the chief aim of the present Studies is to show that Christ is the Key to the Old Testament Scriptures. To encourage others to seek Him for themselves, under the guidance of the Spirit, in the pages of Holy Scripture, is the object of this book.

I would here gratefully acknowledge the help of Fielden Thorp, B.A., and the Rev. James Neil, M.A., in revision, and of other friends in various ways.

A. M. HODGKIN.

Reigate , September 1908.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

To all who have so kindly helped in the circulation of this book as to make a Third Edition necessary, I desire to express my thanks.

It is a privilege to have been brought into touch with a wide circle of friends bound together by the attraction of the same common Centre. Unto you therefore which believe. He is precious.

A. M. H.

September 1909.

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The Testimony of Christ to the Scriptures

Abraham rejoiced to see My day. Moses wrote of Me. David called [Me] Lord (John viii. 56, v. 46; Matt. xxii. 45). We have in these words of our Saviour abundant authority for seeking Him in the Old Testament, and also a confirmation of the truth of the Scriptures themselves. To those of us who believe in Christ as truly God, as well as truly Man, His word on these matters is authoritative. He would not have said, Abraham rejoiced to see My day, if Abraham had been a mythological character; He would not have said, Moses wrote of Me, if the Books of Moses had been written hundreds of years later; nor would He have quoted from the 110th Psalm to prove that David called Him Lord, if that Psalm had not been written till the time of the Maccabees.

With regard to our Lords reference to the Books of Moses, the testimony is peculiarly emphatic. It was no mere passing reference to them. The whole force of the argument again and again lies in the fact that He regarded Moses, not as a mere title by which certain books were known, but as personally the actor in the history which they record and the author of the legislation which they contain. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? (John vii. 19). Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words? (John v. 46, 47). He condemned the traditions with which the Pharisees overlaid the laws and teaching of Moses as making the word of God of none effect (Mark vii. 13). To the leper He said, Go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded (Matt. viii. 4). That command of Moses is found in the very heart of the priestly code which some would have us believe was framed centuries after the days of Moses.

From a careful study of the Gospels we cannot fail to see that the Old Testament Scriptures were continually upon Christs lips because always hidden in His heart. In the temptation in the wilderness He defeated the devil, not with any manifestation of His Divine glory, not by a power which we cannot wield, not even by His own words; but He fell back upon written words which had strengthened the saints of many ages, thus showing us how we also may meet and foil our great adversary. It is specially helpful to note that it is out of Deuteronomy that our Lord selects, as pebbles from the clear brook, His three conclusive answers to the tempter (Deut. viii. 3, vi. 13, 14, vi. 16). For we have been told that this Book of Deuteronomy is a pious forgery of the time of Josiah, purporting to be written by Moses to give it greater weight in bringing about the much -needed reforms. Would our Lordwho is Himself the Truthhave thus countenanced a book full of untruths, and have used it in the critical moment of His conflict with the devil? And would not the father of lies have known perfectly well if the book had been a forgery?

When Christ commenced His public ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth with the words of Isaiah, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, He said, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears (Luke iv. 17-21). In the Sermon on the Mount our Lord said, Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you. Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matt. v. 17-19).