09. · II. THE WORD: ITS ONE GREAT SUBJECT

RUTH reveals the type of our Kinsman-Redeemer, the true Boaz; and the question of ch. ii. 10 is answered in Prov. xi. 15.

SAMUEL reveals the "sufferings" and rejection of David, who became a "Saviour" and a "Captain" of his followers (1 Sam. xxii. 1, 2), foreshadowing David's Son and David's Lord, "the Root and the Offspring of David" (Rev. xxii. 16).

KINGS shows us the "glory which should follow," and the "greater than Solomon" (Matt. xii. 42); the "greater than the Temple" (Matt. xii. 6), where everything speaks of His glory (Ps. xxix. 9 and margin).

CHRONICLES reveals Christ as "the King's Son," rescued "from among the dead," hidden in the House of God, to be manifested in due time, "as Jehovah hath said" (2 Chron. xxii. 10--xxiii. 3).

EZRA speaks of "a nail in a sure place" (ch. ix. 8), which according to Isa. xxii. 23 is used of Eliakim, who typifies Christ.

NEHEMIAH tells of the "bread from Heaven" and "water out of the Rock" (ch. ix. 15, 20), which are elsewhere used as typical of Christ (John vi. 57, 58. 1 Cor. x. 4).

ESTHER sees the seed preserved which should in the fulness of time be born into the world. His name is there, though concealed, but His will and power is manifested in defeating all enemies in spite of the unalterable law of the Medes and Persians.

JOB reveals Him as his "Daysman" or "Mediator" (ch. ix. 33); and as his "Redeemer" coming again to the earth (ch. xix. 25--27).

THE PSALMS are full of Christ. We see His humiliation and sufferings and death (Ps. xxii.), His Resurrection (Ps. xvi.), His anointing as Prophet with grace-filled lips (Ps. xlv. Luke iv. 22); as Priest after the order of Melchisedec (Ps. cx. Heb. v. 6; vi. 20; vii. 17, 21); as King enthroned over all (Ps. ii.), and His kingdom established in the earth (Ps. ciii.; cxlv., &c.).

PROVERBS reveals Christ as the "Wisdom of God" (ch. viii. 1 Cor. i. 24); the "Path" and "Light" of His

1 See The Name of Jehovah in the Book of Esther, in Four Acrostics, by the same author and publisher.

ii. CHRIST IN THE SEPARATE BOOKS

People (ch. iv. 18); the "Surety" who smarted for His people while strangers (ch. xi. 15. Rom. v. 8-10. Eph. ii. 12. 1 Pet. ii. 11); the "strong tower" into which the righteous run and are safe (ch. xviii. 10); the friend who loveth at all times, and the brother born for adversity (ch. xvii. 17).

ECCLESIASTES tells of the "one among a thousand" in the midst of all that is vanity and vexation of spirit (ch. vii. 28).

THE SONG OF SONGS reveals Him as the true and faithful Shepherd, Lover, and Bridegroom of the Bride, who remained constant to Him in spite of all the royal grandeur and coarser blandishments of Solomon.

ISAIAH is full of the sufferings and glories of Christ. He is the "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (ch. liii. 5); wounded for our transgressions, oppressed, afflicted, and brought as a lamb to the slaughter; cut off out of the land of the living (ch. liii. 2-9). Yet the glory shall follow. "He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied" (ch. liii. 11). He will be His people's "Light" (ch. ix. 1, 2. Matt. iv. 16); "The Mighty God" (ch. ix. 6. Matt. xxviii. 18); Salvation's Well (ch. xii. 3); the King who shall "reign in righteousness" (ch. xxxii. 1, 2); Jehovah's Branch, beautiful and glorious (ch. iv. 2).

JEREMIAH tells of "the Righteous Branch," and "Jehovah our Righteousness" (ch. xxiii. 5, 6); of the "Righteous Branch" and King who shall reign and prosper (ch. xxxiii. 15).

EZEKIEL reveals Him as the true Shepherd (ch. xxxiv. 23), and as "the Prince" (ch. xxxvii. 25); the "Plant of Renown" (ch. xxxiv. 29), and "Jehovah Shammah" (ch. xlviii. 35).

DANIEL reveals Him as the "Stone" become the Head of the corner (ch. ii. 34. Ps. cxviii. 22. Isa. viii. 14. xxviii. 16. Matt. xxi. 42, 44. Acts iv. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 4, 6). Also as the Son of Man (ch. vii. 13, 16); and "Messiah the Prince" (ch. ix. 24).

He is HOSEA'S true David (iii. 5), the Son out of Egypt (xi. 1);

JOEL'S "God dwelling in Zion" (ch. iii. 17);

AMOS'S Raiser of David's Tabernacle (ch. ix. 11; Acts xv. 16, 17);

41. THE WORD: ITS ONE GREAT SUBJECT

OBADIAH'S "Deliverer on Mount Zion" (r. 17);

JONAH'S "Salvation" (ch. ii. 9); the "Sign" of Christ's resurrection (Matt. xii. 39-41);

MICAH'S "Breaker," "King" and "Lord" (ch. ii. 13; v. 2,5);

NAHUM'S "Stronghold in Trouble" (ch. i. 7);

HABAKKUK'S "Joy" and "Confidence" (ch. iii. 17, 18);

ZEPHANIAH'S "Mighty God in the midst of Zion" (ch. iii. 17);

HAGGAT'S "Desire of all nations" (ch. ii. 7);

ZECHARIAH'S Smitten Shepherd; The Man, Jehovah's Fellow (ch. xiii. 7); Jehovah's "Servant the Branch" (ch. iii. 8); "the Man whose name is the Branch" (ch. vi. 12);

MALACHI'S "Messenger of the Covenant" (ch. iii. 1); the Refiner of the Sons of Levi (ch. iii. 3); "The Sun of Righteousness" (ch. iv. 2).

Thus, the "Word" of God has one great subject.

That one great all-pervading subject is Christ; and all else stands in relation to Him. He is "the beginning and the ending" of Scripture, as of all beside.

Hence, the Word of God, at its ending, shows how the beginning all works out; and how, that to which we are introduced in Genesis is completed in Revelation.

Satan's first rebellion is implied between the first and second verses of the first chapter of Genesis, and his final rebellion is seen in Rev. xx. 7-9. His doom is pronounced in Gen. iii. 15, and is accomplished in Rev. xx. 10.

We have the primal Creation, "the world that then was," in Gen. i. 1 (2 Pet. iii. 6). "The Heavens and the Earth which are now" in Gen. i. 2, etc. (2 Pet. iii. 7). And "The New Heavens and the New Earth" in Rev. xxi. 1 (2 Pet. iii. 13).

We have "night" in Gen. i. 1; and see "no night there" in Rev. xxii. 5.

We have the "sea" in Gen. i. 10; and "no more sea" in Rev. xxi. 1.

We have the "sun and moon" in Gen. i. 16, 17; and "no need of the sun or the moon" in Rev. xxi. 23; xxii. 5.

ii. CHRIST IN THE SEPARATE BOOKS

We have the entrance of sorrow and suffering and death in Gen. iii. 16, 17; and "no more death, neither sorrow nor crying" in Rev. xxi. 4.

We have the "curse" pronounced in Gen. iii. 17; and "no more curse" in Rev. xxii. 3.

We have banishment from Paradise and the Tree of Life in Gen. iii. 22-24; and the welcome back and "right to it" in Rev. xxii. 2.

This will be sufficient¹ to show the unity of the "Word" as a whole; and to stimulate Bible students to a further study of it on the line of this great fundamental principle.

¹ More instances will be found in The Apocalypse; or, the Day of the Lord, by the same author and publisher, pp. 58, 64.

III. THE ONE GREAT REQUIREMENT OF THE WORD:—"RIGHTLY DIVIDING" IT.

The one great requirement of the Word is grounded on the fact that it is "the Word of truth." And this fact is so stated as to imply that, unless the Word is thus rightly divided we shall not get "truth"; and that we shall get its truth only in proportion to the measure in which we divide it rightly.

The Requirement is thus stated in 2 Tim. ii. 15: "Give diligence to present thyself approved to God, a workman having no cause to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."

The word in question here is ὀρδοτομοῦντα (orthotomounta).¹

As this word occurs in no Greek writer, or even elsewhere in the New Testament, we can get little or no help from outside, and are confined to Biblical usage.

It is used twice in the Septuagint for the Hebrew יָשַׁר (yāshar), to be right, or straight. In Prov. iii. 6; xi. 5, the Hebrew is Piel (or causative), to make right (as in 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. Prov. xv. 21. Isa. xl. 3; xlv. 2, 13).

But it is the Greek word that we have to do with here, in 2 Tim. ii. 15; and we cannot get away from the fact that τέμνω (temnō) means to cut; or, from the fact that we cannot cut without dividing. To divide belongs to the very nature of the act of cutting. Even as applied to directing one's way, it implies that we divide off one way from others—because we desire to follow the right way and avoid the wrong.

The only Biblical guide we have to the usage of the word is in Prov. iii. 6:

"In all thy ways acknowledge him

And he shall direct thy paths."

In the margin the R.V. gives, "make straight or plain" as an alternative rendering for "direct." But our ways can only be made straight or plain by God's causing

¹ From ὁρδος (orthos), right, and τέμνω (temno), to cut.