To whom did the heathen sacrifice their children?¶ 89.
What has been Satan's purpose in teaching the false religion?¶ 89.
What punishment has God fixed for the willfully wicked? Give Scriptural proof.¶ 90.
What is man's duty toward God and toward his fellow men in regard to teaching the doctrine of eternal torment?¶ 91.
How are we affected by a proper understanding of the manifestation of divine justice?¶ 91.
WITHOUT THE GATES
Alas! how changed from bowers of Paradise
That desolate region, overgrown with thorn
And thistle rank—a trackless waste forlorn,
Unblessed by God, o'erarched by sullen skies,
There stand that guilty pair, now sadly wise,
Their hearts with grief, their feet with briers torn,
Vainly their faded innocence they mourn,
And toward the gates of Eden turn their eyes.
No more to see the beauty and the bloom
Of that blest garden was to sinners given;
To weep and labor wearily their doom,
Out of God's holy, blissful presence driven,
Till through life's sorrows, and death's dust and gloom,
By woman's promised seed they're blest of heaven.
—Pollok.
[92]Some time after Adam and Eve were driven from Eden children were born to them, who grew to the estate of manhood and womanhood and they in turn had children. Cain obtained his wife by marrying his sister. Thus the peoples of earth gradually increased. They all wandered about in the earth, earning their bread in the sweat of their face. Some of these children were bad and some were good. God showed his favor to the good, as he always favors those who are good. Satan exercised his wicked influence amongst the people and most of them turned to evil.
[93]Noah was a good man and he and the members of his family served the Lord Jehovah. Sixteen hundred years and more passed from the time of the judgment in Eden (during which time the people became very wicked) and there was great violence in the earth. God purposed to destroy all the wicked of earth; so he directed Noah to build an ark and to take into the ark the members of his family; and this done, a great flood of waters came upon the earth and all living creatures were destroyed except those in the ark. There were only eight persons left on the earth after the flood. (Genesis 7:21-23; 1 Peter 3:20) Noah and his sons begat children and the peoples of earth again increased. Amongst them were some good and some bad. Amongst those who tried to do the will of God was a man named Abram, which name was later changed to Abraham. He is spoken of in the Scriptures as the friend of God. Abraham's wife was named Sarah.
[94]When Abraham was 75 years of age, Jehovah said to him: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed". (Genesis 12:1-3) Abraham with his wife and others left Haran for the land of Canaan. When they had reached a point in that land known as Sichem, the Lord appeared unto him and said: "Unto thy seed will I give this land". Abraham builded an altar there, and the place has since been known as Bethel, which means the house of God. Afterward Abraham dwelt in the plains of Mamre, which is just above the present site of Hebron in the southern part of Palestine. While there, God made a covenant with him, saying: "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates".—Genesis 15:18.
[95]Thereafter, when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared unto him and said: "I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly, ... and thou shalt be a father of many nations. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17:2,4,8) Some time later, when Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent, which was pitched in the plains of Mamre, there stood before him three men, messengers from Jehovah. In the plains of Mamre, a short distance above the town of Hebron, still stands a very ancient oak tree. It is about thirty feet in circumference. It is claimed that this is Abraham's oak, where he pitched his tent at the time these holy messengers appeared to him. Of course we cannot believe this is true, because an oak would not live that length of time. It is interesting, however, to note this ancient tree standing approximately at the point where Abraham is supposed to have resided in his tent. Here it was that Abraham prepared refreshments for his distinguished visitors; and "he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat". Here it was that the messenger of Jehovah told Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would be given a son.—Genesis 18:1-14.
[96]In due time a son was born unto Abraham and Sarah and his name was called Isaac. (Genesis 21:1-3) Afterward, when the son Isaac had grown up, Jehovah put Abraham to a great test, and in doing so he made a picture which foreshadowed the redemption of the human race. This record appears in the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. God said unto Abraham: "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of". (Genesis 22:2) It is interesting here to note that Mount Moriah is inside of the walls of the present city of Jerusalem. It was the site of the temple of Solomon, and supposed to be the very spot where Abraham was met by Melchizedek. It is the place where Abraham was directed to offer and did offer up his son Isaac.
[97]Providing himself with wood to be used for the fire, Abraham and his son and servants journeyed for three days from the plains of Mamre to Moriah; and arriving there, he at once prepared for the burnt-offering. Isaac was not aware of the purpose of his father to offer him; so he said to his father: "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering." Abraham then informed his son that he was to be the offering. Then he bound Isaac and laid him upon the altar and stretched forth his hand and took the knife with which to slay his son. This was a great test to Abraham's faith. Isaac was his only son and he loved him dearly; but Jehovah had commanded him to offer him up as a sacrifice, and because of his love for Jehovah he proceeded to obey God's command. As he raised his hand to strike dead his only beloved son, "the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me". When Abraham looked he saw a ram caught in a thicket nearby and he took the ram and offered it for a burnt-offering.
[98]Then "the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."—Genesis 22:15-18.
[99]In this wonderful picture Abraham was a type of Jehovah, while Isaac was a type of Jesus, the beloved Son of Jehovah. Abraham's offering his beloved son on the altar, pictured how God in due time would offer his only beloved Son as a great sacrifice that mankind might be redeemed from death and have an opportunity to live. Abraham did not, as indeed he could not, understand God's purposes, for the reason that Jehovah did not reveal them to him; but he knew that God had here made a covenant with him and bound it with his oath; and that by these two certain and unchangeable things, his word and his oath, God would carry out his covenant in due time, and that covenant would result in the blessing of all the families and nations of earth.
[100]The word covenant means contract; and it is the solemn form for expressing a compact, agreement, or contract between parties, or particularly on the part of one whereby he promises to do a certain thing. With Jehovah a covenant or a contract is sacred and inviolate, because Jehovah changes not. (Malachi 3:6) Having promised it, he will fulfill it. (Hebrews 6:18) It is always necessary that there be two parties to a contract. There may be more. Where one party only is bound to do a certain thing that contract is called unilateral, or one-sided; and where both parties are bound to perform certain things, the contract is called bilateral, or two-sided.
[101]It will be observed that this oathbound covenant that Jehovah made with Abraham contained no conditions or limitations, but was merely a promise of Jehovah bound by his oath, and is therefore properly called a unilateral or one-sided covenant; for the reason that God's purpose was and is to carry out his plan to bless the human race, regardless of what any one may or may not do. There was no need for him to make any conditions to the covenant. He merely announced his benevolent purpose toward mankind. The covenant does not even say that the blessing of the people will follow upon the condition that Abraham should do a certain thing, or that the people should seek him. The covenant does not say that every person will be blessed with life everlasting; but it does say that all the families of the earth shall be blessed, which means that every one must in God's due time have a full, fair opportunity for life everlasting. It means, furthermore, that in God's due time knowledge will be brought to all in order that every one may avail himself of the opportunity thus provided for life. It means, furthermore, that assistance will be given to every one, that he may profit by this blessed opportunity; and all who prove their loyalty under the test that will come by reason of the opportunity will be granted life everlasting.
How was the earth originally peopled?
¶ 92
.
Where did Cain get his wife?¶ 92.
To whom does Jehovah show his favor?¶ 92.
What effect does Satan's influence have on the people?¶ 92.
What kind of man was Noah? and whom did he serve?¶ 93.
Why did Jehovah direct Noah to build the ark?¶ 93.
How many persons escaped destruction at the time of the flood? and who were they?¶ 93.
How was the earth peopled after the flood?¶ 93.
What man is mentioned in the Scriptures as the friend of God? and what was the name of his wife?¶ 94.
What was the age of Abraham when God spoke to him? and what did Jehovah say?¶ 94.
What was Abraham's native land? and to what land did he go in obedience to God's command? ¶ 94.
At what places did Abraham stop in Canaan that are specially mentioned in the Bible?¶ 94.
What promise did God make to Abraham at Bethel? and what promise did he make while Abraham dwelt in the plains of Mamre?¶ 94.
Describe the place of Abraham's residence at the time Jehovah promised him a son. Quote the Scriptural account.¶ 95.
How many sons did Abraham have by his wife Sarah? Give Scriptural proof.¶ 96.
To what special test did God put Abraham with reference to his son Isaac?¶ 96.
Describe in detail the offering of Isaac.¶ 97.
Repeat God's promise to Abraham at the time of his offering of Isaac.¶ 98.
Whom did Abraham typify in this offering? and of whom was Isaac a type?¶ 99.
What did the offering of Isaac picture?¶ 99.
Did Abraham understand the full meaning of God's promise?¶ 99.
What is the meaning of the word "covenant"?¶ 100.
How does God regard his covenants? Give Scriptural proof.¶ 100.
How many parties are required to make a covenant?¶ 100.
Where only one party is bound, what kind of covenant is it?¶ 100.
Where both parties are bound to perform certain things, then what do we call the covenant?¶ 100.
Why was God's covenant with Abraham a one-sided covenant?¶ 101.
What is the important statement of the Abrahamic covenant or promise?¶ 101.
Whom will the Abrahamic covenant ultimately affect?¶ 101.
"IS IT COME?";
Poet and seer that question caught,
Above the din of life's fears and frets;
It marched with letters, it toiled with thought,
Through schools and creeds which the earth forgets.
And statesmen trifle, and priests deceive,
And traders barter our world away;
Yet hearts to that golden promise cleave,
And still, at times, "Is it come?" they say.
The days of the nations bear no trace
Of all the sunshine so far foretold;
The cannon speaks in the teacher's place;
The age is weary with work and gold;
And high hopes wither, and memories wane;
On hearths and altars the fires are dead;
But that brave faith hath not lived in vain;
And this is all that our watcher said.
—Brown.
[102]It has pleased Jehovah to use men and women to picture or foreshadow various parts of his plan. For instance, Abraham at times pictures or represents God; while Sarah his wife was used to picture or typify God's covenant with Abraham through which he promised to bring forth the seed for the blessing of all the families of the earth. Sarah was the mother of Isaac, her only son. Isaac was used to typify or foreshadow Jesus, the son of God, the Redeemer of the world. Hagar had a son by Abraham, and Hagar typified or foreshadowed the law covenant, which was made by Jehovah with Moses as a mediator for the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. As Hagar was a bondwoman, the servant of Sarah, so was the law covenant one of bondage that brought forth no real blessings to the Jews; but it was made for the purpose of teaching the Jews their inability to lift themselves up to life and to show them the absolute necessity for a redeemer. After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham married Keturah and by her had many children; and Keturah is used as a type foreshadowing the new covenant that is to be made by Jehovah with Christ as the Mediator for the world of mankind, through which all will have an opportunity to gain life everlasting.
[103]The apostle Paul speaks of these figures or pictures relating to the covenants, as follows: "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." (Galatians 4:22-28) Isaac pictures the entire Christ, head and body—Jesus the Head, the church the body members.
[104]It is noted that God's covenant with Abraham stated that there would be an offspring or seed which would bless all the families of the earth. This seed is the Redeemer, Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world; and by adoption into the family of God the true Christians, the church, the members of Christ's body, become a part of that seed. "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."—Galatians 3:8,16.
[105]Before the blessing promised could come to the peoples of earth, the seed which was promised must first come. The Israelites, otherwise called Jews, therefore expected that one of the natural descendants of Abraham would become their king and that through that king and his kingdom all the nations of the earth would be blessed by receiving the benefits first given to them. For this reason the faithful Jews looked forward with great expectancy to the birth of the one who was to be their king. They based their hopes upon the repeated promise made by Jehovah. Without doubt it was thought by some that Isaac, the son of Abraham, would be the one through whom the blessing would come. "After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi." (Genesis 25:11) When Isaac was about sixty years old there were born to him and his wife Rebekah two sons, twins, who were named by them Esau and Jacob.—Genesis 25:26.
[106]Isaac then went to live in the land of the Philistines, and while there, God said to him: "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed". (Genesis 26:3,4) Thus the Abrahamic promise was renewed to Isaac. Before the death of Isaac, he pronounced his blessing upon his son Jacob, and Jacob thereby became the successor of his father to the Abrahamic promise.
[107]Under the rule of descent, the firstborn or eldest son was the heir of the father's estate and any other rights or privileges that went with that estate, unless for some cause there should be an exception to the rule. Esau having been born a few moments before his brother Jacob, under the operation of this rule would be the successor to the Abrahamic promise and heir to his father. His birthright, therefore, would include the promise made to Abraham. But the Lord clearly indicated that there should be an exception to the rule in this case and that Jacob should be the heir and not Esau. When it was known that the mother would bear two sons, and just before the time of their birth, Rebekah the mother inquired of the Lord concerning the expected children and the Lord said unto her that two sons would be born to her and that the elder should serve the younger. (Genesis 25:22,23) This definitely shows that it was God's purpose that Jacob, who was born last, should be the heir and successor to the Abrahamic promise.
[108]These two sons grew to manhood's estate. Esau became a great hunter and loved the outdoor sports; while Jacob was a plain man, remaining quietly at home. Esau showed that he did not appreciate the birthright, viz., the Abrahamic promise, even if it were his, which in fact it was not, since God had foreordained that it should belong to Jacob. Esau thought more of his own selfish, immediate comfort than anything that might come to him by reason of this promise. On one occasion he was in the field hunting. He returned hungry and faint. He found that Jacob had prepared a pot of lentils. When Esau smelled this appetizing food he said to Jacob: "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint". And Jacob said: "Sell me this day thy birthright". "And Esau said, Behold I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright." —Genesis 25:27-34.
[109]Genuine, real right and title to the birthright was now Jacob's for two good and sufficient reasons: (1) because it was so ordered by the Lord before his birth, as above stated; and (2) because he had bought it in an open and fair transaction with his brother Esau. These two brothers were not mere children at this time. They were past forty years of age (Genesis 26:34), both capable of entering into a contract; and they made a contract which was binding upon both.
[110]Notwithstanding these two good reasons why Jacob was justly entitled to the birthright, Esau attempted to deprive him of it. The birthright carried with it the privilege of the special blessing from their father. Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see; and he knew that the day of his death might be near. (Genesis 27:1,2) He directed his son Esau to go into the field and take some venison and bring it to him that he might eat; and give Esau his blessing.
[111]The Bible does not clearly show that Isaac knew God had foreordained that this birthright should belong to Jacob, nor that he knew Esau had sold it to Jacob; therefore we can excuse the old father for thinking it was his duty to bestow his blessing upon his son Esau. Rebekah the mother, however, knowing of both these reasons why Jacob was entitled to the birthright, knowing that Esau did not appreciate it, and knowing of his wrongful intent to deprive his brother Jacob of the privileges and blessings incident to the birthright, advised Jacob what to do in order to protect his own rightful and proper interests. The mother therefore was carrying out God's will in this respect. She was doing what all honest persons should do—try to protect the rights and privileges of those that are near and dear to them. She therefore directed Jacob to slay two kids of the goats and bring them to her and she prepared some savory meat; and then, in order that the blind father might not obstinately refuse to aid them in carrying out the divine purposes, and in order that he might think he was blessing Esau, the mother Rebekah fastened upon the arms of her son Jacob the skins of the kids and also put the skins about his neck that he would appear as a hairy man like unto his brother Esau.
[112]Jacob then came in before his father and presented the savory meat. His father kissed him and laid his hand upon him and gave to Jacob his blessing. The old father then spoke in prophetic phrase, evidently under the direction of the Lord, saying unto his son Jacob: "Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee".—Genesis 27:29.
[113]Almost immediately Esau returned from the field and found that Jacob had received his father's blessing and that he (Esau) had been unsuccessful in carrying out his purpose of defeating the open and fair transaction which he had made with Jacob when he had sold his birthright. He hated his brother Jacob and determined to kill him as soon as his father Isaac was dead.
[114]It seems rather strange that many Christian people have severely criticized Jacob and his mother Rebekah in this transaction. It has evidently been due to the fact that they were ignorant of the record. No part of Jacob's action in connection with the birthright is reprehensible. Everything with reference to Esau is reprehensible. God subsequently showed that Esau pictured the peoples of earth who are Christians in name only, but not in truth and in fact, who are hypocritical, and who persecute the true Christians; while Jacob pictured or foreshadowed the true followers of Christ who have been misrepresented and persecuted by the merely nominal Christians. God showed his approval of the conduct of Jacob and his mother Rebekah, and showed that it was his purpose and intention that Jacob should receive the blessing going with the birthright. Jacob had shown his great desire for the birthright, which was merely a promise; while Esau had despised it. Acting upon the advice of his mother, Jacob now fled from the wrath of Esau; and as he went away, he lay down and slept at a place situated north of the present site of Jerusalem and which afterward he named Bethel, which means the house of God. There he had a dream, in which God signified his approval of Jacob and pronounced a blessing upon him.
[115]"And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."—Genesis 28:11-15.
[116]Whom God approves and blesses all others should approve. We may be assured, then, that Jacob was blameless before Jehovah in this transaction. It shows how carefully Jehovah was guarding his promise and the seed which would spring from it ultimately and through which the families of the earth should be blessed.
[117]Some years later God showed his further favor to Jacob by changing his name from Jacob to Israel. The name Israel means,He will rule as God. "And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land." (Genesis 35:10-12) According to the promise given to Jacob at this time, a nation should spring forth of him.
[118]Jacob had twelve sons. There were born to him by his wife Leah the sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; and by his wife Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. His other sons were Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Jacob's wife Rachel was the most beloved by him, and she was the mother of his beloved son Joseph. After Jacob had been deprived of Joseph's presence and fellowship, he devoted his affections to Benjamin, the other son by his beloved wife Rachel. The Scriptures show that these two sons typified those who will be born on the spirit plane, Joseph being a type of the royal family of heaven; while Benjamin typified the great company or tribulation class born on a spirit plane lower than those possessing the divine nature.
[119]Jacob spent his last days with his family in Egypt. Just before his death he called before him his sons, that he might bestow upon them his last blessings. From this time forward dates the history of the nation of Israel. While pronouncing the blessing upon his various sons, he said concerning his son Judah: "Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." (Genesis 49:9,10) This prophetic promise definitely shows that the mighty one to come through whom the blessings of the people would flow must spring from the tribe of Judah, the word Shiloh being one of the titles applied to the great Prince of Peace, the Deliverer, the Savior of mankind.
[120]After the death of Jacob his offspring were known as the children of Israel, or Israelites. Joseph when a lad had been sold into Egypt, had grown to manhood, had become a mighty man and ruler in Egypt under the king, and was dwelling there in power and glory when his father Jacob and the other members of his family moved into Egypt to live. During the lifetime of Joseph the Israelites were well treated. After his death, however, a new king came to the throne of Egypt, who began to oppress and persecute the Israelites. God raised up Moses and used him to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt and the oppressive hand of Egypt's king.
[121]We incidentally remark that here are some other pictures foreshadowing portions of the divine plan. Egypt under the rule of a wicked king pictures or represents the world of mankind in darkness under the rule of the unrighteous one, Satan, who is the god of this world. The Israelites in Egypt picture the people of God and those who shall ultimately come into harmony with him; while Moses was a type foreshadowing the great Messiah, who is to deliver all mankind from the bondage of sin and death.
[122]Moses was a prophet of God and God spoke through Moses, using him as a mouthpiece or messenger. After the Lord had delivered the children of Israel from Egypt by the hand of Moses, he spoke through Moses, who prophesied unto Israel, saying: "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken". (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22) From that time forward the Israelites watched and waited for the coming of the great prophet, priest, and king who should be like unto Moses and of whom Moses was a picture or a type. They knew that such a one must come from the house of Judah, because God had promised as much. David was a direct descendant of Judah.—Luke 3:31-34.
[123]From time to time God's prophets gave utterance to words that kept alive in the minds of the Israelites the hope that God would send them a mighty one, through whom the promise made to Abraham would be fulfilled. In time this promise was specifically limited to the house of David, the Lord causing his prophet to write thus: "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."—Psalm 132:11,12.
[124]David himself was a prophet of Jehovah, and the Lord spoke through him with reference to the heir of the Abrahamic promise who should be king over Israel. "Then David the king stood upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel: and of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day,"—1 Chronicles 28:2-7.
[125]Thus far the divine record definitely establishes the fact that the great heir or king of Israel, the seed through which the blessings of God would be bestowed, must come through David's line; and that also it should come through Solomon, provided, of course, the conditions laid upon Solomon were fulfilled. In any event, it must come through David's line, and through his son Solomon provided Solomon met the requirements. We repeat the words for emphasis: "Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever,if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day". And then David said: "And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever". —1 Chronicles 28:9.
[126]The question is, Did Solomon receive the approval of the Lord? If so, the great Messiah must come through his line. If not, then he could not come through Solomon. This question is answered by the Scriptures, as follows: "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.... And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen,"—1 Kings 11:4,9-13.
[127]After Solomon's death the nation of Israel was divided. The last three kings of Solomon's line to rule over Israel were Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and Zedekiah. Zedekiah became a wicked ruler and of him it is recorded: "And thou, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [to] him." (Ezekiel 21:25-27) This shows a complete overthrowing of the line of Solomon and definitely settles the proposition that Messiah could not be counted through the line of Solomon, but must be some other way. Seemingly God's promise to bring the mighty deliverer through the line of David had failed, because of Solomon's failure. But not so. David had another son, whom the Lord used. Solomon's line had been exalted. Now this line must be abased, and the lower line must be exalted.
[128]The obscure line of David was his son Nathan. Mary the mother of Jesus was a direct descendant of Nathan of the house of David.
[129]Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah, as follows: "Behold the day is coming, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper.... In his day Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, Our Righteousness."—Jeremiah 23:5,6,Young.
[130]Mary, the mother-to-be of Jesus, was approached by the angel of the Lord, who said to her: "Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her: The holy spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."—Luke 1:30-35.
[131]Then Mary, seemingly directed by the power of Jehovah, said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." (Luke 1:46-52) Her words draw the contrast between the once favored family of Solomon and the humbler family of Nathan, Solomon's family being abased and Nathan's now exalted. Thus the proof is brought forth that the Lord did raise up unto David a righteous branch.