The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-02-27

"And He said unto him. Take Me a hofei
of three years old, and a she goat OF three
years old, and q ram of three years old
and a turtle dove and young pigeon"
Thus, seated opposite the altar we find
Abram waiting-a wonderful illustration
Of faith IN God. 10 Is still early IN the
morning, and the offerings are before Him
but God does not speak. Still Ahram be
lieves God, and lie counts il TO him for
blessing. There was no sign of the &c
Ceptance of the sacrifice such as one would
expect but he wavers not; his faith il
firm as the rocks around him. Sarah may
have rdiculed him, and the servants may
have looked at him curously, as III his
mind was wandering, but Abram waits on.
/ have no question but that one of the
greatest blessings Of his life came TO him
while he waited.
We all of as have had our hours of wait.
ing for the fuhlment of His promises. We
have had nights that have been seep.ess,
we have climbed the hill hundreds OF
times TO see IL there was cloud the size OF
a mans hand, giving us the token OF the
coming of victory, and the world has said
that all our faith and hope was in vain.
But not at all
This is when the spiritual life grows. II
is also the time when the unclean birds
come to discourage us and disturb us. Just
as they lowered about the offering OF
Abram, so they soar above us, seeking to
rob us Of the best things OF our life, of
al that would make life worth living. But
! it is a possible thing for us to drive them
al away, just as we find Abram did in the
text with which we started "And when
The fowls came down upon the carcasses,
/ Abram drove them away"
! These OFFERINGS are the same as those
/ 4 - No. .rI 80 40 bo4
| Ill together we have a perfect illustration
| IF the atonement of Jesus Christ. and Of
! The power OF His blood to make clean
! ihall not consider the offerings in their or
! der, but give them to you in this chapter
As they have impressed themselves upon
ny own mind.
"And he shall take two goats and pre-
sent them before the Lord at the door Of
the tabernacle Of the congregation. But
The goat on which the lot fell to be the
scapegoat, shall be presented alive before
he Lord, to make an atonement with him,
and to let him 60 for a scanegoat into the
| wilderness" Lev. xvi: 7. 10.
Very few services in the Old Testament
/ Scriptures are more interesting in the past
and more powerful as we study them in
The present, because of the light shed upon
the atonement, than the Offering of the
goats There were two in number, and in
this there lies the very deepest thought OF
God as touching sin. "What must ] do ia
be saved" has been the heart-cry of MANY
poo" lost soul, who no sooner utters il
than the evil birds begin TO fly about hi,
head. suggesting all sorts of answers to the
question
One whispers Reform" and the poor
tempted one makes an effort, but what q
struggle he has, for he finds chat when M
has cut off one sin the strength Of j
seems to 90 in the channel in which an
other has been flowing and reformation
even if it be complete (which it rarely isl
only touches the present and possibly tn,
tutcre, and never for a moment makes pro
vision for ones awful past
Another bird suggests that we simply
be good. One great evangelist saws, "Qui
your meanness;" another, equally great
''Do right and you will be a Christian.
With all due respect for these men, VIII
have been counted great, | submit tha
they are wrong; for one might quit hi
meauness" to-day, but what about yesteI
day? And one may possibly do right to
morrow. but who is to make provision 70
the deeds Of to-day?
: Mans way has miseraby failed. Let Il
now turn to God to seek the proper an
swer to the question.
The first goat vas slain for the LORD
= and this side Of mans sin must never b
forgotten. In the transgressons of ma
God has been dishonored, His truth hG
been scorned, His authority has been 50
: aside, His majesty has been sighted, II
l law has been broken, His name has bee
l despised. No reformation of man en-
, ever make this wrong right. Thus, in tn
l Old Testament the goat was offered
I meet Gods demands, which were just, an
? to satisfy His how law And thus in I'll
! New Testament Jesus Christ came to su
t fer and to die. Nowadays there is muc
e teaching abroad. which mag-"es the Ii
r of Jesus. but the clear teaf sGg Of II
}, word Of God is that only by the sheddir
of His blood is there remission Of sini
!. the blood of Jesus Christ His Son c1eanset
e from all sins. Much is said to-day abol
s Tesus being a teacher, but He said Himse
that the Spirit, when He is come, won
0 teach us all things. Jesus Christ came
h do just one thing, namely, to die. th
l. through His death an avenue might
o opened up for man to come back to h
e God, reconciled forever unto God.
e But this is not all. The second goat W
d led forth, with a scarlet cord about h
e neck The hands of the priest were la
l upon his head. and then the sins of Il
e. people were confessed, and by the har
g Of a fit person the scapegoat was led un
l land that was not inhabited. In this
1t becomes a proper illustration of the 10
lie Jesus Christ. "The Lord hath laid on Hi
e, the iniquity of us all, and He has carri
,e our sins away, as far cas- the east is fro
ID the west" it is an inspiration for us
d. know that when Jesus Christ died on @
10 vary He not only died to set US free frc
lie the nenalty of sin in the sight of God, b
v by His death we are set free from the pc
d, er of sin in our own lives.
Id When one becomes discouraged and fin
III that he Of himself cannot keep from S
ne the evil bird comes to whisper once agai
Of ''You need expect it, You have been DO
to with a tendency to sin. You have be
ne cursed with an appetite. Your old natr
,e- is still with you"
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