Democratic messenger., 1903-01-31

All away. just as we ind 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
commanded to Moses, and If we put them
all together we have perfect illustration
of the atonement OF Jesus Christ. and of
the power of His lood to make clean.
shall not consider the offerings in their or
der, but give them to YOU in this chapter
as they have impressed themselves upon
my 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
the Lord to make an atonement with him,
and to let him go for a scapegoat into the
wilderness" Lev. xvi: Z. 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 to
be saved?" has been the heart-cry of many
a poor lost soul, who no sooner utters il
than the evil birds begin to fly about his
head. suggesting all sorts of answers to the
question.
One whispers Reform" and the poor.
tempted one makes an effort. but what a
struggle he has. for he finds that when he
has cut off one sin the strength of il
seems to go in the channel in which an.
other has been flowing. and reformation
even II 1t be complete (which IL rarely isl
only touches the present, and possibly the
future. and never for moment makes pro.
vision for ones awful past.
Another bir1 StlUuaSts that Ia
be good. One great evangelist SAYS, Quit
your meanness; another. equally great.
DO rght. and you will be a Christian .
With all due respect for these men. who
have been counted great. ] submit; that
they are wrong; for one might 'quit his
meanness to-day, but what about ycster.
day: And one may possibly do right to-
morrow. but who Is to make provision for
the deeds of to-day?
Mans way has miscrahly failed. Let us
now turn to God to seek the proper an
swer TO the question.
The first goat was slain for the Lord.
and this side OF mans sin must never he
forgotten. In the transgressions of man
God has been dishonorcd. His truth has
been scorncd, His authority has been set
aside. His majesty has been sighted. His
law has been broken, His name has been
despised. No reformation OF man can
ever make this wrong right Thus. in the
meet Gods demands. which were Just and
10 satisfy His holy law. And thus in the
New Testament Jesus Christ came To suf.
fer and to die. Nowadays there is much
teaching abroad. which magnitics the life
OF Jesus. bnt the clear teaching of the
word of God is that only by the shedding
of His blood is there remission OF sins;
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son c.eanseth h
from all sins. Much is said to-day about
Jesus being teacher. but He said Himself
that the Spirit, when He is come. would
teach us all things. Jesus Christ came TO
do just one thing. namely. to die. that
through His death an avenue might he
opened up for man to come back to his
God. reconciled forever unto God.
But this is not all. The second goat was
led forth, with scarlet cord about his
neck. The hands OF the priest were laid
upon his head. and then the sins of the
people were confessed, and by the hand
OF fit person the scapegoat was led unto
a land that was not inhabited. In this he
becomes proper illustration of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord hath laid on Him
our sins away. as far ''as the east is from
the west 1t is an inspiration for us to
know that when Jesus Christ died on Cal.
vary He not only died to set us free from
the penalty of sin in the sight of God. but
by His death we are set free from the pow
er of sin in our own lives.
When one becomes discouraged and finds
that he of himself cannot keep from sin.
the evil bird comes to WHISPER once again:
on need expect it. You have been born
with a tendency to sin. You have been
cursed with an appetite. Your old nature
is still with YOU"
All of which we know and believe. if we
and of the ord of God. But this is no H.
cense to sir. for if we confess our sin
Gods word is out that He will he faith
ful and just to forgive us our SINS that
Is, He will be faithful to Christ, who has
carried our sin away.
Isaah's picture in the fifty-thrd chapter
of his prophecy Is picture OF Je Is Christ
as the scapegoat. bearing through the vii.
derness the weight OF our sins.
For every evil bird that comes to dis.
courage us or TO discredit Gods word
there is a sure way by which they may be
driven from us. The word of God is our
defense, and you have but to hold up to
Satan, whose agents these evil birds are
the expression 1t is written" and he will
be overcome.
"And the Lord spalIc unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying; And he that gather
eth the ashes OF the helfer shall wash his
clothes and be unclean until the even; and
it shall be unto the children of Israel. and
unto the stranger that sojourneth among
them, Tor a statute forever Numbers
XIX: l, 10.
If one were to give this passage OF
Scripture casual reading he might find in
1t very little to arrest his attention. but ii
he studies it carefully and compares Scrip
ture with Scripture, he will learn that not
only Is 1t one of the most intensely inter
estlng studies in all the Bible, but that it
sheds light upon the gospel story, and
makes both plain and powerful one phase
of the work accomplished by our blessed
Lord.
There was something in the color of the
heiier, for IL was not allowable to have one
single white hair-all must be red. Surely
this Is just Il little hint that in the sacrifi.
eial life and death of Jesus Christ there
was not one single bright ray.
The Offering must be without blemiSh:
il there was the least spot of weakness
about it it was to be rejected And He
was without spot or wrinkle, or any such
thing, too-absolutely perfect was the Son
of God. our Saviour.
The red heifer was to be taken out OF
the camp, and there put to death And
Jesus was taken outside the city and cru.
cited upon the green hill which we call
Calvary.
When the hefer was burned. into the
flames was cast scarlet, which U supposed
was used to typify the sins of Israel. for
both theirs and ours are red like crimson.
or scarlet. Cedar wood and hyssop were
also cast in. The cedar was the proudest
tree in the olden times, the king OF the
forest. while hyssop was the common,
everyday plant which could be found out
side the door of every cottage Taking the
hyssop on the one side and the cedar on
III u L