The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-12-23

oneninp pages O. the Bible in the per-
sons of the first two men born hto
the world. The tOuchstone OF charac-
ter In the case of each was not the
fact of sin (for both were sinners)'
but In their attitude toward this fact'
1t was the offering" that God had re-
spect to in the case of the enc, ana re-
jected in the case of the other
There were seven kinds of offerings
enjoined upon His people by Jehovah
dating probably from primitive reVe-
lation. Three were products OF the
ground and hence bloOdless; three
were from the flocks and herds ana
hence bloody sacrifices; and the sew
enth was two turtle doves.
In the Old Testament there reverber-
ates the oft recurring triad Of words
"corn, wine, and OIL" The first OF
these is q generic term in Hebrew COW
ering the whole range of cereals
wheat, barley, rye, etc., and stood for
agriculture; the second, "wine," was
also a generic term and included be-
sides wine all the products of the vine,
or viticulture; while finally the "oil,
obtained from the fruit of the olive
tree stood for the products of horti-
culture.
Thus we have embraced in these
three representative terms the entire
range of mans husbandry of the soil.
They were the offerings appropriate
to offer In mans innocency, and were
doubtless so understood. But when
man sinned and came under the con-
demnation of God there were added
three more, and these were bloody
sacrifices. They were oxen, sheep and
goats, all domesticated and the objects
of mans care and possessing two char
acteristics in common; namely, they
split the hoof and chewed the cud.
So much OF his time and care was be-
slowed upon them that in sense they
stood for him, so that when sacrificed
upon the altar it was a tacit confess
sion on the part of the offerer OF his
guilt and need of atonement. The ami
NAL symbolically bore his sins and
suffered in his stead.
"And in process of time It came to
pass. that Cain brought of the fruit
of the ground an offering unto the
Lord. And Abel, he also brought of
the firstlings of his flock and of the
fat thereof. And the Lord had respect
unto Abel and to his offering. But
unto Cain and to his offering he had
not respect. And Cain was very
wroth, and his counteaance fell"
1t was not the offering, therefore, so
much as what the offering implied that
counted. The fruits of the soil were
all right-but not for guilty man to
offer alone. And has it not been SO
from that day to this? Man has ever
sought to justify himself before God
by the works that he does; the last
thing he is willing to do is to confess
himself the sinner that he is, absO-
lutely dependent upon God for mercy.
Before pardon there must come con-
fession. In the sacrificial lamb that
Abel offered there was confession OF
guilt and symbolic vindication of the
Justice of God. IF we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our SINS"
That this way OF approach to God is
not a crudity peculiar to the dimness
of primeval ages but is in the very
center of the teaching of Jesus Him
self, is seen in the parable of the
Pharisee and the publican Luke Is
verses 10 to Il, ending thus:
"And the publican, standing afal
off, would not lift up SO much as his
eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful Git
orally "propitiated," that is, "let blood
flow'') to me sinner"
81 tell you, this man went down te
his house justified rather than the
other; for every one that exaltetl
| himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted"
How calm the Judgment hour shall pas.
For them who do obey
| The Word of God about that Blood
And make that Word their stay.
sThe blood of Jesus Christ his Scr
+! cleanseth us from all Sin."I John