p. 36 | Moses Like Christ,

James White · Oakland, Cal. · Jul 23, 1874

Moses Like Christ,

OR THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN AGES NOT CONTRASTED.

"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." Deut. 18:15.

"I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Verse 18.

The words like unto me, and like unto thee, in the above passages have reference to Christ and Moses as prophets or teachers. In many respects Moses and Christ were unlike; but as prophets they were alike. The principles which they declared to the people came from Him who has said "I change not." God spoke through them both. Neither Moses nor Christ were law makers.

Christ disclaims having anything to do with legislation. "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." John, 7:16. "I do nothing of myself but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." Chap. 8:28. "The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." Chap. 14:24. And speaking of the Son the Father says, "He shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Deut. 18:18.

In their efforts to hold before the people the Jewish and Christian dispensations in as wide contrast as possible, certain religious teachers would make it appear that the doctrines and principles taught by Christ were unlike those taught by Moses. But any amount of reasoning from false premises, or unwarrantable assertions on their part, cannot change the word like in the above passages to unlike. There the monosyllable stands the same, containing just four letters—l-i-k-e—challenging the efforts of those who would hold in wide contrast God's two grand ministrations of truth and love, covering the periods of the Jewish and Christian ages.

In the third chapter of second Corinthians the apostle compares the Jewish and Christian ministrations. He does not contrast them. The false statement frequently repeated in sermons and in articles from the religious press, that the two ministrations are held in contrast by Paul, is calculated to mislead those who have not studied the subject closely.

There are degrees of comparison of character, as good, better, best, bad, worse, worst; while things properly held in contrast are of opposite character. There are comparative degrees of heat, and also of cold; while heat and cold are opposite in nature, and are properly held in contrast. We compare the light of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and the stars; while light and darkness are opposite, and are held in strong contrast.

In the development of the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ in all the ages, from the time that hope first dawned upon fallen Adam to the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ and the glory of pentecost, there were degrees of light and glory. Hence the comparison of the dispensations. Heaven has not devised three plans by which to save men; one for the Patriarchal age, one for the Jewish age, and one for the Christian age. The great plan is one, unfolding with degrees of increased light and glory in the successive ages. Please read Paul's comparison of the two ministrations, and notice with special care the clearness and strength of his expressions, which we here give side by side not for contrast, but for COMPARISON.

JEWISH MINISTRATION.	CHRISTIAN MINISTRATION.
But of the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones was glorious. Verse 7.	How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious. Verse 8.
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory. Verse 9.	Much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. Verse 9.
For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect. Verse 10.	By reason of the glory that excelleth. Verse 10.
For if that which is done away was glorious. Verse 11.	Much more that which remaineth is glorious. Verse 11.

If it be urged by our opponents that Paul has reference to the ten commandments in the phrases "ministration of death," and "ministration of condemnation," then we reply that they virtually make Paul respond, "Glorious ten commandments!" If it be contended that he refers to what is called the first covenant, including both moral precepts and typical services, then the response, "Glorious" first covenant! And if it be claimed that the phrases embrace only the Jewish typical system, the response is, "Glorious typical system!"

Whatever the apostle may refer to in these phrases taken from 2 Cor. 3:7-11, it is that which he exalts by the qualifying words glorious and glory. Hence the absurdity of contrasting it with the gospel of Christ, however glorious the gospel may be.

The typical system did not originate with Moses. It came from Heaven. It originated with the God of love and the merciful Christ of the New Testament. The first covenant, itself, in its time, was glorious with blessings to the obedient. It is an impeachment of the character of God, as a changeless being of love and wisdom, to say that any part of his plan to redeem fallen men is defective and bad, whether it be in figure in the first covenant, or in fact in the second.

The unqualified strength of scripture expression, in a few instances in both the Old and New Testaments, seems at first reading hardly to agree with the position here taken. But these texts must be viewed in a comparative sense, in harmony with the general scope of scripture testimony, the character of God, and the special comparison of the apostle in declaring the ministration of the Jewish age glorious, while that of the Christian age is simply more glorious than the one that preceded it.

The apostle Peter speaks of the epistles of "beloved brother Paul" in which are some things hard to understand, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

However obscure and hard to be understood by those who are willingly ignorant, and who wilfully wrest the scriptures, may be what Paul says of the two ministrations, we protest against forcing an absurd exposition in the face of revelation and of reason, for the sake of demeaning the holy law of the Most High.

And why should the two ministrations be held in contrast? They both came from the same Divine Source, in behalf of the same race of sinners, to perfect that holiness of character in all the saved from all the ages, necessary for the same holy Heaven. Hence John in prophetic vision, looking forward, saw them all gathered to the immortal shores, from the time of the holy martyr Abel down to the last ransomed sinner near the close of the Christian age, "a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." He heard them all unite in the same hallowed acclamation, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Rev. 7:9, 10.

Why should there be a wide contrast between ministrations under which the unit family of the immortal world find eternal redemption? Why? God is the one father of all the adopted sons and daughters of grace from all the ages, and Christ is their only Saviour and Redeemer. "Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Angels that excel in strength are the holy guardians of the obedient and faithful of every age, and the Holy Spirit their sanctifier. The pious dead of all the ages sleep in the one Jesus; 1 Cor. 15:17, 18; and his voice will awaken them all at his coming. John 5:28, 29. They will all be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and upon the sea of glass all will receive the crown of glory and the palm of victory from the hand of Jesus. And the numberless multitude from all ages wear robes of dazzling brightness, washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Then why should there be a wide contrast between God's moral government of fallen men, or the plan of his saving grace, in the dispensations?