See That Thou Build All Things According to the Pattern
By D. H. Kress
THERE is a great significance in the following words of inspiration: “The birth of Jesus Christ, was on this wise.” The instruction was given to Moses, “See . . . that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” It is evident that God designs ever to keep before man the birth of Christ, his humble parentage and life of toil, as a pattern in planning to carry forward his work. The Saviour of men was not born in a palace, neither was he surrounded with pomp and worldly splendor at his birth. He was born in a stable, at Bethlehem, cradled in a manger, and brought up in an obscure town in Galilee. Though he held the wealth of this world in his hands, he emptied himself, and his great work and mission were begun in poverty, without worldly rank or recognition. This was God's way of revealing himself, of introducing9and making known saving truth. “Neither are your ways my ways,” saith the Lord. At the birth of Christ the whole religious world was permeated with the idea that splendor, rank, and large, imposing buildings were marked evidences of God's special favor. The religion that could outdo all others in these respects, was considered the true religion. When Christ, therefore, came to his own, “his own received him not.” Truth was rejected because it lacked outward display. Even the disciples of Christ had their minds so filled with the thought that the kingdom must come with outward splendor, that they tried to take Christ by force and bestow upon him worldly recognition and honor as a king. There still exists in human nature a disrelish for any truth that is cradled in a manger. The feeling exists, We must have outward splendor in order to make impressions. But these are no evidences of God's favor, or that the work is of God. It is this spirit that is responsible for many of the massive buildings of modern as well as ancient times. It is responsible for many of our great cathedrals. But outward splendor now, as then, is usually an evidence that the true Shekinah is not within. As a rule truth is not found within massive walls. The massive walls were in Jerusalem, but Christ was in a manger at Bethlehem. In the closing work many will regard such works with a degree of satisfaction, and say, “I am rich, and increased with goods,” but Christ is represented as standing at the door, knocking, unrecognized and unworshipped. The Roman Catholic people look proudly upon their massive structures, and say, “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” but many who are not connected with this church reveal the same spirit. “And all the world wondered after the beast,”—all whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. Truth is not enclosed in caskets of gold; truth is still to be found cradled in a manger, for “the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise.” If “this work be of men, it will come to naught.” When men put their trust in these externals, God has often to dash these in pieces to save the men. When Nebuchadnezzar said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?” there fell a voice from heaven, saying, “The kingdom is departed from thee.” This was the only way God could save Nebuchadnezzar. When ambassadors came from Babylon to inquire about Hezekiah's marvelous restoration to health, he gave them what he supposed to be the best evidence that he was specially favored of God. It is stated, “Hezekiah was glad of them,” and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver and the gold, etc. “There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.” Only one thing he failed to do, and that was to reveal Christ, and him crucified. The Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, “Behold the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried into Babylon; nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.” Ambassadors from Babylon are frequently sent to God's people to get a glimpse of Christ. When they depart, it may be well to ask, “What have they seen in thine house?” They may have seen all our appliances and our buildings; but have they seen Jesus? God introduces and carries forward his work in a way altogether different from the way man deems it wise and prudent to carry it forward. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? . . . Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” The world is still looking for a sign, or outward display. “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord,” and in nothing else. It is well to remember and to keep constantly before us the humble birth of Christ, to study carefully his life as he walked and labored among men, and build after the pattern.