JEWISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS by An Israelite; F. C. Gilbert

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 25, 1897

JEWISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.

By An Israelite; F. C. Gilbert

(By an Israelite.)

The Gospel in the Sanctuary.

This subject is one worthy of careful study and consideration, as there is no part connected with it but what contains some deep spiritual truth. Even the manner in which the Lord ordered the bringing of the material together for its building is not devoid of importance. For it should ever be remembered that everything in connection with this building finds its fulfilment and completion in the Messiah, and in his work. As previously stated, it was the purpose of God to teach his ancient people that by this illustration they were to understand the working out of the salvation of God in the human soul, and the manner of his abiding with them.

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have somewhat also to offer. For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law; who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

It has been said that there may be danger in placing too much importance on the spiritual meaning of the tabernacle service, and that it might be possible to fall into the same error as did ancient Israel, looking more to the tabernacle itself rather than to the Pattern. But, dear reader, if we do as did Moses, endure as seeing Him who is invisible, we have nothing of which to fear. And while the work on the temple of God is being wrought out in our lives, let us keep our eyes fixed on the Pattern, even Christ Jesus, and not on the material, which is the clay that God is forming into his holy habitation. If our eyes are anointed with the eyesalve of his Spirit, and we seek to find out the truth as it is in him, we need entertain no fears of falling into the error of the ancient people; for God has furnished their record for us, that we should remember that they are an example to us. We want simply to work out that which God works in.

The fact is that there is not enough attention paid to the work of the wilderness service, and of the Old Testament teaching; for it should ever be held in remembrance that everything essential to life and salvation through Jesus Christ, was given to the ancient people of God, and this knowledge was largely wrapped up in connection with the sanctuary service. We do not value enough the Old Testament, which is God’s great treasure-house of truth. There are many scriptures which clearly show the work of salvation in connection with the above-mentioned statement.

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there in circumcision? Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” What, then, are these sacred oracles?—They certainly must be the Old Testament, part of which was the service in the wilderness. This the apostle well knew, and so taught the Hebrews; for we find in the book of Hebrews that he proves conclusively from the services of the sanctuary that the Jews themselves knew that Jesus is the Messiah; that all those things there performed by the priests daily and annually had no efficacy in themselves, as they could not forgive sin; yet it was the only thing they had there to teach them the way to God, and give them the knowledge of salvation and eternal life through the blessed Lord and Saviour. And the Master himself when on earth told the scribes and Pharisees that the reason they sought the Scriptures was because that in them they believed they had eternal life, and which also gave testimony of him. And this life, too, was found in him. See John 5:39, 40. And Paul, in writing to Timothy, told him that he was taught from a child the Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto salvation through faith which was in Christ. See 2 Tim. 3:15.

It is true now as it always has been that the salvation of God comes in only one way, and that is through Christ. Acts 4:12. This salvation the apostle tells us is the Gospel, or God’s power to save men. Rom. 1:16. It is therefore important that people have the Gospel, for without it they can not be saved. And, too, wherever people have had the Gospel, there they have had salvation, for it is salvation. It is obvious to all that it can not affect any one merely to study the Gospel, and it is also evident that to rightly understand the Gospel, we must have the Spirit and power of the Gospel. Now the apostle, in speaking of the experiences of Israel, found in the latter part of the third and first part of the fourth chapters of Hebrews, says that those people with whom God dealt in the wilderness after the exode from Egypt, had the Gospel, and did not receive benefit from it because they did not have faith in it. Therefore it must be clear to all that Israel had forgiveness of sins back yonder, and had a knowledge of God’s method of salvation, and could have been saved by it if they would only have believed.

We then can study with profit the experiences of that people, and the work committed to them; for when we see the mistake that they made, and profit by that experience, we shall be saved from falling into the same grave error. For the people of God in these last days are taking up the real work of God where ancient Israel left it.

If, to the true people of God anciently, these oracles meant the way of life and salvation, and gave to them a knowledge of the Messiah and his work for them, giving them the privilege to delight their souls in the grace and saving power of the Anointed One, we can certainly benefit by a study of these things, in the light of the sweet Spirit of the Lord, and find much contained therein which will give sweet peace and comfort to the soul. Mines of treasure are there, which will more than pay the hungry soul longing after him—the blessed fulness of God—who will devote the time to see that these things are so. As the priest of old delighted to enter the “holy places” to do service therein (for to him it meant communion with his blessed Maker), so to the priest of to-day (for all are priests in his sight, yea, we are a kingdom of priests) who will but walk in this blessed tabernacle of old with the Master, and therein see every step of the way a new revelation of the working out of God’s plan in his own individual soul, much blessedness and an abundance of joy will be afforded; for it is always sweet to walk with Jesus, wherever we find him. F. C. GILBERT.