GENESIS
In this book we have all the great
principles of God's relationship with man, without bringing in redemption which
makes a people for God and a dwelling-place for God in man. You never, save in
chapter 2: 3, get the word "holiness" in Genesis; and you never have
God dwelling with men.
Creation is first treated of; then
innocence, lordship, and marriage, the figure of union with Christ. Next we
have the fall, man's sin against God, and then in Cain man's sin against his
brother. There is, at the same time, a witness of certain righteous persons,
Abel in sacrifice, Enoch in life, and Noah in testimony of approaching
judgment. You then get the complete corruption of the whole system, and the
deluge.
Having had in Enoch a figure of the
church, we get in Noah deliverance through judgment, and then the new world
begins, God entering into covenant with it, and government introduced to
prevent violence; but the governor fails, and God's plans as to the races of
men are brought out. We find God making nations, in consequence of man's
attempt to remain united so as to be independent. In the midst of these nations
we have, in Nimrod, imperial power, individual and despotic, connected with
Babel, the place of man's wickedness. In point of fact, the division of mankind
into nations comes by judgment.
Shem's family having been owned on the
earth - the Lord God of Shem, national existence is recognized as the principle
of the constitution of the earth, God's arrangement. He now begins an entirely
new thing. He calls out from that which He has constituted an individual to be
the head of a blest race, whether fleshly or spiritual. Whatever individual
saints there had thus far been, there had been no counterpart of Adam as the
head of a race. This Abraham was. Election, calling, and promise are connected
with this; consequently you have Abraham, a stranger and pilgrim, with nothing
but his tent and his altar. He fails, like everybody, but God judges the world
- Pharaoh's house - for him. We then get the distinction between a
heavenly-minded and an earthly-minded man; the world having power over the
earthly-minded (Lot), and the heavenly one (Abraham) having power over the
world. In connection with this we have in Melchizedek the future priest upon
his throne, and that as linked with God's supremacy over heaven and earth.
Abraham's separation from the world having been evinced, Jehovah presents
Himself to Abraham as his shield and reward. We then first get the earthly
inheritance and people, that is, in promise. Abraham looks for the promise in a
fleshly way, and that is all rejected. We have then the promise to Abraham of
being the father of many nations, God revealing Himself as God Almighty. We
have also His covenant, as thus revealed, with Abraham, and the principle of
separation to God by circumcision.
Chapter 18 gives the promise of the heir,
and the judgment of the world (Sodom), and the connection with God, about it,
of the heavenly people (Abraham) by intercession; while in chapter 19 we have
the connection with the judgment of the earthly people (Lot), saved as by fire
through the tribulation.
What follows this, chapter 20, is the
absolute appropriation of the wife, whether Jerusalem or the heavenly bride, as
the spouse of the Lord. The old covenant (Hagar) is cast out, and, the heir
(Isaac) being come, he takes the land (chap. 21). Chapter 22 begins another
series of things. The promised heir being offered up, and the promise confirmed
to the seed, Sarah dies (chap. 23).
This is the passing away of the old association
with God on the earth; and in chapter 24 Eliezer (in figure the Holy Ghost, or
His work on earth) is sent to take a wife for Isaac (Christ), who is
Heir of all things, and Isaac can in nowise return to Mesopotamia. Christ, in
taking the church, cannot come down to earth; whereas, the moment we get Jacob,
we get the head of the twelve tribes, who goes to Mesopotamia for Rachel and
Leah, typical of Israel and the Gentiles. Jacob is the elect, but not the
heavenly people; he goes back to Canaan, gets the promises, with all sorts of
exercises, as Israel will, but, if he does, he must give up old Israel (Rachel)
to get Benjamin, the son of his right hand.
In the brief notice of Esau's offspring
we find the world in vigour and energy before God's people are; and then
commences another history, that of Joseph, affording a distinct development of
Christ connected with Israel, rejected by Israel, and sold to the Gentiles. He
comes thus to be the head, having the throne, and governing all Egypt. He has
done with Israel, receives a Gentile wife, and calls his children by names
typical of Christ's rejection and blessing outside Israel when rejected; but he
receives back his brethren in the glory. This part closes with two distinct
testimonies, the will of Joseph about his bones, and Jacob's prophecy that they
will all be back in the land and the promises to Israel be fulfilled.