VII
WHOSE ARE THE FATHERS, AND OF WHOM IS CHRIST
"As touching the election they are be-
loved for the fathers' sakes "
"Jesus Christ the son of David, the son
of Abraham"
A~I 7"E are now approaching the
climax in the gradation of
the great " gifts " and high privi-
leges which are parts of Israel's
calling, The next step is " Whose
are the fathers" Oh, my friends, whenever you want to have your hearts stirred afresh with love and interest for Israel, think of "the fathers." Think of Abra- ham, " the friend of God," who
86 WHOSE ARE THE FATHERS,
was strong in faith and staggered
not at the promise of God through
unbelief, and so became a pattern
of faith and obedience to all the
family of God ; think of Isaac, who was willing to be put on the altar of burnt - offering, and so became a type of Christ, ' ; the Lamb of God"; think of Jacob, who became " Israel " ; of Joseph, the beautiful type of our Lord Jesus in His purity of life and in His sufferings and exaltation ; of Moses, the great law -giver, who was willing to sacrifice him- self for his nation.
Think of the company of
Israel's prophets and psalmists, whose words you continually use as the expressions of your deep- est feelings of penitence, faith,
AND OF WHOM IS CHRIST 87
devotion, and praise. Think of
those " elders " who, " through
faith obtained a good report," and
whose paintings are hung up in
God's picture gallery of his
heroes, for the admiration and
imitation of all ages, in that
wonderful eleventh chapter to
the Hebrews. No wonder that
we read that they are still beloved
of God for their fathers' sakes
(Rom. xi. 28). Christendom has
forgotten the relation between
these poor wandering Jews in
their midst and their noble fathers
who form the true aristocracy of
all times.
I am reminded of an amusing
incident which happened a few
years ago. A clergyman who
was much interested in the Jews
88 WHOSE ARE THE FATHERS,
was spending his summer holiday
in a small out-of-the-way place
in Schleswig- Holstein. Being
anxious to create an interest in
God's people, he gathered a num-
ber of the peasants together one
day and gave them an address, in
the course of which he reminded
them of their obligations as
Christians to the Jewish people. He spoke of Israel's past history, and how through them were given to us the oracles of God. Then he proceeded to speak of the " fathers " and the prophets ; and finally came to the New Testament, and observed that the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, too, were all Jews.
At this point he was inter-
rupted by one of the peasants,
AND OF WHOM IS CHRIST 89
who stood up at the end of the
room and said, " I beg your par-
don, sir, this is a mistake ; Jesus
Christ had twelve apostles, but
only one was a Jew, and that was
Judas." I fear that poor ignorant
peasant gave expression to the
practical thought of multitudes in
Christendom. They remember
Judas, and readily associate him
with the Jewish people ; but they
forget that Peter and Andrew, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Paul and Nathanael, and all the other apostles were also men of Israel. Alas ! there are still Judases among the Jews as there are among the Gentiles, and they are sometimes to be found even among the professed followers
90 WHOSE ARE THE FATHERS,
and " apostles " of Christ ; but, blessed be God, there are also still those who answer to John- disciples whom Jesus loves, and Nathanaels to whom He Him- self bears witness : " Behold Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile " ; and Pauls and Apollos men " mighty in the Scriptures," and faithful ministers of the truth, who have instructed many, not only of their own nation, but among the Gentiles. We now reach the climax of this wonderful gradation. All the previous steps have linked Israel with everything that is sacred and holy in the history of the world and of humanity ; but this last step connects Israel, not with earth only, but with