The gospel in the book of Numbers

Preface

The question will at once be asked, Is there any Gospel in this book? In taking the affirmative of this question, we wish to say that we do not think that the Gospel is in this book as it is in that of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. It certainly is not here historically. It certainly is not a record of what Christ said or did. No such assumption is made ; nor do we mean to say that the people reading this book, at the time of its first publication, or in the ages subsequently, up to the period of the coming of Christ, read the Gospel in it as clearly as we can. The truth shone upon their minds dimly and through many clouds. But who can say that the Gospel is not here ? It undoubtedly is here in type and symbol, in rite and ceremony, in prophecy and in illustration. So it is referred to in gospel and in epistle by Christ and his apostles. Was not this, with the other parts of the five books of Moses, with the Psalms and prophets, the great text-book of the apostles and first preachers of the word ? Did not Peter say to Cornelius and others, who had come together to hear him, " To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission

4 PREFACE.

of sins?" But, certainly, the prophets nowhere give utterance to such a form of words, and their Jewish readers never understood them to say this. And so we say, the Gospel is in this book. Not, it is true further, in all its enumerations and historical records, but largely in many of them. So impressed have we been with this fact that we have been led to write these words. It may be, doubtless will be, that many will not fully agree with us in some of our supposed illustrations. It may be that with so much of the radiance of the Gospel shining on our path some of its light may be introduced from without, and not so clearly appear within. But in most of the types and illustrations adduced we shall hope to carry our readers along with us, while some, for the first time, may behold the heavenly light where they have not seen it before. But all will see it beautifully illustrated, if not typically portrayed, in the brazen serpent, in Balaam's prophecies, in the Nazarites, in the support of the ministry, in the lusting of the people for flesh, in the holy of holies, in the unblemished lamb of the offering, and in the mustering and marshaling of the" hosts, in the careful guardianship of religious institutions, in the benedictions of the old covenant, in the light of the golden candlesticks, in the passover, in the silver trumpets, in the laver of regeneration, in the cities of refuge, and in the entrance into Canaan. In all these particulars the antitype, or substance, or reality will be found in the Gospel.

Many, however, have a limited idea of the Gos-

PREFACE. 5

pel — what it is and what it records. The general idea of the Gospel is, that it is " good news," " glad tidings." And so it is. But it is more than this. It proclaims an historical Christ, his teachings, and his miracles. It proclaims his birth, life, sufferings, and death, resurrection and ascension. It shows our duty to our fellow-men in the various relations of life. It shows us the relations which he sustained to the Old Testament Scriptures, and how closely they are linked in with the New. It proclaims man's character, destiny, and immortality ; and it tells of the eternal blessedness of the good, the pure, and the holy, and the eternal sorrow of the finally impenitent. So the gospel is not only nor merely redemptional nor historical, but it covers all man's conditions, environments, and hopes. Thus, while in this book there is clearly illustrated the wondrous plan of salvation by faith, there are also illustrated and typified not only man's depravity, in the leprosy, and man's lust for improper things, the gospel call, and the gospel hope, but, further, the zigzag course of the Christian toward heaven, his victory over his enemies, his vows, the true position of woman, man's murmurings, and his sins of ignorance and presumption. All these things are parts of the Gospel, but amplified and illuminated by its teachings. It will be seen, therefore, that we have not undertaken a hopeless task or a wholly imaginary one. And while we shall observe its blessed truths gleaming faintly on our sight, we shall not fail to notice how truly they are interpreted by the Gos-

6 PREFACE.

pel, and how fully they foreshadowed it. Take the Book of Numbers out of the Bible and how we should fail to understand many things ! How could we comprehend the beautiful illustration which Christ presented to Nicodemus, and the many other things to which we have referred ?

We therefore earnestly solicit our readers to follow us carefully through these pages, and to see how precious and sparkling are the diamond truths which shed their deathless luster on our souls. And yet again, while many have well-nigh totally omitted the reading of this book, or given it only a cursory glance as they have gone through with the reading of the Bible in course, we trust that after reading this book again, in the light of the Gospel, it will become to them one of the most precious portions of the law. Thanking the Christian public for the courtesy which they have extended to the author in reading the former books prepared and published by him, and for their testimony as to the good which they have derived from reading them, we send forth this work, with humble confidence that it will be blest to many who will read it.

L. R. D.

Contents

PAGE

Preface 7

Introduction n