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Christ’s Object Lessons
Christ was their instructor. As He had been with them in the wilder-
ness, so He was still to be their teacher and guide. In the tabernacle
and the temple His glory dwelt in the holy shekinah above the mercy
seat. In their behalf He constantly manifested the riches of His love
and patience.
God desired to make of His people Israel a praise and a glory.
Every spiritual advantage was given them. God withheld from them
nothing favorable to the formation of character that would make them
representatives of Himself.
Their obedience to the law of God would make them marvels
of prosperity before the nations of the world. He who could give
them wisdom and skill in all cunning work would continue to be their
teacher, and would ennoble and elevate them through obedience to
His laws. If obedient, they would be preserved from the diseases that
afflicted other nations, and would be blessed with vigor of intellect.
The glory of God, His majesty and power, were to be revealed in all
their prosperity. They were to be a kingdom of priests and princes. God
furnished them with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on
the earth.
In the most definite manner Christ through Moses had set before
them God’s purpose, and had made plain the terms of their prosperity.
“Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God,” He said; “the Lord
thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above
all people that are upon the face of the earth.... Know therefore that the
Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant
and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a
thousand generations.... Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments,
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and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day,
to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these
judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep
unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers;
and He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also
bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and
thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy
sheep, in the land which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou
shalt be blessed above all people.... And the Lord will take away from
thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which
thou knowest, upon thee.”
Deuteronomy 7:6, 9, 11-15
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