Alexander Stewart
The Tree of Promise: The Mosaic Economy a Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace, pp. 327-332

“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken…” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

A prophet, strictly speaking, is one who predicts future events. The word, however, is also often employed in a wider sense. The special messengers of heaven, under the Old Testament dispensation, were generally called prophets, because the grand topic of revelation was a future event — we mean, the coming of the Messiah. Moses was a very singular prophet. He recorded events of the past which were beyond the possible knowledge of the ordinary historian; and he also predicted the future. He was employed to establish a dispensation — ‘a house? He was distinguished by the miracles he performed, and by the manner and extent of his communications with God. He was a prophet like unto Him whose coming he here announces — the Messiah, Jesus Christ. ‘For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you’ (Acts 3:22; 7:37). Jesus Christ was like Moses, but a greater than he. He brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and established a dispensation. He was distinguished by the number and glory of his miracles, and by the peculiar clearness of his predictions. Our present object, however, is not to draw a parallel between Moses and Christ, but to illustrate the character of Christ as a Prophet, and His discharge of this high and important office.

1. The qualifications of Jesus Christ for making known the will of God to men were quite peculiar; for He was a divine person. He had perfect knowledge of all the counsels and purposes of the Godhead — of universal nature — of heaven, earth, and hell — of the past, the present, and the future — of the origin, history, and destiny of this world and of our race. He is The Truth; His every thought consists with universal and eternal truth. He ‘knows what is in man’ — every dark intricacy of, and every avenue to, the heart. But He was also human: and this was of unspeakable importance to the discharge of His office as a Prophet. He was like unto Moses — a man. ‘In these last days God has spoken unto us by His Son.’ ‘No man knoweth the Son but the Father, and no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.’ He is the ‘eternal Word’ — ‘the Light of the world.’

2. But the great subject of Christ’s instructions, as the Prophet and Teacher of His Church, was the will of God for their salvation. 1) He did not come to teach science or art. He has furnished us with other means of obtaining information on these subjects. But He had all knowledge of this and of every kind at His command; and He makes use of it when He sees fit, in subserviency to His chief end. In the early history of the world, He sometimes bestowed mechanical skill as a special gift, as in the case of Bezaleel and Aholiab. His providence extends still to the inventions of art and to the discoveries of science. And no human invention, no true discovery, no improvement of any kind, will ever be found to falsify His word. 2) Neither did He come to reveal the will of God on every point. ‘When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power’ (Acts 1:6-7; John 21:22). Hence there are many cases in which the humility of contented ignorance is a duty. The tree of knowledge was placed in the garden, not to be eaten, but to be abstained from. 3) Positively, however, Christ has come to declare the whole will of God for salvation. This is His intention as His Father’s ambassador, and He has fulfilled it by giving the most complete information. ‘All things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto you’ John 15:15). Hence the old Protestant doctrine, that there is nothing necessary to salvation except what is plainly made known in the Bible. Any other doctrine impeaches the completeness of Christ’s work as a Prophet.

3. The way of salvation made known by Christ is a revelation. It is not a relation of something already known. It is not theory, invention, or speculation. It is both absurd and wicked to contrive opinions on religion. We see the influence of this spirit on ancient idolatry and superstition. There is much of this mischievous spirit still abroad; and it shows itself sometimes in the abuse of learning. Neither is the way of salvation a discovery of human reason, like scientific discoveries. And hence the absurdity of improvements in religion. The Reformation was not a modern improvement. There were additions made to revelation from time to time, until the canon was finished — additions of light and knowledge. At the Reformation there was a return to the truths which had been lost.

Let us now consider the dignity of the great Prophet. ‘God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds’ (Hebrews 1:1-2). Notice the authority with which He speaks, and the importance of His communications. He brings a message from God; the messenger is a divine person; the subject of His message is salvation. Mark the grace which appears in such a message, and in the character of the messenger. God speaks not from the flaming summit of Sinai, but by a man — one whom He has raised up from among our brethren, and sent, not to condemn, but to utter words of eternal life. Surely we ought to hear Him in the spirit of little children.

We have seen the connection between the prophet and the teacher. Religious instruction that has not come to us through the instrumentality of a prophet, is mere useless speculation. Christ was a prophetic Teacher in the highest and most peculiar sense of that term. He was qualified, by His combining in His person both the divine nature and the human. All the communications of this Prophet, of this faithful and true Witness, this Apostle of the Father, are characterized by a peculiar certainty, importance, authority, and glory. They had the impress of divinity upon them. ‘Never man spake like this man.’ It was a message from God, delivered by Him who is God.

We shall now proceed to consider the means by which He fulfils His high office as the Prophet of His Church. It is ‘by His Word and Spirit.’ The Bible is given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. ‘For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1:21; Luke 1:67, 70). Sometimes the prophets alone are said to declare the truth; at other times the Holy Ghost is said to speak by their mouth; and in other places it is said, ‘The Holy Ghost saith,’ as if no instrument whatever were used. This work was the revelation of the Spirit of Christ as the Prophet of His Church. ‘Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow’ (1 Peter 1:11). Let us endeavour to illustrate the subject by specifying the leading truths which He reveals.

1. The existence, character, perfections, and government of God. There is a natural atheism in the human heart. It is indeed denied that there is any atheist to be found, for even the rudest savages have their gods. They have, it is true; but these are ‘no gods;’ they are mere images of wood and stone, of silver and gold. The gods of the philosophers are often equally unworthy of the name. The Supreme Being of modern philosophy, the God of the bulk of mankind, is but the creation of the imagination. The fact is, that there is a universal ignorance in reference to the true God, while the knowledge of Him is declared to be, above all things, of the highest importance. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ But though such is the value attached to the knowledge of God, how ignorant often are they of it, who have the best opportunities of knowing it! ‘But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me’ (John 15:21; 16:3; 17:25; and 17:3). ‘Acquaint thyself with God,’ saith the prophet, ‘and be at peace with Him.’ There is nothing more universally taken for granted than a true knowledge of God, and yet there is hardly any subject on which greater ignorance prevails.

Now Christ removes this ignorance by His Word. The whole Bible implies the fact that there is a God. By the works of creation and providence, by miracles, by special dispensations, by His law, He proclaims His character and perfections, and the spiritual nature of His government. Hence the more correct ideas of God wherever the Bible is known. Hence also the superiority of the ideas of those who study the Bible to those of such as do not. But it is worthy of notice, further, that He is disliked in proportion as He is known. There is a disposition to reduce His incomprehensible attributes within the limits of our comprehension, to change the strict purity of His law so as to suit our taste. There is a disposition to avoid Him, to rebel against Him. ‘If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth Me, hateth My Father also’ (John 15:22-23; 16:2-3; 1 John 3:6; 4:7-8). Hence the necessity for a revelation by the Holy Ghost, — such a change on the human mind as will cause men to see the supreme glory of the God of the Bible, and find their chief joy in fellowship with Him whom once their souls abhorred.

‘O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me,
Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and, to Thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy:
Yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God, my God.’
(Psalm 43:3-4)

The Bible may be considered as a consolidation of partial revelations. There were dreams, visions, voices from heaven, signs, prophets, Urim and Thummim, in the olden times. Thus in these ‘divers manners,’ and ‘at sundry times, were revelations made. The Bible embodies them, and supersedes them, now that it is complete. The Bible itself is an astonishing and truly divine work. It was being communicated through various inspired authors, through a period of 1500 years. Like the human body, it is a combination of systems. It is historical, prophetic, devotional. It has its types and miracles. It records public and private events. It contains prose, poetry, proverbs, parables, epistles, comments on creation and providence, and observations on the value of historical examples.

But let us proceed to illustrate the subject more particularly. The first and radical evil to be corrected, consists in a blindness and dislike to the peculiar glory of God. We see not God’s supreme excellence. He does not appear to us a Being worthy of infinite honour, esteem, and love — an all-sufficient portion. We are disposed to conceive of Him as altogether such an one as ourselves. But our case in this respect is met by the declaration of the truth respecting God in the Bible. The Bible is full of it in every form. But still the mind rolls in darkness, like the sightless eyeballs of the blind; and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to cause the light to shine in our hearts. ‘Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures’ (Luke 24:45; Psalm 43:3-4). From blindness to the glory of God, arises low ideas of the evil of sin, and men quarrel with the justice of God in punishing. it. Here again Christ declares the truth in His Word. The law of God, its spirituality and extent, and its awful sanctions — these of themselves excite the rebellion of the soul, as was often the case during our Lord’s own ministry. The Spirit, by showing God’s glory as the foundation of His rights and claims, convinces of sin, its evil, and the justice of its punishment, and at the same time the excellence of the law.

From blindness to the true character of God, arise all false notions of religion. The Scripture testimony regarding Christ is fitted to correct these; but this does not cure the evil. Many stumble over this ‘rock of offence. But when the Spirit shows the glory of God, He shows the reflection of it in Jesus Christ. ‘Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me’ (John 6:45; 2 Corinthians 4:10).

Thus is the Bible addressed to the understanding, conscience, affection — the whole soul. And the influence of the Spirit is co-extensive with the Word. It flows into and embodies itself in the Word, and according to the tenor and bearing of the particular passage to be applied. Let us learn from the Bible our own ignorance, rebellion, and lost condition, and submit to its testimony. Many may say, ‘I do not see the case to be so.’ It is so, nevertheless. Yours is like the situation of the blind man, when told of the brightness of the sun, and the beauties of nature. Bless God for the promise of the Spirit, who commands the light to shine out of darkness, by the authority, omnipotence, and grace of His agency. Seek that He may excite within you faith and prayer, and constrain you to submit to His sovereignty. If ye have not the Spirit of Christ, ye are none of His.