Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

THE PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH 12:7
the founding of an outward service of Jehovah, which as to
its first feature consisted in the calling upon his name
(cultus), and as to its second in the profession and acknowl-
edgement of his name. TlTUs also Jacob acted (33:20,
Josh. 24: 1, 26). Bethel, Jerusalem, Hebron, Beersheba
are places of the same character (ix., places which were
consecrated by the patriarchs, and not as Knobel thinks,
whose consecration took place in later times, and then was ,
dated back to the period of the patriarchs). Abram’s
altars stood in the oaks of Moreh, and Mamre, in Bethel,
and upon Moriah. Abram, and the patriarchs generally, ,
served also the important purpose of preaching through
their lives repentance to the Canaanites, as Noah was such
a preacher for his time. For God leaves no race to perish
unwarned. Sodom had even a constant warning in the life
of Lot.” The diviiie deed to the Holy Land was here made
over to the seed of Abraham. “Abram himself was to
possess only a burial ground. Faith had to accept ‘things
not seen.’ ”
Let us not forget that the three elements of Biblical
religion are the altay, the sacrifice, aiid the priesthood.
Hence Abram did here, precisely what Noah had done on
coming out of the ark (Gen. 8:20), what undoubtedly
the patriarchs of the Messianic Line had done from the
time of Abel (Heb. 11:4; Gen. 4:1-5). Throughout the
Patriarchal Dispensation, the patriarch himself fulfilled
the three divine offices of prophet (revealer of the will of
God to his household), priest (mediator between his house-
hold and God), and king (the one who had complete
authority over his household). This threefold office was
expressed in the titles, Messiah, Christos, Christ, meaning
“The Anointed One.” In Old Testament times those leaders
inducted into these three ministries were formally set aside
for their service by the ceremony of anointing (Judg. 9: 8,
2 Sam. 2:4, 1 IG. 1:34; Exo. 28:41; 1 Ki. 19:16). The
holy anointing oil used in these ceremonies of induction
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