THE SHORT COURSE SERIES

Edited by Rev. John Adams, B.D.

The Song and the Soil

Or, The Missionary Idea in the Old Testament

By W. G. Jordan, B.A., D.D.

WARNING - Author mistakenly holds to the unbiblical "Deutero-Isaiah Theory"

Chapter 2 THE ATTRACTIVE POWER OF TRUE RELIGION.

Isaiah II. 2-4; Micah IV. 1-4.

1. The Place of the Passage in Hebrew Literature.

We have here a passage which appears in two places, and the simplest explanation of that fact is that it, at one time, existed separately and was placed by different editors in two different collections. If we were compelled to attribute it to either Isaiah or Micah, Isaiah must certainly have the preference, as he was an inhabitant of Jerusalem and loved the city. Micah, on the other hand, was a countryman, and found in the cities of Samaria and Jerusalem the chief cause of offence against Jehovah; his denunciation of those cities and especially his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem made a deep impression.1 We cannot think that the peasant prophet of the Judean lowlands, in the eighth century B.C., cherished any such lofty ideal for the future destiny of the city that he denounced; he was concerned with its present corruption rather than its future exaltation. For Isaiah the case was different, he shared the life of Jerusalem and did not merely denounce it from the outside; he had a message of hope as well as a fierce indictment, and believed in redemption after judgment, if only for a remnant. This may be seen clearly from that noble "Song of the City" which all regard as genuine.2 In the Book of Isaiah, then, this poem has found a suitable home, as the supreme interest of that prophet was in the city of David, and he cherished desires and hopes for the future welfare of Zion, even if he did not express them in this precise form. Still, after all, it is more likely that these words came to us from a disciple of the prophet who lived at least two centuries later, in the age of Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah. We are not able to fit this passage into any particular period of Isaiah's political activity and popular preaching, though to some scholars it still seems possible to regard it as a dream of his youth or the hope of his old age. Isaiah's message, however, as we know it, belongs to a different order of thought. Instead of creating glowing pictures of the distant future for men of faith, he is engaged in a severe struggle to teach the true nature of faith and the moral character of worship.3 To retain the passage for Isaiah at the expense of unduly narrowing its meaning is too great a price to pay. It does not do full justice to this great hope to say that the nations will not give up their own worship but merely acknowledge Jehovah as the most upright and truest God.4 Long ago it was clearly seen that the promise had a much larger scope. "The representation appears in a highly purified form, and worthy of both prophets, that the nations shall make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem not for the purpose of offering sacrifice there but to learn God's way, the knowledge of Whom shall go out from there over the world — a splendid presentiment which has received its fulfilment in Christianity."5 The nobler view depicted in these words demands the later date. It was only through the slow painful discipline of many generations that this consciousness of a high vocation and this vision of worldwide service was reached.

It is worth while repeating that there is the closest connection between literature and life, the life of godly men to whom we owe so much, the life which has proved itself to be one of the highest organs of the divine revelation.6 The fact that we must now regard the Book of Isaiah not as the work of one man but as a library of prophetic literature, reflects great light on the struggles of those distant days. The revelation in this book is now seen to be larger and more varied than ever before. The original Isaiah of Jerusalem stands more clearly before us with his presentation of the kingship of Jehovah, his call to faith and social service.7 Then we have the great "Book of Consolation" which gave comfort to a broken-hearted people when the threatenings of the earlier prophets had received a terrible fulfilment.8 Belonging to a still later age we find the predictions of world judgment and the final vindication of Jehovah's people.9 Into this storehouse also are gathered many fragments, the work of nameless souls who poured their best thoughts and richest life into this great stream of literature.

The fact that in so many cases these beautiful pictures have been placed alongside of the stern preaching of the earlier prophets and their fiery predictions of judgment, shows a living belief that judgment cannot be the last word, that in spite of man's perverseness there is mercy in the heart of God.10 Surely, so thought these men, death and destruction cannot he the final purpose of the eternal God, the promises to our fathers cannot altogether fail. Here was a true faith that manifested itself not only in the men of great creative genius but also in the minds of lowly compilers who would not willingly let die any great inspired word. Thus in this sacred literature, and all round the various systems into which it has been built, there plays the light of a great belief in the meaning of history and in the unfailing providence of a gracious God.

2. The Growth of the Idea.

As a mere matter of theory or of God's power, considered in the abstract, a particular piece of literature could be inspired at any time, but this has been shown by a careful reading of the Scriptures to be a mechanical view — the product of a theology that has gone too far from actual life. Even in the earlier day, men who thought upon "the ways of God" in a simple manner could see that there had been an advance from lower to loftier views of God and duty, that the Christ came in "the fulness of time" to give a richer reality to thoughts that had long been struggling for expression. This truth, held at first in a vague imperfect form, now shines out with wonderful clearness. Not only is it in harmony with one of the leading ideas of our time, it has also been abundantly illustrated by the historical study of the sacred writings. We can trace the growth of the Hebrew nation and the gradual enlargement of the religion that this nation was destined to give to the world. The people had to conquer a home for themselves and a measure of real political unity, before the prophetic message could enter deeply into their life and grow into a system of living truth of more than national significance. The blessing said to have been given to Abraham appears to mean that his seed should become so numerous and prosperous that they would excite the admiration and envy of surrounding people.11 The Israelites did not at first claim the whole world or even the whole of Palestine for Jehovah their God; they acknowledged the presence and power of other gods in adjoining territories.12 The thing that made it specially hard for David to suffer banishment was that he would be driven from the worship of Jehovah his God.13 In those days the natural action for men who joined another tribe was to attach themselves to the god of that tribe, as religion permeated all the activities of life. No doubt, even then the Hebrew leaders had a noble thought of their God, the One Who had called them into existence as a nation and given them great privileges as His servants. This faith maintained itself as the one power that gave unity to the scattered clans; the God of Israel conquered the local gods and revealed Himself as the real source of natural blessings. Through the conflict with Baal worship the thought of Jehovah's nature and power was enriched. This involved fierce conflicts under the leadership of patriotic warriors and fiery prophets. The great prophets, whose sermons have come down to us from the eighth century before the Christ, had received a great inheritance from the past but they had still a great work to do. They found the people relying too much on ritual, and treating the worship of Jehovah too much like that given by their neighbours to other gods. It was their task to set forth what we would call the moral character of God. They did not do this in any abstract way as critics and philosophers, nor could they speak in the conventional tone of the modern preacher. While they regarded themselves as conservatives who would uphold or restore the best traditions of the past, there was a certain vein of originality in their teaching; there was a strong and clearer emphasis on the fact that religion is goodness. Goodness they thought of as good citizenship; the good man was one who walked before God in a spirit of humility and acknowledged the claims of brotherhood, paying special heed to the cry of the oppressed and the helpless widows and orphans.14 When this is spoken of as ethical monotheism, attention is called to the fact that they did not begin from the thought of one God and argue consciously for one all-prevailing law, but they laid such stress upon the claims of social goodness and civil righteousness as binding upon all, that it must be seen, upon further reflection, that there is one living God, the King of all men. Many Jews never saw the full consequence of such teaching, and remained in the region of religious tribalism, but the prophetic movement advanced on this high plane. Under the influences of this teaching of the prophets, thoughtful men learned to look upon their past history as a divine discipline,15 and it is seen that "election" is to service and not merely to privilege. Such a great movement could not go forward without reactions and disappointments. The natural man would cling persistently to the thought that the chief purpose of a god was to give material prosperity and success against the outside enemy. Such a bare outline as this cannot do justice to a complex situation; it deals in general terms, leaving aside all the picturesque details of a struggle that went on unceasingly. The conflict between what we call "superstition" and the higher faith entered into all spheres of political and domestic life; it was a struggle between great thoughts and deep-seated instincts and long-established customs. But while to the last the religion of the Old Testament is kept within national limits, and in many cases coarse, narrow features mark the picture of the future, yet it is no exaggeration to say that the great leaders of the people came to the vision of a national vocation that carried in itself a suggestion of worldwide service.

3. The Statement of the Passage.

It seems probable that we have here a poem in three strophes or verses, and that in each of these divisions we have a distinct feature of the picture of the glorious future.16 Here is set forth first the exaltation of Zion; Jehovah's mountain is to be established at the head of the mountains, or to be acknowledged as the chief of the mountains. It is possible that a physical heightening as well as a religious supremacy may be implied in this prediction. Zion thus exalted and acknowledged as, so to speak, the religious metropolis of the world, shall draw to itself vast numbers of people of different nationalities. By the eye of faith the prophet sees them flowing in great streams to the holy city, and they themselves declare that the purpose of their pilgrimage is to go up to Jehovah's mountain and to the house of the God of Jacob. The reason why they seek to visit the sanctuary of Jehovah is then given; it is not merely to bring sacrifice and find favour, but to receive teaching. For Zion is the source of religious instruction, and from Jerusalem the word of God starts out upon a mission of mercy to mankind. Thus Jehovah is recognised as the judge or arbitrator between nations. His decisions will be gladly accepted outside the bounds of Israel. The result of God's rule entering into human life shall be abiding peace and prosperity.

"Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.

Neither shall they learn war any more.

But they shall sit every mad under his vine and under his fig-tree;

And nought shall make them afraid."

Simply to state in plain words the contents of the poem is to show that we are moving in a realm of great religious ideas. The modern man may be stirred to such impatience with the fact that it all centres so clearly round Jerusalem that he is in danger of branding the whole thing as narrow and parochial. But when we talk so proudly about "the universe" and despise local traditions and sentiments, we do well to ask whence came this large ordered world of which we claim to be citizens; is it not also a thought that has grown through the centuries and to which the men of Jerusalem have contributed their share?

Think, then, without prejudice, of the rich instruction implied in the simple statements of this short poem. It shows that the Jews, with their centre at Jerusalem, have now come to the clear conviction that their God is supreme, and therefore the place of His sanctuary must become glorious in the sight of the world. It is His presence that gives strength and dignity to the city. This God is so related to the people of the earth that the manifestation of His presence will attract countless multitudes. Men feel that their great need is instruction, a divine light must fall across life's pathway if men are to know how to live and how to treat each other. The acknowledgment of a common Lord, the source of true teaching and the giver of justice, is the condition of that peace for which men hungered in those weary, restless days. There is a fine spiritual logic in the passage; the things that are placed side by side have a vital relationship to each other and not a mere external connection. We ought to be able to see this more clearly than the original writer as we read his programme in the light of larger experience. We need not repeat the statement that no one local sanctuary can meet the spiritual needs of the human race, that if Christianity is to be more than a mere name the modern Babylons must be conquered in the name of the God of righteousness. When this national feature is allowed for it is still a great thing that this disciple of the prophets sees so clearly into the connection of spiritual forces, and that while placing the scene in his own city he has dreamed a dream large enough for the world. Thus he glorifies noble teaching and gives the real condition of peace as the common reception and acknowledgment of great principles.

4. The Missionary Idea in the Passage, and its Permanence.

A number of the ideas mentioned above would bear further meditation and fuller expansion, but we are now more particularly concerned with one, namely, the attractive power of a great religion. There is a great confidence that a real revelation from God has been given, and that such a revelation will be its own evidence, and will draw to it sincere truth-seeking spirits. Later, there came the command to go forth and teach all nations, and the great thought that the possession of an important truth carries with it the obligation to missionary service. But first this side of the missionary idea was born, that God will make the place of His dwelling glorious with a glory that will break down local barriers and sectarian prejudice. It may seem strange to us that the Jew, who later gained the reputation of "a hater of mankind," should have set forth, in such noble forms, beliefs that imply a real relationship between the men, of different nations — a relationship that is deeper and stronger than the superficial differences that divide them. Here is faith in the presence of God and the power of His revelation, faith in the need, dignity, and capacity of man, faith in the strength and beauty of truth and the influence of teaching, faith in a brighter future for which men yearn and which God will grant. All these expressions need, for our day, to be translated into larger forms, but the germ of great things is here. Specially do we need this thought that the highest religion will be, in the best sense, attractive; it will have a gentle influence because of what it is in itself, just because the life of God is in it it cannot be kept in any "holy city," men will come for it and carry it forth. In this sense was the religion of Old Testament times missionary, that there grew up in Israel a great gift of God which, "shining more and more unto the perfect day," could not be confined by limitations of place or nationality, and without formal propaganda forced its way out into the life of the world.

The permanence of this idea is one of the outstanding features of our time. To-day, in all Christian nations, there is a strong manifestation of the missionary spirit, preachers and teachers are sent forth throughout the world; the organisation for this kind of work is growing and becoming constantly more effective. We cannot now dwell upon the advantage and dangers of all this machinery; this one fact, however, demands our attention: there must be a living relation between the life of a nation and its missionary service. The Jews became, in a certain measure, a missionary people because they were led by God to a richer conception of truth and a stronger thought of religion than that which their world possessed. We cannot, then, press the distinction between home and foreign missionary. We may find foreign missionary work in our own city and in our own souls; or, in other words, the assistance of our foreign missionaries must not be merely in our financial support and their self-sacrificing spirit, but it must have its real basis in the character of the nation that sends them. Thus it is seen that the right solution of our own- political and social problems is a part of foreign missionary work. If we cannot conquer, to a larger extent, the power of drink, ignorance, and vice within our own borders, we cannot do the highest kind of missionary work. If Christian nations cannot bring principles of justice into their treatment of weaker peoples and their relations with each other, to that extent do they fall short of the prophetic programme. The time has gone by when the missionary work can be considered as being summed up in an effort to give peace to the individual soul, so that heaven may be accepted as the deliverance from, and the compensation for, the ills of earth. The relationship of man to God, indeed of individual men to God, must always be the basis of religion, the inspiration of all high service. But we must now construe the service *more broadly, we must realise that religion has to create a city of God here, a society whose members seek to live in righteousness and enjoy that peace which can be based on righteousness alone. The sense of the Divine presence, the influence of high teaching, the attractiveness of noble life, the community of need and desire, or the true brotherhood of men — insomuch as Christian nations are succeeding in giving a living expression to these religious ideas, we may say that the true Jerusalem is finding a place on earth; and, at least, let us in our churches beware lest, when we have elaborated the missionary machinery to high perfection, there should be radical weakness in the inner life. It is not a final, finished theology that we can send out in definite parcels, but a living, growing faith that we must share with mankind. The oneness of humanity means now something larger than ever before, but we rejoice that in this charming picture from a distant time there is, with all its simplicity, a suggestion and promise of a fellowship that is spiritual and eternal.