THE postman of last month now proposes to become an attendant in the divine picture gallery, as the Old Testament might be described, And just as one obtains a catalog in visiting a modern gallery so the teaching of the New Testament gives us the key to unlock the meaning of the Old Testament pictures. Thus we understand the picture gallery better for the catalog, and the catalog better for the pictures!
Let us look at one of them—one which you, I am sure, will soon recognize. How courteously this young girl treats this travel-stained stranger, and busies herself to feed his camels, while his eyes follow her graceful movements. She had listened respectfully to him when, as an entire stranger to her and her country, she might have acted very differently, or have run away. It was most fortunate for her that she did not do so, for she found herself, to her utter astonishment and delight, within a very short time the possessor of costly jewels, which I suppose were as prized by the young ladies of those days as they appear to be now. Such events did not happen every day, that a wealthy traveler (as he is discovered to be spite of his travel-stained garments), should take such notice of a village maiden, and she would have been dull indeed not to have run to tell them all about it at home.
You have no doubt discovered by this time that we are in the "Genesis" room of the divine picture gallery, and that Rebecca is the figure we have been tracing. I wonder whether your experience will have proved anything like hers, as you most certainly will meet the One whom this wealthy stranger pictures, if you have not already done so. He is a type of the Holy Spirit, and even as this unnamed stranger is full of the glories and wealth of his master's son, so the Holy Spirit is working unseen among the sons of men, as we saw last month, to tell them of the glories of Christ's person and the wonders of His salvation, and that He is seeking a bride among the children of men to share these blessings with Him.
I would strongly advise you to compare notes with Rebecca. She had sense to see beyond the travel-stained garb, and although the stranger did not tell her he was the prime minister of a great prince, but asked instead a trifling favor of her, she listened respectfully, and readily granted it. How it reminds us of the Lord Jesus when here, and His gracious way of introducing His priceless gift of eternal life to a sinful woman at the well of Sychar by asking a simple act of politeness from her. Now that the Lord Jesus is exalted at God's right hand, the Holy Spirit is carrying on the same work in His absence, and the reverent and attentive ear is still of the utmost importance.
How wonderful that God should be calling to us from heaven to reason with Him about our sinfulness, so that He might correct all our hard and wicked thoughts in order that He might build up untold blessing upon the foundation of a soul born again!
It is marvelous, but true! "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins I be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool." There are other wonderful things yet to be discovered in the picture before us which we will leave for another occasion.