Ques. Is it consistent for Christians to pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, or to help along any of the present schemes to reinstate the Jews in their land? W. S. M.
Ans. God has given Christians a heavenly calling; (Heb. 3:1.) A heavenly inheritance; (1 Peter 1:3, 4;) and blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3.)
For their sins the Jews were driven out of Pales tine. They smote the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek....Therefore Jehovah gave them up as a nation till the time when she which travaileth hath brought forth. (Mic. 5:1,3.) Then Israel as a nation will be restored. At the present time, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24.) God's word about Israel now is, "Not My people." (Hos. 1:9.) And they are now as described in Hos. 3:4. As concerning the Gospel, they a. e enemies for the Gentiles' sakes; they were broken off from the olive tree of God's testimony on the earth, that the Gentiles might be grafted into it. Their only escape now from judgment is in the mercy of God shown alike to Jew and Gentile. (Rom. 11:28-32.) Those who receive the gospel of the grace of God, cease to be Jew or Gentile, and are in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28.)
Consistently, therefore, as Christians, we pray for their conversion to the Lord Jesus (whose name they now hate), that they might be saved, (Rom. 10:1.) and thus be children of God, the Father; (Gal. 3:26.) members of the body of Christ; (1 Cor. 12:13,) temples of the Holy Spirit, (1 Cor. 6:19.) Israel, as a nation never had, nor in the future ever will have these blessings. Every Christian has them now, and for eternity.
We know also that their national place will never he theirs in possession until the coming of Christ, their true King, in His glory. (Zech. 12:10; 13:1; 14:4, 5. Rom. 11:26, 27.)
The Apostle Peter, who was chosen to feed Christ's sheep, converted from among the Jews, (John 21:15-17; Gal. 2:7-8.) wrote 1 Peter 5:8, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." He said nothing of them getting back to their own land.
Christians have nothing to do with that, except that we look forward to the day when our Lord will reign and we shall reign with Him.
Ques. Why is not feet washing an ordinance like baptism and the Lord's supper? C. O.
Ans. The passover feast lasted seven days. (Num. 28:16-24.) The passover is entirely Jewish. What it typifies is ours. (1 Cor. 5:7, 8.) The Lord's supper is for Christians. (1 Cor. 11:18-34.)
“And as they were eating," (Matt. 26:26.) that is the passover supper. "Jesus took bread," and "the cup," (Ver. 27.) That is the Lord's supper. Mark 14:22 is similar to Matt.
Luke 22:15-18 is the passover; verses 19, 20 is the Lord's supper. 1 Cor. 11:18-34 is all about the Lord's supper, (nothing about the passover) but they were abusing it, connecting it with their own supper, so the rich were full, while the poor went hungry. Then the apostle sets all that right. They were to have a set time for all to come together, and all to eat the Lord's supper at one time. It was to be observed apart from everything else. No love feast was to be allowed there. We sometimes have love feasts. Jude mentions them. (Ver. 12.) Acts 20:7 is the Lord's supper. Verse 11 was a meal through the night.
In Christianity we have no ordinances or institutions except baptism, and the Lord's supper, two symbols of the death of Christ. We do not get the Lord's supper in John's gospel. In John 13:1-30 it is during the passover supper, the sop, a piece of bread dipped in the sauce that accompanied the feast, was given to Judas Iscariot, and he went immediately out.
Verse 2. "Supper being ended," should read, "During supper." The Scripture speaks both typically, and by precept, of washing of water by the Word. In the consecration of the priests, and in the cleansing of the leper, we get washing their bodies with water.
( Ex. 9:4; Lev. 8:6; 14:8,9; Heb. 10:22.) These scriptures answer to being born again, and the moral cleansing that accompanies it. ( John 3:5,7;15:3; 13:10; 1 Cor. 6:11; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23.)
The laver is for the priests to wash their hands and their feet before ministering. (Ex. 30:18-21.) The water of separation of the ashes of the red heifer was to cleanse the Israelite that contracted defilement. (Num. 19.) Psa. 17:4; Psa. 119:9 answer to the washing or keeping clean the feet that tread the heavenly path, by obedience to the Word (John 13:8.) Water as well as blood flowed from the side of Christ when He was dead. The blood witnessed to atonement made to God, and the water brings its cleansing power to us. When the Lord came into this world, He came by water and blood, (1 John 5,) that is, He came fulfilling the Word of God in His perfect life, and then made atonement by His blood shedding.
Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, (Eph. 5:25.) That was on the cross. Since then by His Spirit He is sanctifying and cleansing it with the washing of water by the Word. So that the Word is the water that is used for cleansing us morally day by day, as well as for giving us new birth.
In John 13:10 the disciples were all "clean every whit," (but Judas Iscariot was not) and being washed, (that is, bathed all over) now need only day by day, the feet to be kept clean, led by the Word into paths of holy obedience.
There are no instructions about feet washing, as there are about baptism, and the Lord's supper, because it is not a literal thing, but figurative and spiritual. It is helping each other on in the things of the Lord.
Jesus laying aside His garments and girding Him-self with a towel, teaches us that He took the servant's place, and this He does now in the glory. Peter, and the rest, could well understand the lowly place He took at that time, but none of them could understand the meaning of it till the Spirit came. Peter said, "Lord dost Thou wash my feet?" Jesus answered, and said unto him, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." The meaning of it could only be understood after redemption was accomplished, and Jesus had gone on high, and sent the Holy Spirit down. It is the Lord on high, ministering to us by His Word and Spirit to keep our souls walking in Communion with Him. He is our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. He made atonement for our sins.
We get by the Word, instructions as to our heavenly portion, and character, and guidance and exhortations how to walk consistently with our heavenly calling as holy brethren. (Heb. 3:1.)
The Lord shares with us His service in washing each other's feet, and teaches us to seek to help each other to walk in the steps of the Lord Jesus. This is our business with each other, not at stated periods, as once a month, but everyday and all the time; because the loyal heart, like Peter, wants to have part with the blessed Lord Jesus, We have in Scripture, baptism administered as the initiatory rite only once to the same person. We have the Lord's supper every Lord's day, (Acts 20:7, Rev. 1:10,) but feet washing is spiritual, a figure of the cleansing daily of our ways by the Word of God.
May we, like Psa. 139:23, 24, earnestly seek that the Lord may wash our feet. And pray also, that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in His sight, Who only is our strength and our redeemer (Psa. 19:14.)