The question has been raised on what ground were Old Testament saints blessed of God.
It is very evident that God was dealing with men in Old Testament times on the line of probation Thus the law was given to one nation, that of the Israelites, to carry out this test. If man, however, had been left to this test alone, not one of Adam’s race would have been blessed. But, thank God, we have abundant testimony in the Old Testament that this was not so.
The law was never given in its nakedness. Alongside was given elaborate instructions as to how God could dwell among His people, and the first sight the Israelites had in approaching the Tabernacle was that of the brazen altar, setting forth that there is but one way of approach to God, and that through an acceptable sacrifice.
Would their minds not go back to the story of Abel’s offering of the lamb of his flock being accepted, whilst Cain’s bloodless offering was refused? Would they not ponder over the story of Abraham being commanded to sacrifice his son, and when his obedience was tested to the point of binding Isaac upon the altar, and the uplifted knife about to slay his son was arrested, a ram caught in the thicket by its horns was provided? Would they not wonder at the words of Abraham to his son, when he said, “God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). Would not their minds ponder over the meaning of the bloodstained lintels and doorposts in their houses in Egypt on that never-to-be-forgotten night of the passover? This would be continually emphasised as its commemoration took place year by year.
Light gradually shone out, not in the full measure in which it shines today, for Christ had not come, nor had He died on the cross. Yet David’s well-known Psalms 21, 22, 23, show how brightly, comparatively speaking, the light shone. In Psalm 22 there is delineated the suffering Messiah, His resurrection is implied most clearly, for how could He declare Jehovah’s name to the great congregation, had He not risen from the dead? Three centuries later Isaiah 53 presents the same suffering Messiah in very remarkable language. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (v. 4). So sure is the prophet that what he foretold would assuredly come to pass that he wrote his prophecy in the PAST tense, as if the event were already completed. It was so to faith.
There are two verses in Romans 3:25-26, which set forth in a very striking way how blessing came to Old Testament believers, and how it comes to New Testament believers. “God has set forth [Christ] to be a propitiation [that is, a mercy seat] through faith in His blood for the remission of sins that are past [that is of sins committed before Christ died, in short, the sins of Old Testament believers], through the forbearance of God.” It was much like discounting a bill, saying the assurance that it would be fully met on maturity. God, who knew that full atonement for sin would be made, forgave the sins of Old Testament believers on the ground of their faith in God, who would provide the Lamb sufficient for the Sacrifice.
The passage in Romans 3 goes on to define the position of the New Testament believer in contrast to the Old Testament believer. “To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just and the Justifier of him that believes in Jesus” (v. 26). There is no mention here of the forbearance of God in the sense in which that word is used in the previous verse. The Saviour has come. The waiting time is over. The types have been fulfilled. The prophecies have been fulfilled. The work of Calvary is finished. The veil of the temple has been rent from the top to the bottom. The Saviour has risen triumphant from the grave in virtue of His accomplished work. He has entered heaven by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for all who trust Him.
This is the ground of the blessing of both Old Testament believer and New Testament believer: the same precious finished work of the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross. The difference is that the Old Testament believer looked forward, through the medium of types, shadows, prophecies; the New Testament believer looks back on a grand historical fact. Both looks centre on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 9:15 puts the matter clearly as to the Old Testament believer. “For this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” This distinctly states the sins alluded to in this passage of Scripture were committed by those who were under the law in Old Testament times. That this statement should appear in an epistle written to believing Jews we can well understand, for they were converted when under that system.
Let us now listen to the testimony relating to Old Testament believers. It is Abraham, an Old Testament saint, who furnishes a pattern for all believers. Even New Testament believers are called “the children of Abraham.” “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7). It would take pages to enumerate all that is said of Abraham’s faith and his being accounted righteous were we to refer to every Scripture where he is mentioned in this connection.
What of Job, who was not an Israelite, a chieftain of immense wealth and highest character in the land of Uz? He lived before the law was given. He suffered the most frightful stripping a man ever had, all his wealth and family swept away in a succession of lightning blows, then the jibing and tormenting of his self-righteous friends as be sat amid the potsherds, every nerve of his body quivering with agonised torment, such was his physical condition. Hear his triumphant assertion, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). Still more explicit as to his salvation, he says, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day on the earth: and though after my skin worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold” (Job 19:25-27). Does that not go a long way? Weigh over his statement. If he knew that his Redeemer lived, that could only be true of a Divine Person. He believed He would come to this earth. He did so and will do so again. Then again Job knew he himself would be raised in the body should he die. He had no doubt or scepticism as to resurrection. The worms might consume his flesh. He had no materialistic doubts as to the power of God to raise him, and that his eyes should really behold his Redeemer. I don’t think we, New Testament believers, can surpass Job’s statement in its quiet assurance and magnificent faith.
Then we come to David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel. Hear what he says. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered [here he uses a word which signifies atonement]” (Ps. 32:1). Lower down in the Psalm he said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord: and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (v. 5). Psalm 130:4 says, “There is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.”
Then we come to Hebrews 11, that magnificent cloud of witnesses in the Old Testament as to what faith can do. “By faith” or its equivalent “Through faith” occurs no less than twenty-one times in that wonderful chapter. We can feel the vigour of the faith that was translated into various actions—the offering of the firstlings of the flock; translation to heaven without dying; building a huge ark on dry land far inland; going out into the wilderness as a Stranger and pilgrim; bearing a child when far past the time for nature to give such expectation; offering up a son though held back at the last moment; forsaking Egypt, not fearing the wrath of a powerful king; the falling of the walls of Jericho; subduing kingdoms; obtaining promises; stopping the mouths of lions; etc., etc.
There is no doubt of the blessing of the Old Testament saints, and when the summoning shout of our Lord is heard, Adam, Abel, Abraham—in short all the Old Testament saints—will rise with the New Testament saints to meet their Lord in the air, all gloriously covered by that expression in 1 Corinthians 15:23, “They that are Christ’s at His coming.” True the Old Testament saints did not know of Christ when on earth, nor do they belong to the body, the Bride of Christ. This is alone the privilege of all saints between the Day of Pentecost and the Coming of our Lord for His own, an event we believe to be very near.