LIVING MESSAGES

OF THE

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE



By G. CAMPBELL MORGAN



Living Messages

of the

Books of The Bible,




BY THE REV.



G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, D. D.
f



GENESIS TO MALA CHI




NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO

Fleming H. Revell Company

LONDON AND EDINBURGH




Copyright, 1912, by
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY



Now Complete in Two Volumes
izmo, cloth, each $2.00

The Living Messages

of the Books of the Bible
By G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, D.D.

Dr. Morgan here presents in a most scholarly
series of Expositions the truly Spiritual Messages
or Key-notes of each of the separate books of the
Bible, applying their various messages to the in-
dividual, the Church and the nation to-day in a
practical and convincing manner. Carefully ar-
ranged detailed charts accompany each of the
sixty-six divisions, showing their essential mes-
sages and applications.



United Presbyterian ; " They are messages
from God to man, to men of the time to which
they were written, but beyond them to men of
every age messages of sin, judgment, divine
love and salvation."

VOL. I. GENESIS MALACHI. (Old Testament
Complete in One Vol.)

VOL. II. MATTHEW REVELATION. (New Tes-
tament Complete in One Vol.)



New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street



INTRODUCTION

WITH regard to the Scriptures of the Old
Testament, Paul wrote, "Whatsoever
things were written aforetime were
written for our learning, that through patience
and through comfort of the Scriptures we might
have hope."

He thus clearly revealed the true mission of
these sacred writings in our day, as he declared
that they " were written for our learning, that

. . we might have hope." Their mission
is that of teaching, in order to the inspiration
of hope.

This view of the value of the Old Testament
Scriptures reveals a most important conception
of their nature. The apostle did not suggest
that the writers of olden times wrote with the
men of later ages in their thought. They wrote
for their own age, and for the men by whom
they were surrounded. Nevertheless the apostle
declared that these things were written for us.
It is evident, therefore, that he believed that be-
hind the authors there was an Author; that

i




2 INTRODUCTION

encompassing the minds of the men who wrote
in different places, and at different times, was
one master Mind ; and that this Author had in
view not only the age in which these things
were written, but all successive ages.

The peculiar value of these ancient writings
for the present time is that they inspire hope in
those who read. Hope is an attitude of mind
in the midst of conflict, danger, and difficulty.
In the age of God's ultimate victory, hope will
be changed into sight and possession. What a
man sees, he no longer hopes for. The sacred
writings of the Hebrew people contain the
stories of men in the midst of conflict and peril,
reveal the confidences that filled them with
hope, tell of the victories they won, of the de-
feats they suffered ; and the supreme value of
these Scriptures is that they create hope for
those who are still upon the pilgrimage, who
are still in the thick of the battle, who are still
carrying on the work of building. The words
and works of God in ancient times, the victories
men won, and the defeats they suffered, all
serve to fill the heart with hope, as they reveal
the way of victory, and utter the word of warn-
ing.




INTRODUCTION 3

The apostle with equal clearness revealed the
fnethod by which the Scriptures of the old
economy fulfilled this mission. This is indi-
cated by the words patience and comfort, which
with equal accuracy might be rendered endur-
ance and encouragement.

The meaning of endurance is perhaps best
illustrated for us by the eleventh chapter of the
letter to the Hebrews. To read that chapter
is to pass in review the whole of the Old Testa-
ment Scriptures. The great outstanding names
are mentioned, and others are referred to, whose
names are not given. Throughout the whole
chapter, faith is revealed as the principle of
victory. All these men are seen passing
through circumstances of difficulty and of
danger, with their eyes set upon an ultimate
purpose, which they supremely desired to be