So must the Christian be "a worker together with God; ""always abounding in the work of the Lord." That work may be obscure-the world may never notice it, but still, if done to the Lord, it shall never lose its reward. Some of Israel we find in this chapter were put to take charge of pins and cords! (See ver. 37.) What menial work to spend all one's days in looking after a few old boards and pins and cords! Ah! but it was the Lord's work, and should in due time meet with a rich reward. "That which God has cleansed call not thou common or unclean." Fifthly, "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and whosoever is defiled by the dead, both male and female, shall ye put out; without the camp shall ye put them, that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell." (Chap. v. 2, 3). Here we have the children of God separating themselves from all sin and uncleanness. So must the Christian ever be. "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God;" "come out from among them, and be ye separate; touch not the unclean thing." Lastly, "Speak unto the children of Israel .. to separate themselves unto the Lord" (chap. vi. 2); "He separateth himself unto the Lord" (ver. 6); "the consecration of his God is upon his head" (ver. 7); "he is holy unto the Lord" (ver. 8). Here we have the children of Israel as Nazarites consecrated to God. Mark now, reader, who they are on whom the blessing of the Lord is pronounced. They declare their pedigree. They go forth to war. They pitch by their own standard. They are "workers together with God." They are separated unto God. Now, let us glance at our second part-the source of blessing. Observe, it is a blessing consisting of three parts or divisions, and the second member of each sentence explains and unfolds the first. Observe, also, that it is the blessing of the Triune God-each person of the Trinity is pronouncing his own blessing-that which is the peculiar office of that person to bestow -upon Israel. The word also rendered "Lord" is, in fact, "Jehovah," or the "I am"-God in covenant. The blessing, then, stands thus: "Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee. "Jehovah make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. "Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." The first sentence is the blessing of God the Father; the second that of God the Son; the third that of God the Holy Ghost. In the first the blessing of the Father pours itself out through the appointed channels, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The blessing of Jehovah (the Father) is God in action. He is the Keeper of his Church "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given Me;" "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation;" "He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep;" "the Lord is thy Keeper." The second is equally striking: "Jehovah (the Son) make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee." Here God the Son is the face through whom the light of the Father shines, and that light is defined in the second member of the sentence as grace. Consider for a moment this beautiful figure. If you, reader, are speaking to any person, and want to know that man's heart and thoughts, how do you strive to know them? Every man is invisible to his fellow man. You cannot read his thoughts or feelings, or desires or affections. But if you want to get at them you look into his face. This is the nearest approach you can make to what is invisible. So with God. He is invisible. "No man hath seen God at any time." But this invisible God has a face. That face is Jesus. If you want to know the Invisible God you must turn and look into the FaceJesus. There is no other way of getting to know it: "The Only Begotten in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him:" "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the FACE-Jesus Christ." All light pours. itself through the medium-the sun. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness. All light, life, and glory pours itself out of the Father's heart through Him, the Sun of Righteousness. In the first chapter of |