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needs and daily walk, anticipating that day in resurrection, when he will be presented `holy and without blemish',
being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29).
The Earnest.
We take the liberty of quoting from our work The Unfolding Purpose of God on this point:
`The word rendered "earnest" is interesting. In Genesis 38:17,18,20 it is used in the Septuagint, the Greek
translation of the Old Testament, to render the word "pledge". In a slightly different form it meant an
engagement ring, a pledge of marriage and was used by the Phoenicians to signify the first instalment of a
payment which would be made in full later on. Just as God gave Israel a "first instalment" as it were of the good
land of Canaan before they entered it, by allowing the spies to bring back the enormous grapes of Eshcol and its
luscious pomegranates and figs (Num. 13:17-27), so God the Holy Spirit is graciously pleased to give us here
and now glimpses of the coming glory, and these are a divine pledge that God's will and plan cannot be
frustrated. The goal must be reached. Now we have the firstfruits of the Spirit (Rom. 8:23). Then it will be the
reality where Christ is exalted to the Majesty on high' (page 63).
This is further confirmed by the fact that the Holy Spirit has sealed us until the day of redemption as we have
already seen. God's seal cannot be broken either by Satan or the believer. The Lord will not allow anything
whatsoever to come between the believer and the realization of his `blessed hope'. What abiding joy and confidence
this should give, specially when we remember our own frailty and failing.
The great redemptive purpose of God which embraces all things in heaven and earth does not rest upon any
created being, but upon God's own almightiness, foreknowledge and wisdom. If one of these was only partial or if
it rested upon us in any way, we could have no real assurance that God would attain His glorious goal. Truly we can
say with Paul `O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His
judgments and His ways past finding out!' (Rom. 11:33).
Oil, a type of the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament we find truth set forth in picture form or types. Particularly is this so with regard to
redemption and atonement which are set forth by animal sacrifice. There are many types of Christ which
foreshadow His Person and His work and with some of these are blended types of the Holy Spirit. The sweet savour
offerings are apart from the sin offerings, in that they do not portray the Lord Jesus as the sin-bearer, but set forth
the perfection of His Person and His service.
In the meal offerings of Leviticus 2:1-16 we see Christ foreshadowed in His sinlessness. There were to be no
lumps; its consistency must be perfect. But with it was blended oil, and oil was also poured upon it. Oil was used
for healing, for comfort, for illuminating and anointing for specific purposes. Likewise the Holy Spirit heals,
comforts, illuminates and consecrates. With consecration in view, before the Lord Jesus commenced His public
ministry, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove, which is another picture of the Spirit of God (Matt.
3:16,17).
It was as the perfect Man He was sustained all through His life and witness by the Holy Spirit and it is important
to realize that the Spirit was given to the Lord in an unlimited way, `without measure'. In John 3:34 we read: `For
He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him'. As God
He needed no strengthening, but as Man He rendered all His service and witness by the power of the Spirit. This is
what made the action of the Pharisees and Saducees so terrible in asserting that He performed His miracles by the
power of Beelzebub or Satan (Matt. 12:24-32).
The Lord Jesus declared that this is the one sin that cannot be forgiven, for it should be obvious that anyone who
declares that God accomplishes His work by the power of Satan, the liar and the prince of darkness, puts himself
outside the realm of salvation and forgiveness. Satan is no Saviour but God's greatest enemy! Some in this age have
been tormented with the thought that they have sinned terribly and committed the unforgivable sin. It is not possible