Article September 1, 2013

Moses, Jesus, and Science: or Spirit discerned, revealed, and understood

Zoe Seymour Loveland

Originally published in the August 15, 1889 issue of the Christian Science Series (Vol. 1, No. 8)

 The uplifted rod that in Moses' hand led Israel out from Egyptian bondage signifies the power that lies in a clear, spiritual conception of God. The barren rod—emblem of the first perception of Truth—put forth leaf and bud in the Prophetic era; these buds of thought flowered in the understanding of Christianity. The fructifying rod of spiritual perception, crowned by the flower of Christianity, has again put forth its strength, and the ripened fruit of spiritual understanding is presented in Christian Science.

Careful study of the lives of Moses and Jesus, as each is presented in Scripture, reveals many points of analogy and contrast.

In Scripture, ideas are expressed in figures in the wonderful word pictures of the Old Testament and the more spiritual parables of the New. Putting aside preconceived theories, and the speculations of theological dogma, the Bible is seen to be a rythmic portrayal of man's struggle after and gradual growth in righteousness. Continuity of thought exists between the Old and New Testaments, the New being a growth out of the Old. The historical is often blurred or even hidden, for the spiritual is the primary sense. It was for this that the history was written, and it is in this the inspiration exists, and it is this that makes it the "Word of God." As a mere history or record of occurrences visible in material sense it has little distinctive value. The understanding of Science makes the spiritual sense apparent.

Send a comment to the editors