The Two Covenants

What is meant by the word covenant? In the books of the New Testament, the words covenant and testament are used as signifying the same thing. They are, indeed, only two different translations of the same Greek word, diatheke. So that when our Lord says, "This cup is the new testament in my blood" (Luke 22:20), it is the same as if he had said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." Webster thus defines covenant:—

"1. A mutual consent or agreement of two or more persons, to do or to forbear some act or thing; a contract; stipulation.

"2. A writing containing the terms of agreement or contract between parties."

He thus defines the word contract:—

"1. An agreement or covenant between two or more persons, in which each party binds himself to do or forbear some act, and each acquires a right to what the other promises; a mutual promise, upon lawful consideration or cause, which binds the parties to a performance; a bargain; a compact.

"2. The act by which a man and woman are betrothed, each to the other.

"3. The writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation."

It appears, therefore, that the word covenant has two leading significations; 1. That of agreement, or contract, between parties. 2. That of a writing containing the terms or conditions of such agreement. In the first and fullest sense, a covenant is a contract, or agreement, with the conditions on which that contract is made. In the second and more restricted use of that word, a covenant is the terms or conditions of such contract.

Such being the signification of the word covenant, let us now ascertain what it was which constituted the first covenant. We have ascertained who were the contracting or covenanting parties, viz, God and Israel; and when this covenant was made, viz., when God took that people by the hand to bring them forth out of Egypt. But what was the covenant itself into which these two parties entered?

1. If we take the first definition then, without doubt, it was the mutual agreement, or contract made at Sinai between God and Israel respecting the moral law. 2. But if we take the second definition, it was the law itself; for that embodied the conditions of the covenant.

Which of these views is the right one? Those persons who hold that the law of God still remains in force believe that the truth is stated in the first of these two answers. But those who believe that the law was abolished at the death of Christ, do, with equal assurance, maintain that the law of God alone was the first covenant, and that the second of these two answers is the right and proper answer. One party, therefore, asserts that the law of God, or ten commandments, was the first covenant. The other, that the mutual agreement between God and Israel concerning that law constituted that covenant.

Let us now trace the acts by which God and Israel entered into covenant. When we have noted all these, we shall be able to determine the truth in this case. Thus we read, Ex. 19:1; "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai." And the people encamped before the mount. "And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." Verses 3-6. Here is a definite proposition from the God of heaven: "If ye will obey my voice, . . . then ye shall be to me a peculiar treasure."

Next we read the action of Moses, the mediator between these two parties. Having received this proposition from the Lord, he immediately bore it to the people. Thus we read of his action: "And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him." Verse 7. The proposition of the Most High was thus submitted to the people of Israel. And now observe their answer: "And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." Verse 8.

Thus the people with one voice accept the conditions offered them, and pledge themselves to their fulfillment. And now it is the business of the mediator to return this answer to him who had made the proposition to them. And thus we read again: "And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord." Verse 8. The preliminary contract was thus closed. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to the preparation of the people to hear, and the descent of the Almighty to speak the ten commandments. Verses 9-25. And now the voice of God utters the ten words of the moral law. Ex. 20:1-17:—

"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

"Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

"Thou shalt not kill.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery.

"Thou shalt not steal.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

"These words the Lord spake," says Moses, "unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more." Deut. 5:22. This was the voice of God, which the people had so solemnly covenanted to obey. Ex. 19:5.

When the ten words of God's voice had thus been heard, and the people had witnessed the awful display of the divine majesty, then they removed, and stood afar off. And they besought Moses to stand between them and the great God whose voice they had heard, and whose majesty they had witnessed. Ex. 20:18.

"And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." Verse 21. The remainder of the chapter, and all of chapters 21, 22, and 23, are devoted to statutes and judgments, partly defining man's duty toward God, but principally relating toward his duty to his fellowman. With these are precepts of a ceremonial character, but the larger part of these chapters is made up of precepts stating the principles of justice among men. These three chapters were spoken, to Moses only, who was in the immediate presence of God.

Next, the Lord proceeds to the final contract between himself and the people. In the preliminary contract, recorded in Ex. 19, the people had solemnly pledged themselves to obey the voice of God. In Ex. 20, they heard that voice in ten precepts. And now it is worthy of notice how careful was the Most High in this work of entering into covenant with his people, to take no advantage of them. Before hearing his voice, they had pledged themselves to obey it. But the Lord did not treat the contract as closed yet. With an invitation to a large number of persons to come up to him, he sends Moses again to the people. Ex. 24:1, 2. They had heard the voice of God. Do they still stand to their solemn pledge that they would obey it? Lest they had forgotten something of that which God had spoken, and that they might be informed of all that God had communicated to him in the mount, it is next added:—

"And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments." Ex. 24:3. The people have the chance now to refuse to close this most solemn compact if they see cause for so doing. They might have said, "When we agreed to obey the voice of God, we had not heard it. Now that we have heard it, we cannot abide by our promise." And Moses, by repeating every word again, gave them the most perfect opportunity for so doing. But observe the answer of the people:—

"And all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said we will do." Ex. 24:3 We might suppose that this would close the contract between the parties. But not so. Further acts of ratification were to take place. The whole thing must be put in writing. And thus we read:—

"And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord." And now the solemnity of a sacrifice to God must take place. So it is added that Moses "rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord." Verses 4, 5.

The sacrifice of these victims having been thus made to God by the people, the blood itself is carefully secured for an important purpose. And so the record adds:—

"And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar." Verse 6. One half of the blood was offered upon the altar, a direct offering to God. The other half was reserved for another and most expressive solemnity.

We learn from verse 4 that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. Now verse 7 tells us what he did with what was written. What Moses now reads is called the book of the covenant. For it contained the covenant between God and the people as far as, at that point, it had been consummated. And observe again the care of the Almighty that the people should understand every word of that to which they agree. Moses reads every word of the whole transaction in the audience of the people. Thus verse 7 states the case:—

"And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people." Here is yet another opportunity for them to say that they could not abide by their first promise. But, instead of speaking thus, they give their final and unreserved assent to this solemn compact. And thus the verse continues: "And they said, All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient." This closed the contract on the part of the people. But there yet remained a most expressive act on the part of Moses, and a final, solemn announcement to be made by him, which not only proclaimed the accomplishment of the work, but gave a definite idea of what had been done. And so we next read:—

"And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people." Or, as Paul states the case, he "sprinkled both the book and all the people." Verse 8; Heb. 9:19. One half of the blood had been already offered to God upon the altar; the remaining half is that which Moses thus uses. And how solemn and expressive is this act! It is what Paul calls the dedication of the covenant. Heb. 9:18. He sprinkles both the book and all the people. And thus they enter, in the most solemn manner, into the bond of the covenant. And thus the solemn espousal of the people by the Lord of hosts having been consummated, Moses announces the result in words which define the contract with remarkable precision. Having sprinkled the book, and the people, Moses said to them:—

"Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words."

We have now the first covenant, complete and entire. And certainly it is possible for us to determine what constitutes it. We say that the first covenant was this solemn contract, or agreement, between God and the people of Israel concerning the law of God. Our opponents, on the contrary, affirm that the first covenant was simply the law itself. According to the first view, the first covenant was the contract made at Sinai between God and Israel concerning God's law of ten commandments, obedience to that law constituting the condition of the covenant.