Archive for the ‘Covenantal Structure’ Category

The latest Office Hours is out and Bryan Estelle, David VanDrunen and John Fesko speak with R. Scott Clark on The Law is not of Faith: Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant.  The discussion was engaging.  This is a very difficult subject and the participants gave a great overview of many of the issues in the discussion.

I hope I’m not reading too much into this episode, but I had the sense there were several thinly veiled references to John Murray. For one, I think it is unfortunate Murray rejected the covenant of works.  It’s something that continues to baffle me, though I still gather throughout his writings that he affirmed the substance of the covenant of works.  I believe his treatment of the imputation of Adam’s sin is first rate, but for some reason, Murray had a problem with the traditional language. Read the rest of this entry »

I am thankful to my good brother Camden who has provoked some nice thoughts about the Mosaic Covenant in this post. Also, of recent interest, especially in light of a provocative review by Mark Karlberg in the recent JETS, is this book on the same subject.

I continue to have some reservations, however, about the idea of the republication of the CoW in the Mosaic economy with reference to national Israel and their possession of the land. Especially with reference to Deut. 9. In this passage a few things are very clear to me which at least challenge the republication theory (although I have no doubt in my mind that in at least some respects and in some places the CoW is clearly republished – for instance, in the giving of the ten words; a la Francis Turretin). Perhaps someone who has a greater understanding of the republication theory, with reference to the retention of the land, can explain to me how they handle these things:

1) Deut 9 makes it clear that Israel, as a nation, is given the land not because of what they have done, or who they are, but because of God’s free grace to them.

2) The covenant with Israel with reference to the land, in this chapter, is very closely connected with the Abrahamic covenant. God gives the land to them because of the promise he made to Abraham.

3) But also, the retaining of the land is also by grace. God says when Israel sins – and they will sin – he will remain faithful to his covenant and forgive them of their sins.

4) Yet, as we see later in redemptive history Israel does sin.  And they sin so severely that God does remove them from the land. However, this hardly seems a typological picture of eschatological judgment. It looks more like discipline in which God deals with Israel in a corrective way.

This need not break the valid connection there is between Adam, Israel, and Christ – especially with reference to Christ’s obedience, particularly in the wilderness where he clearly obeys exactly where Israel fails. We can say this because, yes, the CoW was operative under Moses. I believe that the CoW is always operative. It binds all men everywhere. I’m just not yet convinced that the land and nation of Israel serve in the way explicated by many proponents of the position. But I am open to being convinced. In fact, I prefer the position because it provides a nice neat theological structure to the covenants and redemptive history. However, I first need to get through Deut. 9. Help, any one?

Genesis 12:10-20 sets out the remarkable account of Abram in the land of Egypt. It is remarkable on several accounts. It is the first instance of the sinfulness of Abraham. This is generally the focus that many expositors place in their explanation of the passage. God uses sinful men and women, who even go so far as to fear man and forget the promises of God. As Paul tells Timothy, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.” This is certainly one of the focal points of the text. Then there is the clear example of God’s protection of Abraham. God has promised to protect His elect. This He does in regard to Pharaoh’s attempt to take Sarai to be his wife. The promise that God will give Abraham a seed, through his relationship with Sarah, must be fulfilled. In order to fulfill this promise God goes to great lengths to protect His chosen one, Abraham. God makes Abraham prosper throughout this account as well. This shows that God is interested in blessing His people on account of His grace. But the overall focus of the text is not on any of these particular details, important as they may be, rather it is on the exodus of Abraham.

Genesis was written to the children of Israel, immediately after their deliverance from Egypt. The Lord is recounting the historical and theological foundations of the covenant people. In doing so, He reminds them of His dealings with the father of the Israelitish nation. The Lord had called Abraham, given him exceedingly great and precious promises, and promised to bless the nations in His seed. In the course of events Abraham is driven down to Egypt by a famine. When in Egypt his life and liveliness is at stake. The Lord intervenes by sending plagues on Pharaoh and his house. Abraham is brought up out of Egypt. God has shown His covenant faithfulness by redeeming Abraham out of Egypt.

In Israel’s history the Exodus from Egypt is the great redemptive act of God. It serves as the typological picture of the redemption that He provides for His people spiritually from the hand of the world, the flesh and the devil. In as much as Israel was to understand the Exodus as a type of the spiritual redemption in Christ, God reminded them of His covenant redemption of Abraham back in Genesis 12:10-20. Israel was to look back at the one God had established this covenant of grace with, and look forward to the seed of Abraham who would fulfill that covenant for His people. Abraham is Israel. Israel comes from the loins of Abraham. Jesus is the true Israel. Jesus comes from the loins of Abraham, as well as from the bosom of the Father. Abraham is a type of Christ. Israel is a type of Christ. Jesus, we are told, went down into Egypt and was brought up again out of Egypt (Matt. 2:15). In Luke’s account of the Transfiguration we learn that Jesus’ death is the true “Exodus” (Luke 9:30-31). In His death and resurrection, the Son of God delivers His people from the bondage to Satan that they found themselves oppressed by since birth. Jesus thus fulfills the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant, as well as the typological nature of the nation of Israel. The blessings of Abraham are ours through the One who is Abraham’s Son and Abraham’s Lord. We, who have trusted in Him, are the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3) and heirs of the promise.