LESSON IV.—SABBATH, OCTOBER 27, 1900
THE LAW NOT AGAINST THE PROMISE.
17 "Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 18 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one. 19 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid." IN each of these lessons we repeat a portion of the scripture contained in the preceding lesson, so that the connection may be maintained, and that the student may have opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with it. To this end, also we take but a very small portion in advance. There is surely no reason why everybody should not get the text thoroughly fixed in mind, when so small a portion is given each week; yet the brightest student need not feel that the lessons are too short, for in this portion of the Scripture every sentence is rich enough in suggestion for an entire lesson. IN the first part of verse 19 the reading of the common version is better than that of the revision. Leaving out the unnecessary word "serveth," which, as indicated by being in italic, has been added by the translators, and not translated from the Greek, we have the question, "Wherefore then the law?" That is the better rendering of the Greek text, and the question is very pertinent, as will be seen by any one who closely follows the line of thought. IT should be noted that the words "God forbid," which are frequently found in the English translation of the New Testament, are not at all a translation of what is found in the Greek text. The word "God" is not in the corresponding sentence in the Greek. The best rendering that could be given would be "not at all," or "not by any means." The expression is a very emphatic negative. (1) How long before the giving of the law at Sinai was the covenant made and confirmed to Abraham? (2) By whom and to whom were the promises made? (3) How was the covenant confirmed? (4) The covenant having been confirmed, what could the law do? (5) What relation have the covenant and the promise? (6) Concerning what was the covenant made? (7) How did God give the inheritance to Abraham? (8) By what, then, does the inheritance certainly not come? (9) Since the inheritance comes solely through the promise of God, and not by the law four hundred and thirty years afterward, what question naturally arises?-"Wherefore then the law?" (10) What is the answer to this question?-"It was added [spoken] because of transgressions." (11) What comes by the law?-"By the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20. (12) How long was the law to stand as the witness against sin?-"Till the Seed should come." (13) What seed?-"The Seed to whom the promise was made." (14) What promise?-"The promise of an inheritance." (15) To whom was this inheritance promised equally with the Seed?-"To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made." (16) Through whose agency was the law given?-"Through angels." (17) In whose hand was it?-"In the hand of a mediator." (18) Could the law, then, be against the promise of God, altho it came in after the promise was confirmed?-"Not by any means." 1. REMEMBER that to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made, and that the covenant was confirmed by God with an oath. Because God could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself. The covenant with Abraham is summed up in one word—inheritance. Compare Gen. 17:4-11 with Rom. 4:9-13. God promised to give Abraham and his Seed the whole earth, not in its present condition, but made new. "We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13. 2. RIGHTEOUSNESS will dwell in this inheritance, for it can be gained only through righteousness,—the righteousness of faith. The inheritance is a free gift, however, and therefore the righteousness that wins it is a free gift from God. "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his Seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 4:13. The "free gift," "the gift by grace," is "the gift of righteousness." Rom. 5:15-17. 3. This covenant also embraces everlasting life, for it is to be an everlasting inheritance. In the confirmation of the covenant by the oath of God, it was said to Abraham, "Thy Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies." Gen. 22:17. This means nothing less than the destruction of death, for "the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. 15:26. Abraham received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had before he was circumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. Rom. 4:11. All who believe are Abraham's seed; therefore the promises to Abraham and his Seed include the resurrection of all the righteous, and the destruction of death, which of course means an end of sin, and the renewing of the earth. All this is given by the Lord as the reward of the righteousness which is itself His gift to all who believe. 4. THIS covenant was confirmed four hundred and thirty years before the law was given from Sinai; therefore the entering of the law would have no effect upon it whatever. God never meant to have any one think that the inheritance of righteousness was to be obtained by means of the law given at Sinai; for in that case He would have been taking back His promise; "for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise," and "He can not lie." 5. "WHEREFORE then the law?" What was the use of giving it? It was spoken because of transgressions,—because of faithlessness, for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." "The law entered, that the offense might abound" (Rom. 5:20); "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful" (Rom. 7:13). "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." 6. HOW LONG would the law have this duty to perform,—to testify against sinners and to stand as a witness to their faithlessness and disloyalty?-"Until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made." The Seed "to whom the promise was made" is not yet come. Remember that Abraham is the father of all them that believe, so that the Seed will not be fully come until all who will believe shall have come to the possession of the inheritance. Then will the promise be fulfilled. There will then be no more need of a law to remind men of their sins, for the law will be in the heart of each one, so that there will be no sin. The name of Christ the King will be "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." 7. WHAT ASSURANCE have we that we can ever be thus at peace with the law which convicts us of sin and condemns us to death?-"This, that it was ordained "in the hand of a Mediator," which is Christ, "for there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. 2:5. He is the medium by which the kingdom of God and His righteousness are conveyed to us. We have no need to fear the thunders of Sinai, so long as we remember that the law which thunders is in the hand of a Mediator, who gave Himself for our sins, and that the thunders proceed from the throne of grace. Even the thunders of Sinai are but the "loud voice" of the message of God's everlasting love. See Deut. 33:2, 3. 8. "Is the law then against the promises of God?"-Far from it; not by any means. What then?-"It is in harmony with the promise. (1) God did not give it without a purpose; (2) it was not given as a means of obtaining the inheritance which is wholly by promise; (3) but the law is not against the promise; (4) therefore the law must be in the line of the promises. Yes, the law proclaimed from Sinai declares the righteousness which God put into the heart of faithful Abraham, and which He has promised to put into the hearts of all who believe. So, however great it may show our sins to be, however high and impossible to be fulfilled by us are its requirements, so much the more may we rest with rejoicing in the promise and oath of God, who for His own sake blots out all our sins, and works in us His own righteousness. The law indeed requires things of us impossible for weak human nature to perform, but God can do that which is impossible for men; and the immeasurable greatness of the requirements of the law only reveals to us the immeasurable greatness of God's promise.