Signs of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 50. (12/19/1911)

Signs of the Times

Dec 19, 1911

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 19, 1911

IMMANUEL

By Flora E. Warren

"They shall call His name Immanuel." Matt. 1:23.

By FLORA E. WARREN

Earth's Egypt night has seen a wondrous dawning; A glorious light is shining from afar; Angelic voices sing glad news from heaven, And tell of One who's born—where shepherds are. Peace on the earth! good will to men is given! "Peace on the earth!" the mighty angels tell; Born unto all by sin's wild tempest riven, Immanuel! Immanuel!

Tho some slept on, a few knew glad awaking, Their lone hearts filled with gladness, peace, and rest. Forevermore, through Him shall ev'ry nation And ev'ry family on the earth be blest. "Peace unto all!" the chorus now is swelling. Hear thou, my soul, the message angels tell; Find in my heart a place to make Thy dwelling, Immanuel! Immanuel!

He'll fill the saddened heart with songs of gladness; He'll loose the captive's iron chains of sin; The thirsty soul shall drink of life's pure fountain, The weary find Immanuel within. Peace on the earth! O, sound the joyful story! "Peace unto thee!" the mighty angels tell. All and in all—"God with us" now and ever, Immanuel! Immanuel!

Peace on the earth! whoe'er shall hear the story! Peace unto all, help me, O Lord, to tell; Be Thou our hope, our soul's rejoicing ever, Immanuel! Immanuel!

Question Corner

By Editor

"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."

This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.

3624 — Jew, Gentile, Church

If Israel signifies church, or church Israel, why did Paul himself make a distinction between Jews, Gentiles, and church?

This is another of those "hard" questions. He who has read Paul's epistles will have no trouble in answering it. The text referred to is, "Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God." By the Jews Paul meant the unbelieving Jews. He declares in another place, "They are not all Israel, which are of Israel." Rom. 9:6. He makes very clear distinction between the unbelieving Jews and the true Jews. The true Jew is not the one who is a Jew outwardly, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly. Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the law. Now the Jew to which he refers in 1 Cor. 10:32 is the unbelieving Jews: Ye shall give no occasion of stumbling to them, or to Greeks, or Gentiles — the unbelieving Gentiles. We should give no occasion of stumbling to them. And we should bring that still closer home: give no occasion of stumbling to the church of God, composed of believers from both Jews and Gentiles; but having accepted of the Lord Jesus Christ, all of those believers become the true Israel of God. So the apostle declares, "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29. And so, also, he declares in the 2d chapter of Ephesians, that those who believe in Christ "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Corner-stone." They are all then of the true Israel of God.

This is a sample of these questions. They are mere quibbles, efforts to evade duty. There is but one thing, and only one thing, that men may bring which can not be answered, and that is the carnal heart, because "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," and no scripture can be brought which will satisfy the carnal mind regarding God's law. But when the individual is willing to put away that carnal mind and accept of the everlasting, universal, unlimited authority of God in Jesus Christ, he will have no question or quibble over a single commandment of God. Rather, he will say, with the psalmist, "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day;" and he will say, with the apostle, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous."

3622 — Questions to Seventh-Day Adventists

By Editor

Where is the proof that man had ever before kept the Sabbath, except by special commandment, anterior to the proclamation of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai?

This is one of several questions which a correspondent sends us from Haiti. They are a revamping of a number of questions published in a tractlet several years ago, and still in circulation, entitled "Hard Nuts for Seventh-Day Adventists to Crack." The edition in Haiti seems to have been published by a minister there as if they were original with him. Most of them are mere catch phrases. They puzzle no one who understands the Word of God. The one above quoted is a fair sample of several. We have God's law proclaimed from heaven to Israel for the world, in Exodus 20. Exodus is a book of law. Genesis is not a book of law at all; it is simply a record of God's providential dealings with His children, and of the channel through which the promised Seed who would save the world was to come. It gives us records of events, but nowhere does it give us a code of laws. We could as well ask concerning a half dozen other of the commandments: Where is the record that God ever told us to do this or that? Where is the commandment in Genesis that we should honor our father and mother, or that we should have no other gods before the Lord, or that we should not make any graven images, or should not covet? Of course the record shows very clearly that all these laws were in force, and that he who transgressed them committed sin before God. That record just as conclusively, and even more strongly, shows that the Sabbath was in force during all that time. The very record of its making, as Lange points out in his commentary on Gen. 2:2, 3, shows that God must have given a command concerning that day in the sanctifying, or setting apart, of that day to His glory. And when we come to the 16th chapter of Exodus, as soon as Israel was relieved from the slavery in Egypt, one of the first things done is to restore to them the Sabbath, spoken of not as a new institution, but as a well-known institution which was already in vogue. This the commandment also indicates: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

3623 — Meaning of Circumcision

By J. A. P.

Will you please explain and harmonize Acts 16:1-3 and Gal. 5:2-4?

J. A. P.

There is no inharmony in the texts. The apostle tells us in Gal. 6:15 that in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature; and the same elsewhere. Timothy was circumcised simply to relieve the Jews, from prejudice. There was nothing against it; there was nothing in favor of it. It did not help to save Timothy. Timothy knew that; Paul knew that. The only reason it was done was that it took away the prejudice of the Jews. It is one of the things in which it was proper to yield to their prejudice when it cost no principle. Timothy could then go into Jewish synagogs and the Jewish temple and would be listened to.

Gal. 5:2-4 tells us that there is no hope in circumcision. Circumcision stood in its beginning for righteousness. Abraham had accepted God, and his sins had been forgiven, and he stood clean before God, and circumcision was given him as a seal of the righteousness which is by faith. Rom. 4:11. Now, the men that did not look to Christ, but did look to circumcision, by that very fact were bound to stand holy before the law, and to do the whole law, which no man could do. Consequently it condemned them rather than justified them. And therefore the comment of the apostle Paul in Rom. 2:28, 29: "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." But all that can come only through Christ.

3625 — Strong Drink

By Editor

Please explain Deut. 14:25, 26. Does it mean that a man is allowed to drink strong drink, as fermented wine, or something like it, or liquor?

There were no such strong drinks in the days when that scripture was written as we have at the present time. There were no distilled liquors in that day, and the strongest of all liquors were fermented liquors. And even these could have had no such effect as the drug-doctored wines and fermented liquors of the present time. Our inquirer should take the context also. God is talking to a people who are devoted to Him, who have yielded themselves to Him, who are doing His will, who are coming together to rejoice in Him. And this very feast referred to in Deut. 14:25, 26 is a place where they were to rejoice before God. We can not believe that when His people stood in that relationship to Him, they would be lusting after the things that were evil and wicked. In all such cases, the Christian especially ought to take home to the heart the apostle Paul's rule in 1 Cor. 10:31: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

3626 — Great Sacrifices

By M. H. W.

Solomon offered 142,000 animals as burnt offerings. Explain how this was possible. 1 Kings 8:63. M. H. W.

Simply by multiplying altars and using more priests. The 64th verse tells us that he hallowed the middle of the court which was before the house of Jehovah. It does not tell us that he had any altar there, but it shows that he did have probably many altars there — the burnt offerings, and the meal-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the present altar that was before Jehovah was too little to receive the burnt offering and the meal-offering and the fat of the peace-offerings. And this lasted fourteen days. This was about 10,145 offerings a day — about 845 an hour. These doubtless were multiple offerings, that is, many offerings may have been offered upon one altar at once. There are many ways in which this could be done. We do not know just how. We have the fact stated, and we may be sure that in that great assembly and with all the facilities at hand, the thing could have been carried on without any difficulty.

3627 — Jonah's Case

By Editor

Please explain Jonah 2:5.

In the song of triumph which he sang after he was delivered from the sea-monster, Jonah 2:5 reads, "The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the weeds were wrapped about my head." He is simply, in a poetical phraseology, telling of his experience in the stomach of the great fish. That is all. "Compassed about even to the soul" means even to the life. Of course he would have died there if it had not been for God's providential care over him. He would have drowned, or smothered, in the stomach of the fish, as truly as he would in the waters themselves, if it had not been for God's goodness in keeping him. We do not know what other point our correspondent may have in mind. He will have to make it plainer, if we do not touch upon it.

Schedule for Last Eight Days of 1911

By Editor


Sunday	December 24	Psalms 132-138
Monday	" 25	" 139-144
Tuesday	" 26	" 145-150
Wednesday	" 27	Revelation 1-4
Thursday	" 28	" 5-9
Friday	" 29	" 10-14
Sabbath	" 30	" 15-18
Sunday	" 31	" 19-22

This week's reading includes Psalms 132 to 150, filled full of blessed, spiritual instruction and devotion; and the marvelous book of Revelation to chapter 18. As there is but one more day in the year, we may include that in this week's schedule. The last day of the year concludes the book of Revelation. That to which we have been giving so much special study in the "Signs" needs no comment here.

The journey through the Word of God was hastily taken, many things of interest passed very rapidly by our pilgrims, at the very best; yet we are sure, it will bring many pleasant reminiscences as we glance back over it. Many will recall many places where we have tasted of the heavenly manna, and have dipped refreshing drafts from the springs of life bubbling up along the way. And we have seen, through the whole volume, that there has been one great, central purpose in the Book, one great Leader, one great End,—the bringing of all things into unity under God,—and one great, gracious privilege,—giving to every soul a part in this marvelous work of restoration from the power of sin.

Schedule for First Six Days of January, 1912

Monday	January 1	Genesis 1, 2
Tuesday	" 2	" 3, 4
Wednesday	" 3	" 5, 6
Thursday	" 4	" 7, 8
Friday	" 5	" 9, 10
Sabbath	" 6	Psalms 1, 2, 3

A Select Course of Bible Reading

By Editor

We begin a shorter course of reading with the opening year—what might be called a select course. Several books and many chapters are omitted. As a general thing this will please. Those who wish to read the whole Bible, can easily do so. But how many thousands are there who will go with us in this shorter journey? "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."

Our readings cover the first ten chapters of Genesis, and the first three psalms for Sabbath. In the first ten chapters of the book is an epitome of 1,656 years of the world's history, previous to the great universal Deluge. First is given the creation of heaven and earth, "in the beginning," we know not when. Then came the "laying down of a cosmos," the making of this world and fitting it for the abode of man, all by the creative power of God's Word. "He spake, and it was." Note in the bringing forth of various creatures that each is "after its kind," so stated ten times. Evolution has never broken the barrier of the Word. Note the three acts of the Sabbath. Chapter 1 is a general account of creation, chapter 2 a particular account. The whole Bible stands by the record of the creation and fall.

Note God's promise of the coming Seed, the speedy corruption of sinning man, the cause of the Deluge, and God's salvation typical of Christ. Get the lesson of the covenant bow.

Approved of God to Preach

"Even as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who proveth our hearts."

The Obedient and the Disobedient

By Mrs. E. G. White

The Contrast

GOD'S law is His great standard of righteousness. This law is perfect in all its requirements; and God calls upon us to obey it; for by it our cases will be decided in that day when the books of heaven are opened, and the deeds of all come up in review before the Judge of the universe.

But there are, and ever have been, two classes in this world; and the question, what constitutes the difference between these two classes? is grave and important. One class love and fear God; the other do not wish to retain Him in their knowledge. One class render obedience to His law; the other disregard and disobey His requirements.

Those who are unwilling to obey God's law, declare that it is done away, that God has abolished it. But if this law is perfect, why should God abolish or change it? That which is perfect can not be improved by any change. An attempt to remodel a perfect enactment only causes imperfection. God has neither abolished nor changed His law. It is the foundation of His government; and it will stand forever, the immutable, unalterable standard which all must reach would they be saved. "Till heaven and earth pass," declared Christ, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

"The law of the Lord is perfect," writes the psalmist, "converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. . . . Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." How then does the God of heaven look upon those who pour contempt upon His law? Let not the words spoken against the law of God by those who refuse to obey it, be regarded as wise; for God has said, "The wise in heart will receive commandments; but a prating fool shall fall."

After Adam lost Eden by disobedience, and sin entered the world, men became more and more disobedient. The entire world, with a few exceptions, were given up to depravity and corruption. "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." And by a flood the Lord swept the earth of its moral corruption.

But even in that age the Lord had His representatives. These men loved God; they obeyed Him; and He gave them light and truth. Christ walked with them, giving them moral power to obey Him, and opening before them the future of this earth's history, and the scene of His second coming. "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Of him Jude writes, "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all the speeches which they have spoken against Him."

No one of the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in His generations, and Noah walked with God." When God was about to destroy the inhabitants of the earth with a flood, He said to Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation."

What constituted the difference between Enoch and Noah, and those who were destroyed by the Flood? Enoch and Noah were obedient to the law of God; the others walked in the imagination of their own hearts, and corrupted their ways before the Lord, disregarding all His requirements. By their disobedience they separated themselves from Him, and provoked Him to destroy them. Enoch and Noah were found righteous when tested by the law of God. Had the antediluvians kept the way of God, had they obeyed His commandments, they too would have been found righteous, and would have received the Lord's commendation.

In his letter to the Romans Paul writes of the obedient and the disobedient. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ," he says; "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." These are the obedient. As faith in God increases, the more distinctly we endure the seeing of Him who is invisible, and we are strengthened to obey Him.

The apostle then presents the great army of the disobedient, those who do not love to retain God in their knowledge, but choose their own disloyal ways, and follow the imagination of their own hearts: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things."

Peter also outlines two classes, one approved of God, because obedient to all His commandments; the other disloyal to Him, sinning against Him because transgressing His law; for "sin is the transgression of the law." "There were false prophets also among the people," he writes, "even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." But he says, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust for the purpose of judgment to be punished."

less, indifferent, and disobedient, go on and on, neglecting the great salvation so freely offered to them, failing to recognize God, or to offer Him thanksgiving and praise. The Lord has manifested Himself in His works, which the eye can see and the senses discern; in terms too plain to be misunderstood, He has declared His will in His Word. But the disobedient do not see God in the manifold works of creation; they do not hear His voice speaking to them out of His Word. The light of truth is offered to them, but they choose sin. They follow their own imaginations, as did the inhabitants of the Noachic world, placing their desires and ambitions above all else.

It is a marvel to the heavenly host that God bears so long with the transgressors of His law. But God is long-suffering, and abundant in mercy. His sun shines upon the evil and upon the good, upon those who are so blinded by the deceiving power of Satan that they deny the existence of Omnipotence, and upon those who strive earnestly to do His will. He gives men richly "all things to enjoy," and tho all do not acknowledge Him as worthy of their praise or service, yet He bears patiently with them, and His voice of entreaty is still heard: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" He would have "all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

God ever commends obedience. For their obedience Enoch was translated to heaven, and Noah was saved from the Flood that deluged the earth. "Behold," writes the psalmist, "the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine." "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off."

Weakened through sin, we can not of ourselves keep the law of God. But Christ came to our world to restore the moral image of God in men, and to bring them back from the path of disobedience to a path of obedience. His mission to the world was to reveal the character of God by living the law, which is the foundation of His government; and those who will accept Him as their personal Saviour, will grow in grace, and in His strength will be enabled to obey the law of God.

When Christ comes in the clouds of heaven, only two classes, the obedient and the disobedient, will meet Him. And only those who, having had the light upon God's requirements, have been obedient to Him, can meet Him with joy. Those who have persisted in a course of disobedience, will flee in terror, hiding in the dens of the mountains, and saying to the rocks and the mountains, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." But those who have honored God by their obedience, will look up, and say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

What Was the "Old Covenant" That Was Done Away?

By H. F. Courter

MENTION of the old covenant, with a statement of the new covenant, was given by Jeremiah the prophet (Jer. 31: 31-34), and reiterated in the New Testament in the following words: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make ["complete entirely."—Strong.] a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." Heb. 8: 8-13.

The question is, What was the old covenant that was done away? Was it the Scriptures, called "the Old Testament," or old covenant? Was it "His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone"? Deut. 4: 13. Remember that wherever we find the word "testament," it might just as properly have been translated "covenant," according to the Greek. There are a number of covenants recorded in the Scriptures. We must therefore with great care search for data by which we can determine what that "old covenant" was.

The above scripture gives us abundance of data:

The first or old covenant was faulty. Heb. 8: 6.
It was given in the wilderness. Heb. 8: 9.
It was made with Israel, as is the new. Heb. 8: 9, 10.
When Moses dedicated it, "he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament [covenant] which God hath enjoined unto you." Heb. 9: 19, 20.

Was It the Old Testament Scriptures?

First, let us examine the four tokens given above as applied to the Scriptures written before Christ made His appearance in the flesh. Whatever may be thought of the first and third tokens given above as applying to those Scriptures, no one can claim that the second and fourth apply to them; for but very little of the Scripture was written at that time. Again, Christ and the apostles always called them by such titles as "Scriptures," "Holy Scriptures," "the law and the prophets," etc., but never did they call them the old covenant (testament). Therefore it is clear that the Scriptures written before Christ are not the old covenant that was done away. It was very unfortunate that man should have given the two divisions of the Bible the names "Old" and "New" Testaments; for many have thus concluded that all that was written before Christ, including the Ten Commandments, was done away.

The Covenant Commanded

Second, let us examine the data, or tokens, to see if they can all be applied to the law, or covenant, which He commanded them to perform, the Ten Commandments. David says of this law, or covenant, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." It could not be "faulty" and still be "perfect." Ezekiel refers to this law thus: "I gave them My statutes, and showed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Eze. 20: 11, 12. Paul speaks of God's Ten Commandment law in these terms: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3: 31. "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. . . . The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. . . . For we know that the law is spiritual." Rom. 7: 7, 12, 14.

We see, therefore, that the first datum, or token, by which we know the old covenant, does not apply to the law of God, the commanded covenant. There is no use of examining further data in regard to this; for if it fails to meet the requirement in one point, it can not be the covenant referred to as the "old covenant" that was done away.

The Definition

But what is a covenant? — A covenant is usually an agreement between two or more parties.

In Ex. 19: 3 to 24: 8 we have the making and dedication of the old covenant that was done away. All the data given by which we should know the old covenant are found here. Let us notice for a moment the condition of the people. They were ignorant, having always been in slavery. When they saw the wonders wrought in Egypt, the opening of the Red Sea, and the wonderful provision of food in the wilderness, they thought that they could do anything such a God would require of them. Therefore God gave them an opportunity to try, thereby teaching them their utter helplessness without Him.

Notice the conditions God required of the people of Israel, and the promises He made upon the conditions being fulfilled: "Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; . . . 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." Ex. 19: 3-6. Here God proposed to make a bargain, or covenant, with Israel to keep His covenant and obey His voice. And after Moses explained the terms of the proposed covenant, "all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do."

The Commandments Reiterated

Now the terms of the agreement having been accepted by the people, God directs the people to prepare to hear His covenant, the Ten Commandments, reiterated from the holy mount. I say "reiterated," for the same law was from the beginning. Cain was guilty of breaking it in killing his brother. The antediluvians broke it and perished. Gen. 6: 5-7. But Abraham kept it. "Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." Gen. 26: 5. God's law then contained the Sabbath, as it did when He spoke it from the mount. "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no." This admonition concerning the law and the Sabbath was more than one month before the law was proclaimed from Sinai. Before the Lord seals the bargain, or old covenant, with the people, He comes down and proclaims in awful grandeur His covenant, which they were ready to covenant to perform. He also gave them other instruction in the twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-third chapters of Exodus.

No Excuse for Misunderstanding

After Moses had repeated God's covenant, the Ten Commandments, and all the other instruction found in those chapters, the people again said, "All the words which the Lord hath said will we do." Ex. 24: 3. Then Moses wrote all that he had repeated to them, in a book, called the "book of the covenant," and read it to them. The people could have no excuse for not understanding it, and now they entered fully into the agreement. "And they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient." Moses prepared to seal, or dedicate the covenant with blood. "And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words." Verse 8. Notice that this old covenant was not those words, the Ten Commandments and other instruction God had given them, but it was a covenant made "concerning all these words."

The Point Illustrated

If it is possible to make this last point plainer, let us suppose that to Charley are given certain chores to do, among which, he is required to milk, feed, and water two cows, attend to a span of horses, feed the chickens, and bring in the wood. But Charley is so full of play that his father frequently has to remind him of some of his chores. Now it is Charley's duty to attend to all those chores; but in order to help him form the habit of attending to his duties without being prompted, the father makes a bargain, or covenant, with his son, that if he will attend to all these duties for six months without having to be told, he, the father, will get him a bicycle. If the boy fails to keep his covenant, it does not release him from attending to those chores. Likewise, when Israel failed to keep their covenant with God, it did not release them from the duty to keep God's commanded covenant and obey His voice.

Notice that in the old covenant there is no promise of help or forgiveness. The new covenant promises help and forgiveness. It is therefore founded on better promises. The new covenant contains God's law, the commanded covenant, written in the heart. It is therefore perfect.

The Goodness of God

By Susan Birdsall Roberts

O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness! Ps. 107:31.

O that our lives were one sweet song, One anthem of continued praise, To Him who bought us with His blood, And crowns with good our passing days.

What earthly potentate e'er gave His only well-beloved son, An ignominious death to die For crimes that he had never done?

Good, do we say? Alas for words! For fitting words to speak His praise! We only know, and see, and feel The love that shines through all His ways.

That love has crowned our every hour Since first we learned to lisp His name, A tender Father, merciful, To-day as yesterday the same.

He sends His rain upon the just And on the unjust just as well; The evening dews and genial showers Fall not alone on costly bowers, But cause each wayside bud to swell.

So does His Spirit come alike To each receptive, waiting heart; The lowly and the meek to bless With largest measure of His grace, There to abide, nor thence depart.

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