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Patriarchs and Prophets
covenant. That the new covenant was valid in the days of Abraham is
evident from the fact that it was then confirmed both by the promise
and by the oath of God—the “two immutable things, in which it was
impossible for God to lie.”
Hebrews 6:18
.
But if the Abrahamic covenant contained the promise of redemp-
tion, why was another covenant formed at Sinai? In their bondage
the people had to a great extent lost the knowledge of God and of the
principles of the Abrahamic covenant. In delivering them from Egypt,
God sought to reveal to them His power and His mercy, that they might
be led to love and trust Him. He brought them down to the Red Sea—
where, pursued by the Egyptians, escape seemed impossible—that
they might realize their utter helplessness, their need of divine aid;
and then He wrought deliverance for them. Thus they were filled with
love and gratitude to God and with confidence in His power to help
them. He had bound them to Himself as their deliverer from temporal
bondage.
But there was a still greater truth to be impressed upon their minds.
Living in the midst of idolatry and corruption, they had no true con-
ception of the holiness of God, of the exceeding sinfulness of their
own hearts, their utter inability, in themselves, to render obedience to
God’s law, and their need of a Saviour. All this they must be taught.
God brought them to Sinai; He manifested His glory; He gave
them His law, with the promise of great blessings on condition of
obedience: “If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant,
then ... ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”
Exodus 19:5, 6
. The people did not realize the sinfulness of their
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own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep
God’s law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling
that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared,
“All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.”
Exodus 24:7
.
They had witnessed the proclamation of the law in awful majesty,
and had trembled with terror before the mount; and yet only a few
weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed
down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of
God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their
sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their
need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant and shadowed
forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were