The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-09

ing the need of better sacrifices than
those of bulls and of goats. and also
teaching them that there is no other
means OF Justification in his sight.
They got blessings under this Cove
nant-educatiOna blessings, but not
the blessing hoped for. not life eternal.
Hence they were not in a position to
become. as they had hoped, a ma
tional Messiah. a national Seed OF
Abraham. for the blessing of all the
nations.
God gave them kings for q time, but
these were unable 10 accomplish the
great things hoped for. But the prom
Use of a personal Messiah was made,
and that he should be of the lineage of
David great King. far superior to
the great, wise and rich Solomon
Messiah would he David's Son and yet
Davids Lord psalm cx, L; Matthew
xxi, 4244. Here. as God intended.
Israel began TO get the thought OF a
personal Messiah. a King of Glory.
who would use their nation as his in
strumentality for the conQuering OF
the world. when every knee should
bow and every tongue confess to the
glory OF God.
A New Covenant and Better Mediator.
The next lesson for Israel TO learn
was thar a change of DiSpenSati0n
must come. that. as Moses had medl-
ated the Law Covenant, so an anti.
typical Moses, greater than Moses.
would induct them into the blessings
and privileges Of still better Cove
nant. a Covenant more favorable to
them and under which they could
gain eternal life. This New Covenant
was particularly set before them
through Jeremiah's prophecy xxi.
31-34). And this. combined with the
statement of Moses respecting great
er Mediator. helped their faith TO take
a fresh hold upon the Oath-Bound
Abrahamic Promise-"ln thy Seed
shall all the families OF the earth be
blessed
If great enough Mediator should
come as the promised Messenger or
God. and should establish q better
Covenant. under which Israel could
have eternal life. and il he as the
offspring of David. should become
their King. then indeed Abraham's
Seed, the nation of Israel under that
great Mediator King, would be fully
qualified TO bless ali the families OF
the earth. The thought of this glory
TO their nation became a fresh inspira-
ton, and around it gathered the fifty
odd thousand of Jews. out of all the
tribes of Israel. who returned from
Babylonian captivity under the edict OF
Cyrus. offering them this privilege.
Through the Prophet Ezekiel the Lord
again made mention of the fact that
their Law Covenant, made at Sinai.
must. before their great blessing OF
enant, better Covenant. Speaking
of the time when he would regarher
them out Of all lands and would full
fill to them the promise made to .Abra-
ham, Isaac and Jacob. and make them
a great nation. and use them for the
blessing Of other nations, the Lord de-
clares. mot for your Sakes do ] this,
o house of Israel. but for my names
sake" He then proceeds to tell them
that at the time he would receive
them back again into his love and
favor he would also humble their
pride by restoring the Samaritans
and the acknowledgements whom Is
rael detested as interiors and sinners.
God declares that neither Of these
peoples had ever committed as serious
sins against Divine goodness as had
Israel, and that when he would again
bless Israel he would bless also these
other peoples i'll their midst. Let me
quote his words: when thy sisters,
SodOm and her daughters shall return
to their former estate. and Samaria and
her daughters shall return to their
former estate. then thou and thy daugh-
tiers shall return 10 your former es-
tatc. Nevertheless l will remem-
Der my C0reaaat with thee in the days
of thy youth. and | will establish unto
thee an everlasting Covenant.
u
Samaritans) unto thee for daughters.
but not by thy Covenant mot under
the old Law Covenant but under the
New LAW Covenant of the futurel,
and will establish my Covenant with
thee: 4 = $ Tin order that thou may,
est remember and be COMPOUNDED. and
never open thy mouth any more, be-
cause Of thy shame. when ! am paci-
fed toward thee for all that thou hast
done, saith the Lord God" Ezekiel
xvi. ,J-63J.
This New and better Covenant is to
be mediated through a personal Mes
siah-a still more glorious Mediator
than Moses. a still more glorious King
than David-this One whom Israel be-
gan TO look for and TO long for. Can
we wonder that they failed to identify
him in the lOwly NaZarene who died at
Calvary? We cannot. Nothing hut u
special assistance Of the holy Spirit
would enable any one to trace the con
nection between the glorious pictures
of the prophecies and the humble ap-
pearance of him who came to fulfill
those prophecies. We do see, however
that the great Messiah of Glory. Jesus
in his Second Advent as King of kings
and Lord Of lords, fills absolutely every
demand OF Jewish expectation and OF
prophetic outline. Some can see, but
others cannot as yet. that he who was
pierced is the same One who, as the
Son Of God, in great glory is shortly
to bless Israel-and all the families of
the earth through Israel.