Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-01-12
Gods Covenant of
the Law

D. PASTOR RUSsEu
- Bs~sAiy. Tsh~r-.<s~

TENr-The Lord. whom ~ .eek shall
suddenly come % hts temple even the
Messenger - the covenant. whom - g.
light In. said Jehovah % Host. bat VITO
may ehi'ie ~ the dsy % bic eeruiaEr-
Malachi III Ix
Six thousand years ago in Eden our
Maker. in Justly sentencing bis dis
obedicnt children 20 death. infimated
that ultimately the seed Of the woman
would bruise the serpents head This
hidden promise vas the nrst intima
tion OF the divine mercy which our
gracious Creator purposed In himself
from before the foundation Of the
world Ever noble. kind and gracious.
our Creator restrained his mercy for
the good Of his creatures-thst they
might learn TO appreciate the exceed
ting sinfulness Of sin. For the good Of
the angels also. and that they might
fully know OF his justice. as well as
OF his wisdom and power. God insist
ed upon dealing with his creatures
from the standpoint Of exact justice
I They had sinned and thereby had for.
feited all claim upon the eternal lif.
which he had given them conditional
ly.
Eternal torment. as We have already
seen. did not in any sense or degree
enter into the divine intention. His
sentence upon man. plainly stated.
vas. Dying thou shalt die not. Iiv
ing thou shal, live in torment The
soul that sinneth II shall die" (Cenr-
sis u. II. Ezekiel xviii. ~. God in
tended 10 exemplify In his dealings
with our race a principle OF divine
government 70 be made operative
everywhere-ultimately among all his
creatures on the spirit plane. as well
as upon the earthly
lsraeEs experiences OF tribulation
and bondage In Egypt were probably
necessary to prepare them for Gods
great proposition-that they should
keep the law and as a reward have
life everlasting A II Ia written. He
that doe,h things shall live by them
I tLeViticus xviii. 81. Israel greatly re
7 ioiced In this manifestation Of divine
preference for them more than for all
others OF humanity The law covenant
was mediated The sacrifice OF bulls
and OF goats made a typical atone
ment for them for q year. so that they
might enter into the covenant rela-
I tionshlp with God. But when they at.
| tempted 10 keep the law they we're
disappointed. They failed The law
OF God being the full measure OF 4
| perfect mans ability. and the Jews.
like other men. being imperfect, found
that they had undertaken an impossi-
btlity.
Not a Jew kept the law perfectly
Not Q Jew. therefore. gained eternal
life during the frst year. But God.
/ foreknowing this. had made prepara-
tion for a repetition OF the atonement
day every year. so that the people
+ might continue striving to attain eter-
nal life. Year after year. century
after century. they failed. and dis.
couragement took tho place OF hope
God was teaching them a great lesson
/ respecting the need of better sacri-
/ fees 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 the
I covenant-educationa blessings. but
no, the blessings hoped for. not life
eternal Hence they were not In a
position TO become. as they had hoped.
a national Messiah. a national seed of
Abraham. for the blessing OF all the
nations
The nrstbegotten Of the Father. as
/ his glorious agent in the great work
/ OF creation. had the honor granted
him OF becoming the great messenger
Of the covenant. the great prophet.
priest and king Of Israel. the grea,
Michael OF Daniel xii. / But there
were tests connected with his attain
ment Of this high position: u1 ny
faith he must lay aside bis heavenly
glory. in obedience to the Fathers
will 10 become a man-not a sinful
man. but a perfect man-holy. harm
less. undenled. separate from sinners
t2) Thus prepared TO become the Re
deemer Il was his privilege TO make
full conservation OF his earthly inter.
est and the Father's pleasure to beget
him OF the holy spirit At Jordan to the
spirit nature on the highest plane
For three and q half years his sacri.
fee burned upon the altar II was
indeed better than the sacrifice OF
bulls and goats. for IL was a CORE
spending price for Adam: an eye for
an eye. a tooth for a tooth. a mar =
life for a mans life (3D When Jesus
had thus sacrifcially parted with his
earthly life he experienced a resurree-
tion change from human nature TO
spiritual. like what he was originally.
only higher and more glorious. Thu,
he Was at once both a sacrifice and
the spirit-begotten priest who offered
that sacrifice.
Then why did he not at once begin
his great work as prophet. priest.
king and new covenant mediator for
Israel and through Israel for the
world, II was because there was to
be more than one sacrifice in the
divine plan on the day OF atonement.
When this bride class shall have
completed her sacrifice In and under
the merit OF the great priest. then
every arrangement for the blessing OF
Israel as Abraham's seed and OF all
nations through Israel win have forth,
with commenced. Thus seen the reve.
iation OF Israels great messenger O!
the new covenant is very important
not only to the Jew. but also to the
! world OF mankind. who must receive
their blessings under Israel by a com,
pliance with the same new law cove
nant