XII. The Covenants and Israel.

Note: In this chapter, Monk compares and contrasts the old and new covenants. I wanted to comment on this chapter because Monk interprets the church somewhat differently than we do here at Life Assurance Ministries. He uses the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:46 in the middle of Paul’s discussion of the resurrection and of the comparison between the natural body and the resurrected, spiritual body. Monk, however, grabs verse 46 and uses it to make the argument that Israel was the natural body, and the church is the spiritual body. In this way he moves through some proof-texts to conclude that the church is the new Israel. 

Monk is not unique in this view, but his texts supporting his argument are out of context, and in context, they do not conclude that the church is the new Israel. Instead, in context, Paul is comparing and contrasting Adam’s earthy body with the risen Christ’s glorified spiritual body. Paul’s point is that we cannot fully explain the differences, but the natural body is of a different quality than the resurrected body.

I am not making this point to discredit Monk but rather to forestall confusion from anyone reading this who might be familiar with the way we explain that the church is not a “new Israel” or a “replacement” of Israel. Rather, the church is completely NEW. It is the new covenant body of believers, and it is not a nation but rather new creations joined together in Christ to make a new body entirely that is not a replacement of Israel. 

Although I do not agree with this particular conclusion of Monk’s based on what I consider to be out-of-context proof-texting, still his point is very important: the old covenant is completely different from the new covenant. The law governing the old covenant does not govern the new covenant. I understand Monk’s reasoning, yet I believe that a more literal reading of the New Testament presents the understanding that the church does not replace Israel but is identified in Romans 11 as the “wild branches” that are grafted into the tree of God’s purposes rooted in His covenant promises to the patriarchs. The church will inherit the new covenant blessings first promised to Abraham—and Israel also will still be recipients of those unconditional promises. —Colleen Tinker

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Jehovah promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his posterity. (Gen. 15: 18; 1 Chron.16: 18.) When Israel, his children in the flesh, came to receive the land (four hundred years after the promise had been made), God required of them a formal contract.

THE CONTRACT.

The Proposal.—The proposal took place at Sinai. The Lord called Moses up into the mount and said unto him: “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me.” (Ex. 19: 5.) Israel answered: “We will.” (Ex. 19: 8.)

In this proposal Jehovah called attention to his “voice” (the prophets), which they were to obey, and to his “covenant,” which they were to subscribe to. The covenant was his contract.

The Contract.—Read the parable of the householder (Matt. 21: 33-44) :

• Householder—Jehovah.
• Husbandmen—the Jews.
• Servants—the prophets.
• Vineyard—Canaan.
• The contract—Ten Commandments.

Israel agreed to obey the contract. Their agreeing to obey the contract must of necessity be something different from the contract itself. Note the following :

“And he wrote upon the tables the words of the contract, the ten commandments.” (Ex. 34: 28.)

“The tables of the contract which the Lord made with you [the children of Israel].” (Deut. 9: 9.)

“And in it I have put the ark, wherein is the contract of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.” (2 Chron. 6: 11.)

I have supplied “contract” for “covenant” in these quotations, because the two words, as herein used, are synonymous.

Mrs. Ellen G. White, in “Patriarchs and Prophets,” page 507, states that the Ten Commandments were the “terms” of the contract between Jehovah and Israel. Jehovah, the landlord, leased (or rented) his “vineyard” (Canaan) to the Jews. Like any other landlord, he entered into a contract with his tenants. His contract was the Ten Commandments.

The Covenant Commanded.—Adventists presume to find a “commanded covenant” in Deut. 4: 13. They contend that the transaction at Sinai was the “made” covenant, and the covenant in Deut. 4: 13 is the “commanded” covenant. But they miss the literal wording of this passage. The passage states that Jehovah “declared” the Ten Commandments, while he “commanded” Israel. Israel was the one commanded, not the Ten Commandments.

THE NEW COVENANT.

The new dispensation has its covenant also. But the new covenant is entirely different from the old. The old covenant passed away with the old dispensation. “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: 13.) The main points of difference between the two covenants—the old and the new—are the following:

• Old.—Graven on stone. (Ex. 32: 16.)
• New.—Engraven on the heart. (2 Chron. 3: 3.)
• Old.—Given to the Jews only. (Deut. 4: 8, 9; Eph. 2: 12.)
• New.—Given to all peoples. (Acts 17: 30.)
• Old.—Was “carnal.” (Gal. 4: 24, 29.)
• New.—Is spiritual. (Gal. 4: 29.)
• Old.—Type, bud, of the old system. (Heb. 9: 24.)
• New.—Antitype, blossom, of the old. (Heb. 9: 23.)
• Old.—Temporary; passed away. (Heb. 8: 13; 9: 9.) 
• New.—Eternal; never to pass away. (Heb. 12: 28; 9: 12.)
• Old.—Natural; “natural branches.” (Rom. 11: 21.)
• New.—Spiritual; “spiritual household.” (1 Pet. 2: 5.)
• Old.—Imperfect. (Heb. 8: 7.)
• New.—Perfect. (1 Cor. 13: 10.)
• Old.—Given to children in development. (Gal. 3: 21.)
• New.—Given to mature persons, spiritually. (1 Cor. 13: 11.)
• Old.—Was taken out of the way. (Heb. 10: 9.)
• New.—Was established. (Heb. 10: 9.)
• Old.—Blessings were temporary. (1 Chron. 16: 18; Heb. 11: 39.)
• New.—Blessings are eternal. (1 Pet. 4: 1.)
• Old.—Proclaimed on Mount Sinai. (2 Chron. 6: 11.)
• New.—Proclaimed on Mount Zion. (Heb. 12: 18-22.)
• Old.—Shook the earth when proclaimed. (Ex. 20: 18.)
• New.—Shook also heaven. (Heb. 12: 26.)
• Old.—Negative; “thou shalt not.” (Ex. 20: 1-17.)
• New.—Positive; “thou shalt.” (Matt. 5: 7.)
• Old.—Dealt with commands. (Ex. 20: 23.)
• New.—Deals with principles. (Matt. 12: 30; Rom. 12: 9; Gal. 5: 21.)
• Old.—Was a system of bondage. (Acts 15: 10.)
• New.—Is a system of liberty. (Gal. 5: 2.)
• Old.—Its land was Canaan, and its people Israel. (Gen. 13: 15; 12: 2.)
• New.—Its land, the earth redeemed; and its people, “every nation and kindred and tongue and people.” (Gen. 12: 3; 18: 18; Rom. 4: 13.)

The legal tie of the old covenant was the law. The moral obligation of the new covenant is the gospel. Paul labored until the very end of his days showing the proper relationship of the law and the gospel. (Read Gal. 3.) Jehovah promised that Abraham should be the father of all nations and heir of the world—that is, the new covenant was confirmed with Abraham. But the law (Israel) and Canaan were all added, thrown in, “till” the seed (Christ) should come. So, necessarily, when the seed came, the supplement, the added part, fell away.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW COVENANT.

New.—Our Lord was the scribe who brought out of his storehouse things both “new and old.” (Matt. 13: 52.) But he did not sew the old patch on to the new garment. (Matt. 9: 16.) Some of the new things that he brought out of his storehouse are these:

• New doctrine. (Mark 1:27.)
• New tongues. (Mark 16:17.)
• New lump. (1 Cor. 5:7.)
• New Testament. (John 13:24.)
• New creatures. (2 Cor. 5:17.)
• New man. (Eph. 2:15.)
• New way. (Heb. 10:20.)
• New babes. (1 Pet. 2:2.)
• New heaven and new earth. (2 Pet. 3:13.)
• New passover. (1 Cor. 5:7.)
• New sacrifices. (1 Pet. 2:5.)
• New praise offering. (Rev. 1:10; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2.)
• New supper. (1 Cor. 11: 24.)

Better.—It is not possible to raise a nation of slaves to perfect religious, moral, and civic standards at a single effort. The Lord did the best he could with the conditions in hand. But he had something better for them. These better things came through the gospel. A few of them are the following :

• Better hope. (Heb. 7: 10.)
• Better resurrection. (Heb. 11: 35.)
• Better sacrifices. (Heb. 9: 23.)
• Better country. (Heb. 11: 16.)
• Better covenant. (Heb. 8: 6.)
• Better things. (Heb. 12: 24.)

Living.—Another characteristic of the new covenant is that it is a living covenant. All its parts vibrate with life. This was not so of the old dispensation. The sacrifices were all decaying stuff. The priests were constantly dying. Under the new order we have a different nature of things—thus:

• Living water. (John 10: 4.)
• Living bread. (John 6: 51.)
• Living sacrifices. (Rom. 12: 1.)
• Living way. (Heb. 10: 20.)
• Living stone. (1 Pet. 2: 4.)
• Living fountain. (Rev. 7: 17.)
• Living Christ. (Matt. 28: 20.)

THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL.

Nothing is more clearly taught in the word of God than that there are two houses of Israel—the one “natural” and the other “spiritual.” Paul puts it thus: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15: 44.) The spiritual was not first, “but that which is natural; and afterwards that which is spiritual.” (1 Cor. 15: 46.)

Following this line of reasoning, Paul held that the Jews were “the natural branches” (Rom. 11: 21) ; and Peter adds that Christians constitute a “spiritual household” (1 Pet. 2: 5).

Going on to conclusions from such a premise, Paul observes that the natural man cannot understand spiritual things. Since the Jews were “natural,” their laws had to be natural; and, conversely, since Christians are a “spiritual household,” their laws must of necessity be spiritual also. Hence, when the Jews were cut off, their natural laws were cut off with them; and, just so, when the Christian stock was grafted in, suitable spiritual laws were grafted in likewise. The whole scheme may be seen at a glance by means of the following chart:

THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL.

JEW. Natural.

CHRISTIAN. Spiritual.

“There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.…That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterwards that which is spiritual.” (1 Cor. 15: 44-46.)

Branches. (Rom. 11: 21.) Adam. (1 Cor. 15: 45.) Moses. (Deut. 18: 15.) Kingdom. (Ex. 19: 5-8.) Law. (Matt. 5: 27, 33, 43.) Covenant. (Deut. 5: 2, 3.) Sacrifices.(Heb. 9: 9, 10.) Testament. (2 Cor. 3: 14.) Dispensation.(Matt. 21: 33.) Priesthood. (Heb. 7: 27.) Commandment. (Heb. 7: 16.) Birth. (Job 14: 1.)

House. (1 Pet. 2: 5.) Adam. (1 Cor. 15: 45.) Moses. (Acts 3: 22.) Kingdom. (Heb. 12: 8.) Law. (Heb. 12: 18-26.) Covenant. (Heb. 8: 9.) Sacrifices. (1 Pet. 2: 5.) Testament. (2 Cor. 3: 6.) Dispensation. (Eph.3: 12.) Priesthood, (Heb. 9:11.) Commandment. (Rom. 7:12.) Birth. (John 3: 3, 5.)

“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2: 14.)

Law. (John 1: 17.) Letter. (2 Cor. 3: 6.) Childhood. (Gal. 3: 24.) Bondage. (Acts 15: 10.)

Grace. (Rom. 6: 14.) Spirit. (2 Cor. 3: 6.) Maturity. (Gal. 3: 24.) Liberty. (Gal. 5: 1.)

ISHMAEL ESAU SINAI

Gal. 4: 21 Gen. 25:23 Heb. 12: 18-26

ISAAC JOCOB ZION

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CONTENTS