ralliann
christian
Abraham taught his entire household prior to the law of MosesI believe it is a misunderstanding to say that the Mosaic Covenant is contrary to the Abrahamic Covenant.
I The Abrahamic Covenant:
1) The promise of a special relationship: "to be God to you and your descendants" Gen 17:7
2) The gift of the land: Gen.15:18-19
3) The promise of an increase in number: Gen.17:6
4) Establishing the covenant to Abraham's descendants as an everlasting covenant: Gen.17:7,19
5) The promise of blessing: Gen.12:2; 26:24
6) The nations will be blessed: Gen.12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14
II The Mosaic Covenant:
1) The promise of a special relationship: A treasured people, Ex. 19:5 Be your God and you will be My people, Lev. 26:12
2) The gift of the land: Ex. 23:20-23; Lev. 26:42
3) The promise of an increase in number: Lev. 26:9
4) Confirming the covenant to subsequent generations: Lev. 26:9
5) The promise of blessing: Deut.11:26f
6) Israel will be a light, a blessing to the nations: Isa. 2:3; 51:4
As you can see the two Covenants are not separate and distinct but woven together in the flow of redemptive history.
It is not as though God has gone back on His word, at first promising unconditional blessing to Abraham, and then changing His Covenant to be conditional at Sinai. Far from it! God, in choosing Abraham and his offspring, had set Himself to form a people who would be characterized by His own holiness.
The Covenants of Abraham came not only with blessing, but also with provision to attain that blessing through obedience. Indeed, the Abrahamic Covenant anticipated the Mosaic Covenant as the means by which that promised blessing would be realized!
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Gen. 18:17-19
The blessings promised in the Abrahamic Covenant are secure because God intends to enable Abraham's offspring to do righteousness and justice. To put it in theological terms, the promise of the covenant assures the sanctification of those who will be blessed.
Thus, the Mosaic Covenant, the Torah through the Holy Spirit, is given to bring about that holiness which would, in turn, produce the promised Covenant blessings.
It was necessary then that those who would receive the unconditional blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant should be righteous, not only in a forensic or "positional" sense, but in "doing righteousness and justice." In this way, it is necessary for every Covenant member to have the Torah, because it is in the Torah that God's revelation and standards of righteousness and justice are revealed.
The Abrahamic Covenant is presented as unilateral (God initiating and promising) just as justification is God's sole work. Likewise, the Mosaic Covenant is presented as bilateral (God and Israel working together) just as sanctification is presented in the Bible as the cooperation between the redeemed soul and the Almighty.
But if the Abrahamic covenant included the Gentiles, then it is also necessary that the Gentiles have the Torah; for the Torah (Mosaic Covenant) is the God-given means to prepare His people to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. God's blessings come upon the righteous, not the wicked!
To say that the Gentiles are blessed in the Abrahamic covenant but have no part in the Mosaic covenant would be like saying a person could be justified without becoming sanctified. Such a scenario finds no place in the biblical record.
Ge 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
His household included Children from keturah, as well as His servants.
Ge 25:4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
Moses father in law was priest of Midian. He knew a thing or two about setting up courts of justice.
Ex. 18:17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Moses law was additional law. It retained law which was prior.
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