covenant

Bible Study Guides – God’s Covenant With His People

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April 12, 2009 – April 18, 2009

Key Text

“And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:13.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 370–373; “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 931–933.

Introduction

“Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old—perfect obedience.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 931.

1 When did Israel first enter into a covenant relationship with God? Exodus 19:1, 8. What did the people promise to do after additional instruction had been given? Exodus 24:3, 7.

Note: “God’s favor toward Israel had always been conditional on their obedience. At the foot of Sinai they had entered into covenant relationship with Him as His ‘peculiar treasure … above all people.’ Solemnly they had promised to follow in the path of obedience. ‘All that the Lord hath spoken we will do,’ they had said. Exodus 19:5, 8. And when, a few days afterward, God’s law was spoken from Sinai, and additional instruction in the form of statutes and judgments was communicated through Moses, the Israelites with one voice had again promised, ‘All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.’ At the ratification of the covenant, the people had once more united in declaring, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.’ Exodus 24:3, 7. God had chosen Israel as His people, and they had chosen Him as their King.” Prophets and Kings, 293.

2 At the close of the wilderness wandering, how was the condition of the covenant repeated? Deuteronomy 4:5, 6, 9.

Note: “Near the close of the wilderness wandering the conditions of the covenant had been repeated. At Baalpeor, on the very borders of the Promised Land, where many fell a prey to subtle temptation, those who remained faithful renewed their vows of allegiance. Through Moses they were warned against the temptations that would assail them in the future; and they were earnestly exhorted to remain separate from the surrounding nations and to worship God alone.” Prophets and Kings, 293, 294.

3 What specific counsel did the Lord give to His people through Moses? Deuteronomy 4:15, 16, 19, 23.

Note: “Plain and decided were the warnings that had been given Israel against the idolatrous customs prevailing among the neighboring nations. …

“Moses traced the evils that would result from a departure from the statutes of Jehovah. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he declared that if, after having dwelt long in the Land of Promise, the people should introduce corrupt forms of worship and bow down to graven images and should refuse to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused, and they would be carried away captive and scattered among the heathen. ‘Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it,’ he warned them; ‘ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.’ [Deuteronomy 4:26.]” Prophets and Kings, 294, 295.

4 What would be the ultimate result of Israel’s refusal to honor their covenant of obedience to God? Deuteronomy 4:26–28.

Note: “The apostasy of Israel had developed gradually. From generation to generation, Satan had made repeated attempts to cause the chosen nation to forget ‘the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments’ that they had promised to keep forever. Deuteronomy 6:1. He knew that if he could only lead Israel to forget God, and to ‘walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them,’ they would ‘surely perish.’ Deuteronomy 8:19.” Prophets and Kings, 296.

5 What has always been the basis of God’s covenant with His people? Deuteronomy 4:13. How did Moses vividly illustrate Israel’s violation of this covenant?

Note: “Before Moses left his people for the mount, he read to them the words of the covenant that God had made with them, and they with one voice answered: ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.’ [Exodus 24:7.] How great must have been the sin of Aaron, how aggravated in the sight of God! …

“When he saw their idolatry, and that they had broken in a most marked manner the words of the covenant, he became overwhelmed with grief and indignation at their base idolatry. Confusion and shame on their account took possession of him, and he there threw down the tables and broke them. As they had broken their covenant with God, Moses, in breaking the tables, signified to them that so also God had broken His covenant with them. The tables whereupon was written the law of God were broken.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 297, 298.

6 Throughout the ages, what has been the result of ignoring or disobeying God’s law? Genesis 6:5–7; Hosea 4:1, 2.

Note: “What was it caused the destruction of the people in the world before the flood?—It was their own sin; for the thoughts and imaginations of their hearts were only evil, and evil continually. They trampled upon the commands of God, as did the Jews, and suffered God’s retributive judgment.” The Review and Herald, August 27, 1895.

“The time preceding the captivity of the ten tribes of Israel was one of similar disobedience and of similar wickedness. God’s law was counted as a thing of nought, and this opened the floodgates of iniquity upon Israel.” Prophets and Kings, 297.

7 How does the Lord describe His faithful followers? Jeremiah 6:2. How close is the relationship to be between God and His people? Ezekiel 16:8, last part; Hosea 2:19.

Note: “In the Bible the sacred and enduring character of the relation that exists between Christ and His church is represented by the union of marriage. The Lord has joined His people to Himself by a solemn covenant, He promising to be their God, and they pledging themselves to be His and His alone.” The Great Controversy, 381.

“Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church—He the bridegroom, and the church the bride; He the head, and the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church.” Education, 268.

8 While Israel was faithful to God, what beautiful description is given of her? Ezekiel 16:13, 14. When was this condition most applicable? II Chronicles 1:1.

Note: “For many years Solomon’s life was marked with devotion to God, with uprightness and firm principle, and with strict obedience to God’s commands. He directed in every important enterprise and managed wisely the business matters connected with the kingdom. …

“The name of Jehovah was greatly honored during the first part of Solomon’s reign. The wisdom and righteousness revealed by the king bore witness to all nations of the excellency of the attributes of the God whom he served. For a time Israel was as the light of the world, showing forth the greatness of Jehovah. Not in the surpassing wisdom, the fabulous riches, the far-reaching power and fame that were his, lay the real glory of Solomon’s early reign; but in the honor that he brought to the name of the God of Israel through a wise use of the gifts of Heaven.” Prophets and Kings, 32, 33.

9 Describe the conditions laid down in the Bible for the blessings of spiritual and material prosperity. Deuteronomy 26:17–19. What exalts a nation? Proverbs 14:34.

Note: “Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose through their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of obedience, He would have made them ‘high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor.’ ‘All people of the earth,’ said Moses, ‘shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.’ ‘The nations which shall hear all these statutes’ shall say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ Deuteronomy 26:19; 28:10; 4:6.” The Desire of Ages, 28.

“The strength of nations, as of individuals, is not found in the opportunities or facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. It is measured by the fidelity with which they fulfill God’s purpose.” Education, 175.

10 What specific blessing did the Lord especially desire for Israel to share with other nations? Genesis 12:1–3; Psalm 33:12. How are we to impart these blessings? Matthew 5:14–16.

Note: “Through Israel it was His [God’s] design to impart rich blessings to all peoples. Through them the way was to be prepared for the diffusion of His light to the whole world. The nations of the world, through following corrupt practices, had lost a knowledge of God. Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming acquainted with Him through His church. He designed that the principles revealed through His people should be the means of restoring in man the moral image of God. …

“God desired to make of His people Israel a praise and a glory. Every spiritual advantage was given them. God withheld from them nothing favorable to the formation of character that would make them representatives of Himself.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 221, 222.

Additional Reading

“Our God is a jealous God. It is a fearful thing to trifle with Him. Anciently, Achan coveted a golden wedge and a Babylonish garment, and secreted them, and all Israel suffered; they were driven before their enemies. And when Joshua inquired the cause, the Lord said: ‘Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.’ [Joshua 7:13.] Achan had sinned, and God destroyed him and all his household, with all they possessed, and wiped the curse from Israel.

“I saw that the Israel of God must arise and renew their strength in God by renewing and keeping their covenant with Him. Covetousness, selfishness, love of money, and love of the world, are all through the ranks of Sabbathkeepers. These evils are destroying the spirit of sacrifice among God’s people. Those that have this covetousness in their hearts are not aware of it. It has gained upon them imperceptibly, and unless it is rooted out, their destruction will be as sure as was Achan’s. Many have taken the sacrifice from God’s altar. They love the world, love its gain and increase, and, unless there is an entire change in them, they will perish with the world. God has lent them means; it is not their own, but God has made them His stewards. And because of this, they call it their own and hoard it up. But, oh, how quick, when the prospering hand of God is removed from them, it is all snatched away in a moment! There must be a sacrificing for God, a denying of self for the truth’s sake. Oh, how weak and frail is man! How puny his arm! I saw that soon the loftiness of man is to be brought down, and the pride of man humbled. Kings and nobles, rich and poor, alike shall bow, and the withering plagues of God shall fall upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 140.

“God’s word to His people is: ‘Come out from among them, and be ye separate, … and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters.’ ‘Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.’ II Corinthians 6: 17, 18; I Peter 2:9. God’s people are to be distinguished as a people who serve Him fully, wholeheartedly, taking no honor to themselves, and remembering that by a most solemn covenant they have bound themselves to serve the Lord and Him only.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 17.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Two Covenants

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To understand the two covenants, we first need to understand what a covenant is. A covenant is a legal term used more frequently in the past. Today we use the term contract. Webster’s dictionary defines a covenant firstly “as a formal, solemn and binding agreement between two or more persons.” Secondly, it is “a written agreement or promise, usually under seal, between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action”.

In order to understand the covenant in the Bible, we need to understand that there are three different types of covenants. The first type of covenant is exemplified in Exodus 19:3–8: “And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, ‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.”

This contract entered into at Sinai is an example of an agreement type of a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. Under this plan a theocracy was set up whereby God agreed to be Israel’s king and lead them into the promised Canaan. Israel agreed to be His people and to accept God in this relationship. Never before or since has such a kingdom been set up under God. The book, Patriarchs and Prophets, describes it like this. “Soon after the encampment at Sinai, Moses was called up into the mountain to meet with God. Alone he climbed the steep and rugged path, and drew near to the cloud that marked the place of Jehovah’s presence. Israel was now to be taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High—to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God. The message to Moses for the people was:

“ ‘Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.’ [Exodus 19:4–6.]

“Moses returned to the camp, and having summoned the elders of Israel, he repeated to them the divine message. Their answer was, ‘All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.’ [Exodus 19:8.] Thus they entered into a solemn covenant with God, pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler, by which they became, in a special sense, the subjects of His authority.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 303.

The second type of covenant is a promise covenant. A promise covenant is a type where one party promises to do something for or to another party. There are no conditions necessary; just a promise. “And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that [is] with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This [is] the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that [is] with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which [is] between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Genesis 9:8–15.

The everlasting covenant is also an example of this type of a covenant. This covenant was first given to Adam and Eve after their fall in Genesis 3:15. It was given to Noah in Genesis 9:9–17; to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, 3; to Isaac in Genesis 26:3, 4, and also to Jacob in Genesis 35:9–12. It represents the only means of salvation for mankind. It could also be called the covenant of peace, the covenant of grace, or just simply, the gospel.

The everlasting covenant was given in many different types and forms. In Genesis 3:15, it is given as the seed of the woman which will bruise the serpent’s head. To Abraham it is given that through his seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.

This same promise is given to us in the most familiar verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

“Father and Son are pledged to fulfill the terms of the everlasting covenant. … Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of the covenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the world was laid. With clasped hands they had entered into a solemn pledge that Christ would become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan’s sophistry.” The Faith I Live By, 76.

The third type of covenant discussed here is called a commanded covenant:

“And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only [ye heard] a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:12, 13.

The Ten Commandments are referred to here as a covenant. Again in Hebrews 9:4, and also in Deuteronomy 9, the tables of the law are called the tables of the covenant. (The definition of a commanded covenant is a rule of action to which men are obligated to make their conduct conformable, a command in force by some sanction; a principle of conduct may be observed habitually by an individual or class, or it may be imposed on all individuals who consent or are unable to resist its application and the penalty for non-compliance, and in that case it becomes a law.)

A good example of a commanded covenant is the law of the land. As a United States citizen we are born under the laws of this country. We do not have to sign an agreement or take an oath to agree to these laws. We are born under those laws, whatever they may be. If we break the law we are subject to the penalties of the law. Now, if you are a foreigner, before you can become a citizen you must take an oath of citizenship. The current oath reads as follows: “I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of whom or which I have here-to-fore been a subject or citizen. That I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law. That I will perform non combatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law, that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law, and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God.”

Within that oath are a lot of principles that we can apply to our spiritual walk. We are not born as citizens of heaven; by nature we are born under the kingdom of darkness. Because we are foreigners, before we can become citizens of heaven, we have to take an oath of citizenship as well. The law of God, as stated in Exodus 24, the commanded covenant, is the law of the land and the kingdom of heaven. It is the basis for all other covenants, and it was the basis of the terms of the old covenant which Israel agreed to in Exodus 19 that we read. God said to Israel, “If you will obey My voice and keep My covenant [the Ten Commandments], then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people.” (Exodus 19:5.) In Exodus 20, God spelled out the Ten Commandments, exactly what they were.

In Exodus 21 to 23, He expounded further on the commandments and gave to Moses different laws and statutes, broken down, to be written into a book and then these were read to the people and there they took their oath of citizenship under the government of God. The covenant was then ratified by blood, making it binding. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” Exodus 24:7, 8.

Just as in taking the oath of citizenship of the United States they denounced their allegiance to any other king or any other prince, it is the same when becoming citizens of the kingdom of heaven; all other kings must be renounced.

In Hebrews 9:16–21, the old covenant is also referred to as a testament. A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties; however, a testament has an inheritant connection with it, just like a person’s last will and testament. In speaking of the new covenant, Paul also uses the same two terms, a covenant and a testament.

The old covenant was an agreement between God and Israel which also included an inheritance. The Israelites were to inherit the land of Canaan. In the new covenant, there is also an agreement and also an inheritance. Those who have by baptism given to God a pledge of their faith in Christ and their death to the old life of sin have entered into a covenant relation with God. Just like in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, when we are baptized, we profess our faith in Christ and enter into a covenant with God. The inheritance of the new covenant is the heavenly kingdom, the heavenly Canaan.

Just as the inheritance in the old covenant was conditional on obedience, the same is true of the new covenant inheritance.

The whole chapter of Deuteronomy 28 is filled with blessings and curses. The inheritance of Israel was dependent upon obedience to God. And it says in verses 63 and 64 that if they didn’t obey, He would take them out of the land which they went in to possess and He would scatter them among the nations. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to Israel.

The terms of the old covenant and the new covenant are the same—obedience to the law of God. The commanded covenant is the basis for both. There was a problem with the covenant made at Sinai. The problem wasn’t with God. God fulfilled His part of the covenant, but the people didn’t fulfill theirs. During their long exile in Egypt, the children of Israel had for the most part lost their knowledge of God and of His law. They didn’t understand the sinfulness of their own hearts or their inability to keep the law in their own strength.

The children of Israel heard God speak the law from Sinai, but less than six weeks later they were dancing around the golden calf and worshipping another god. They had broken the covenant they had made with God and would have been immediately destroyed had it not been for the mediation of Moses. Moses, in the old covenant, was a type of Christ in the new. He was the mediator between the children of Israel and God. Moses interceded on behalf of the children of Israel and on behalf of the nation and prevailed, even though 3,000 people lost their lives. Upon coming down from Mt. Sinai, Moses took the law that God had written, the Ten Commandments, the tables of stone that God had written with His own finger, and he broke them at the base of the mountain to show that the covenant had been broken. Now it was after this experience that the children of Israel were then ready for what came next: they realized their need of a Saviour. They then began to understand the exalted character of God’s law, and the sinfulness of their own hearts.

This necessity resulted in the setting up of a sanctuary service in order to provide a way of separating man from his sins. Through the sanctuary service God presents to us, in living characters, the plan of salvation in types and symbols. It is the working out of the everlasting covenant that was given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15.

“To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, ‘I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.’ [Genesis 3:15.] This sentence, uttered in the hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. … Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through repentance, and faith in Christ, they might again become the children of God.” The Faith I Live By, 75.

“Let those who are oppressed under a sense of sin remember that there is hope for them. The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It had existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So, surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity.” The Signs of the Times, June 12, 1901.

Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. In the old covenant the repentant sinner would bring the sacrificial offering, the sacrificial lamb, to the door of the tabernacle, or to the door of the courtyard. Before the lamb was offered, the sinner would place his hands upon the lamb and confess his sins, transferring his sins, by figure, to the lamb, which represented Christ. They did this by faith. The lamb was then slain by the hands of the sinner, and the blood was taken into the sanctuary and sprinkled before the veil by the priests transferring the sins to the sanctuary. This service, referred to as the daily service, was for the forgiveness of sins. It is through Christ that we can receive forgiveness of sins after they have been confessed.

Every lamb that was slain was to point the people, to remind the people, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission, there is no forgiveness of sin, and that the wages of sin is death. It was also to direct the mind back to the everlasting covenant given in Genesis. In the new covenant we are to behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. Through repentance and faith in the blood of Christ, we can receive forgiveness of sin.

“By pledging His own life, Christ has made Himself responsible for every man and woman on the earth. He stands in the presence of God saying, Father, I take upon Myself the guilt of that soul. It means death to him if he is left to bear it. If he repents, he shall be forgiven. My blood shall cleanse him from all sin. I gave My life for the sins of the world.” In Heavenly Places, 42.

“If the transgressor of God’s law will see in Christ his atoning sacrifice, if he will believe in Him who can cleanse from all unrighteousness, Christ will not have died for him in vain.” The Review and Herald, February 27, 1900.

The plan of salvation was not only to provide forgiveness, but to provide a way to be cleansed and separated from sin and brought back into obedience. The terms of the covenant have always been the same. Obey and live. So we have to be brought back into obedience to the law of God.

“The Son of God in becoming man’s substitute, and bearing the curse which should fall upon man, pledged Himself in behalf of the race, to maintain the honor of the law of God. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may save the sinner, and completely vindicate the claims of the law. His mission was to convince men of sin—which is the transgression of the law, and through the merits of His blood, and by His mediation, He was to bring them back to obedience. Through the sacrifice of Christ, the law could be maintained, and the sinner could be pardoned— not only freed from the power of sin, but renewed ‘after the image of Him that created him.’ Colossians 3:10.” Bible Training School, February 1, 1908.

As we look to Christ, and what He did for us, how He shed His blood for us and now how He takes that blood into the heavenly sanctuary and pleads that blood on our behalf, we can not only have our sins forgiven, but we can be brought back into obedience through the power that He gives us.

“The love and justice of God, and also the immutability of His law, are made manifest by the Saviour’s life, no less than by His death. He assumed human nature, with its infirmities, its liabilities, its temptations. ‘Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.’ Matthew 8:17. ‘In all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren.’ Hebrews 2:17. … He exercised in His own behalf no power which man cannot exercise. As man He met temptation and overcame in the strength given Him of God. He gives us an example of perfect obedience. He has provided that we may become partakers of the divine nature, and assures us that we may overcome as He overcame. His life testified that by the aid of the same divine power which Christ received, it is possible for man to obey God’s law.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, 337. So, Christ united humanity with divinity so that through His life, through His obedience, we can also receive that obedience. We can have the same power that Christ had.

“How this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the Word of God. Only by the Word could He resist temptation. ‘It is written,’ He said. And unto us are given ‘exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. … ’ [11 Peter 1:4.] Every promise in God’s Word is ours. … When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours.” The Faith I Live By, 23.

So how did Christ receive strength? It says that we can overcome as He overcame, that we can receive the same power that He had. And what was that power? How did He receive power? What did it say? It says, by the word of God. All its strength is yours. “Grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37. As you come to Him, believe that he accepts you because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this—never.” Ibid., 23.

Jesus overcame through the word. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.” John 6:63. When we believe in the Word, by faith we become partakers of the divine nature. In commenting on these verses in John 6, Ellen White says, “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life,’ Christ declares: ‘no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’ (John 14:6). Christ is invested with power to give life to all creatures. ‘As the living Father has sent me,’ He says, ‘and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.’ ‘It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life’ (John 6:57, 63.)” Selected Messages, Book 1, 249.

Then it goes on to say something that I found very interesting. It says, “Christ is not here referring to His doctrine, but to His person, the divinity of His character.” Ibid., 249.

So, how do we receive? It says that through the promises we become partakers of the divine nature, and Christ relates Himself to the word, His person, the divinity of His character. So it is as we receive those promises by faith, by the hearing of the word, we become partakers of the divine nature, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27.

The promise of the new covenant: “This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10:16, 17. That is the same promise that God gives us today. He says that He will write His law in our hearts. The law is the basis of the new covenant just as much as in the old. In the old covenant, the law was written on tables of stone. In the new covenant, it is going to be written in our hearts.

“The word of God, received into the soul, will be manifest in good works. Its results will be seen in a Christlike character and life. Christ said of Himself, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within my heart.’ Psalm 40:8.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 60. The Psalmist says, speaking of Christ, that Thy law is what is in My heart. The law is within His heart, so when we fully receive Christ, then the law is written within our hearts too.

“Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is the same mighty Redeemer today. Faith comes by the word of God. Then grasp His promise ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37. Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, ‘Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.’ [Mark 9:24.] You can never perish while you do this—never.” The Desire of Ages, 429.

Through the death of Christ upon the cross we can receive the forgiveness of sin. It is through the mediation of Christ that we, through His merits, can come boldly to the throne of grace. Christ gives us access to the Father. The Bible says that through the Father every good gift comes down from heaven. Through the merits of Christ, we have access to the Father, so we can receive the gifts that He wants to give us—the gift of His Holy Spirit, which is His life.

As we look at the children of Israel and their relationship with God, we can see many parallels in things that they did wrong. And through the sanctuary service we have an object lesson that helps us to see and to understand the sanctuary service that is going on for us in the new covenant today. The old covenant was a picture. The new covenant is the reality. It’s the working out of the everlasting covenant that was given from the beginning.

Looking into the sanctuary service, we notice the Day of Atonement, the final phase of the everlasting covenant. Not only will our sins be forgiven, but it says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

Not only must we have our sins forgiven, but they have to be cleansed, they have to be taken away, and that is the work of Jesus in the final atonement in the sanctuary in heaven. In order for our sins to be taken away, they have to go beforehand to judgment. We have to confess them. We have to put them away, and then, by the grace that Christ gives us, walk in newness of life and obedience to His commandments.

God has given to each one of us precious promises. We can cling to them and have them written into our hearts and into our minds and trust in them, trusting that He who has promised is able to accomplish that which He has promised. May the Lord help us to be faithful, and to apply the gifts that the atonement has provided for us by faith.

Jim Stoeckert is working at Steps to Life and can be reached at: historic@stepstolife.org.

Commitment to the Marriage Covenant

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Week of Prayer for Wednesday

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:21–24.

“God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. ‘Marriage is honorable’ (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 46.

The following quote comes from an editorial published in the Bowling Green Daily News, July 28, 2002 [Bowling Green, Kentucky]. “Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his estranged wife Donna Hanover are not the only ones finding out how messy divorce can be. While a majority of divorce settlements don’t involve one party getting $6.8 million plus child support and legal fees, divorce in most cases sets in motion events over which individuals have little control.

“The research is deafening: Even strained marriages often are better than divorce. Also studies show that the benefits of divorce have been oversold. Researchers at the University of Chicago have followed up on some of the more than 5,000 married adults interviewed several years ago about their relationships. What they found is worthy of note: A good marriage takes much attention and effort.

“Commitment to a spouse and perseverance to face hurdles is the key to any marriage, whether the couple has lived together or not. While the number of marriages ending in divorce is staggering, there are still plenty of people who have found that most conflict, whether it is money, depression and even infidelity, can be resolved with communication and time.

“The effect that commitment can have on future generations is staggering. Wednesday’s [July 24, 2002] report indicating that children of divorce are more likely to end up being divorced themselves should be a strong influence on whether to break up a marriage.”

The Spirit of Prophecy has this to say about divorce: “A woman may be legally divorced from her husband by the laws of the land and yet not divorced in the sight of God and according to the higher law. There is only one sin, which is adultery, which can place the husband or wife in a position where they can be free from the marriage vow in the sight of God. Although the laws of the land may grant a divorce, yet they are husband and wife still in the Bible light, according to the laws of God.” The Adventist Home, 344.

The Commitment Factor

Though all of the following factors have contributed to the divorce rate, there is yet another—a missing preventive factor. However much these factors may predispose our society to an epidemic of divorces, such an epidemic can still be prevented if one key element is present. What element could this be? True commitment!

Problems That Lead to Divorce

What is wrong here? Probably a great many things. Divorce did not become a significant problem in the United States until after the mid-1900s. Many things have changed, which may be contributing to this problem.

The Impact of Dating

Interactions between young men and women have changed a lot since the 1800s. The role of parents, both in protecting their children from premarital intimacy and in influencing marriage decisions, is almost nonexistent today. The majority of modern Christians follow modern dating practices, which are not known to result in excellent marriages. Consider how many young people enter marriage with a background of prior romantic relationships and even fornication. How many relationships are founded on selfishness, physical attraction, and infatuation? How many marriages are entered into with serious misconceptions about the other person’s character, beliefs, and values? Certainly many Christian marriages start badly because of these things.

The Ease and Acceptance of Divorce

In prior times, divorce was only permitted when there was adultery. In the last few generations, many children have grown up in single parent homes. Thus a much smaller percentage of young people marrying have had good marriage role models in their own parents. Also, few have had much good teaching on Christian marriage.

Working Women and Temptation

In the 1800s, and even through most of the first half of the 1900s, the majority of married women were in the home, not in the workplace. Since that time, the majority of women, even of married women, have come to work outside the home, usually right alongside of men. Married women working outside the home are more financially independent of their husbands. Though we usually think of financial independence as a good thing, in marriage it makes the wife less reluctant to leave her husband and removes the husband’s guilt over leaving his wife unsupported. The prevalence of women in the workplace, including married women, has brought more temptation to infidelity to both men and women. Work often brings men and women into close working relationships and friendships that exclude their spouses. This makes fertile ground for infatuations and relationships that result in adultery.

Cultural Influences

Today, we live in a culture steeped in immorality, pornography, alcohol and drug abuse, and selfishness. This culture and its influences have strongly invaded Christian homes. It is no longer just through neighbors, coworkers, acquaintances, and books that we have been bombarded, but now it is also through radio, television, movies, and the Internet. The godless culture around us offers many new and highly effective tools with which to saturate us with temptations and godless influences.

The Marriage Commitment

Our ancestors viewed marriage as a vow before God, a vow to be taken very seriously. To break a solemn vow before God was to invite divine punishment. Churches taught that God hated divorce and that marriage was meant to be for life. Churches, schools, and the leaders of society all stressed the importance of integrity and honor and of keeping one’s promises. Men and women of honor kept their promises, even to their own hurt.

“The grace of Christ, and this alone, can make this institution what God designed it should be—an agent for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. And thus the families of earth, in their unity and peace and love, may represent the family of heaven.” Ibid., 100.

Should we not keep our vows? As modern Christians, should we regard marriage vows more lightly than did our ancestors? I think not! God does not base the marriage commitment on your feelings or on how well your partner treats you. You made a commitment—a vow—without conditions. You committed yourself to another’s care whatever the circumstances or however things might change.

God does not mince words about divorce. In Malachi 2:14–16, He states that He hates divorce, and speaks of those men who divorce as having dealt “treacherously” with their wives. How would you like to be described by God as being treacherous? In Matthew 5:32 and Luke 16:18, Jesus says that anyone who divorces his wife commits adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Jesus further explains that Moses only permitted divorce because of the hardness of men’s hearts—divorce was not God’s intention. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder! (Matthew 19:6.)

Husbands

Where are the men of character and integrity today? Where are those who will give their word and stand by it, even to their own hurt? What about you? Husbands, as God’s appointed head of your family, you are expected to set the example for your wife and children. Are you a man on whom others can count? Do you keep your commitments?

You have vowed to love and care for your wife, whatever the situation, as long as you both shall live. Be true to your vow! Excuses, such as being unhappy in marriage, no longer feeling in love, or not being loved by your wife, do not cut it with God. Devote yourself to pleasing God in your role as a husband. Fulfill your responsibilities and, with patience, depend upon God. Often, this will transform your marriage in a way that brings glory to God. However, even if it does not, your obligation is the same. Your endurance and steadfast commitment to your vow will bring glory to God. Breaking your vow of marriage will bring dishonor on God’s name, giving “occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” 11 Samuel 12:14.

Wives

Some of you face very hard circumstances. Some of your marriages are difficult, at best. Do you feel unloved by your husband? Have you been left lonely and unfulfilled? Have you suffered much neglect and even cruelty from your husband? Hold on to God. He sees your situation, and He cares.

Be faithful to your vows, living with your husband as a godly wife, respecting and honoring him, remaining loyal to him even when he is not loyal to you. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve, whom you live to please. Fulfill your responsibilities as a woman of God, obeying all of the Bible’s instructions concerning marriage.

Do not lose heart. Do not allow your emotions to take control and lead you to dishonor God by abandoning your marriage. I know there are some situations where true physical harm is threatened, when it may be wise for you to depart from your husband for a time—but with the hope that you may soon be able to return and resume your duties as a loyal wife. Do all that is within your power to stand by your vow.

Husbands and Wives

Duty comes before happiness. You have a duty to God and to your marriage partner. Honor God by doing what is right, whatever your spouse chooses to do. You are responsible to God for what you do. Leave your spouse in God’s hands.

“The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. It was designed to be a blessing to mankind. And it is a blessing wherever the marriage covenant is entered into intelligently, in the fear of God, and with due consideration for its responsibilities.

“Every home should be a place of love, a place where the angels of God abide, working with softening, subduing influence upon the hearts of parents and children.

“Our homes must be made a Bethel, our hearts a shrine. Wherever the love of God is cherished in the soul, there will be peace, there will be light and joy. Spread out the word of God before your families in love, and ask, ‘What hath God spoken?’ ” Ibid., 18, 19.

“He who gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet performed His first miracle at a marriage festival. In the festal hall where friends and kindred rejoiced together, Christ began His public ministry. Thus He sanctioned marriage, recognizing it as an institution that He Himself had established. . . .

“Christ honored the marriage relation by making it also a symbol of the union between Him and His redeemed ones. He Himself is the Bridegroom; the bride is the church, of which, as His chosen one, He says, ‘Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee.’ [Song of Solomon 4:7.]” Ibid. 26.

“A Happy or Unhappy Marriage?—If those who are contemplating marriage would not have miserable, unhappy reflections after marriage, they must make it a subject of serious, earnest reflection now. This step taken unwisely is one of the most effective means of ruining the usefulness of young men and women. Life becomes a burden, a curse. No one can so effectually ruin a woman’s happiness and usefulness, and make life a heartsickening burden, as her own husband; and no one can do one hundredth part as much to chill the hopes and aspirations of a man, to paralyze his energies and ruin his influence and prospects, as his own wife. It is from the marriage hour that many men and women date their success or failure in this life, and their hopes of the future life.” Ibid., 43.

“Most men and women have acted in entering the marriage relation as though the only question for them to settle was whether they loved each other. But they should realize that a responsibility rests upon them in the marriage relation farther than this. They should consider whether their offspring will possess physical health and mental and moral strength. But few have moved with high motives and with elevated considerations which they could not lightly throw off—that society had claims upon them, that the weight of their family’s influence would tell in the upward or downward scale.

“The choice of a life companion should be such as best to secure physical, mental, and spiritual well-being for parents and for their children—such as will enable both parents and children to bless their fellow men and to honor their Creator.

“Qualities to Be Sought in a Prospective Wife.—Let a young man seek one to stand by his side who is fitted to bear her share of life’s burdens, one whose influence will ennoble and refine him, and who will make him happy in her love.

“ ‘A prudent wife is from the Lord.’ ‘The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. . . . She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.’ ‘She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her,’ saying, ‘Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.’ He who gains such a wife ‘findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord.’ [Proverbs 19:14; 31:11, 12, 26–29; 18:22.]

“Here are things which should be considered: Will the one you marry bring happiness to your home? Is [she] an economist, or will she, if married, not only use all her own earnings, but all of yours to gratify a vanity, a love of appearance? Are her principles correct in this direction? Has she anything now to depend upon? . . . I know that to the mind of a man infatuated with love and thoughts of marriage these questions will be brushed away as though they were of no consequence. But these things should be duly considered, for they have a bearing upon your future life. . . .

“In your choice of a wife study her character. Will she be one who will be patient and painstaking? Or will she cease to care for your mother and father at the very time when they need a strong son to lean upon? And will she withdraw him from their society to carry out her plans and to suit her own pleasure, and leave the father and mother who, instead of gaining an affectionate daughter, will have lost a son?

“Qualities to Be Sought in a Prospective Husband.—Before giving her hand in marriage, every woman should inquire whether he with whom she is about to unite her destiny is worthy. What has been his past record? Is his life pure? Is the love which he expresses of a noble, elevated character, or is it a mere emotional fondness? Has he the traits of character that will make her happy? Can she find true peace and joy in his affection? Will she be allowed to preserve her individuality, or must her judgment and conscience be surrendered to the control of her husband? . . . Can she honor the Saviour’s claims as supreme? Will body and soul, thoughts and purposes, be preserved pure and holy? These questions have a vital bearing upon the well-being of every woman who enters the marriage relation.

“Let the woman who desires a peaceful, happy union, who would escape future misery and sorrow, inquire before she yields her affections, Has my lover a mother? What is the stamp of her character? Does he recognize his obligations to her? Is he mindful of her wishes and happiness? If he does not respect and honor his mother, will he manifest respect and love, kindness and attention, toward his wife? When the novelty of marriage is over, will he love me still? Will he be patient with my mistakes, or will he be critical, overbearing, and dictatorial? True affection will overlook many mistakes; love will not discern them.

“Accept Only Pure, Manly Traits.—Let a young woman accept as a life companion only one who possesses pure, manly traits of character, one who is diligent, aspiring, and honest, one who loves and fears God.

“Shun those who are irreverent. Shun one who is a lover of idleness; shun the one who is a scoffer of hallowed things. Avoid the society of one who uses profane language, or is addicted to the use of even one glass of liquor. Listen not to the proposals of a man who has no realization of his responsibility to God. The pure truth which sanctifies the soul will give you courage to cut yourself loose from the most pleasing acquaintance whom you know does not love and fear God, and knows nothing of the principles of true righteousness. We may always bear with a friend’s infirmities and with his ignorance, but never with his vices.” Ibid., 45–48.

“Marriage of Christians With Unbelievers.—There is in the Christian world an astonishing, alarming indifference to the teaching of God’s word in regard to the marriage of Christians with unbelievers. Many who profess to love and fear God choose to follow the bent of their own minds rather than take counsel of Infinite Wisdom. In a matter which vitally concerns the happiness and well-being of both parties for this world and the next, reason, judgment, and the fear of God are set aside; and blind impulse, stubborn determination are allowed to control.

“Men and women who are otherwise sensible and conscientious close their ears to counsel; they are deaf to the appeals and entreaties of friends and kindred and of the servants of God. The expression of a caution or warning is regarded as impertinent meddling, and the friend who is faithful enough to utter a remonstrance is treated as an enemy. All this is as Satan would have it. He weaves his spell about the soul, and it becomes bewitched, infatuated. Reason lets fall the reins of self-control upon the neck of lust; unsanctified passion bears sway, until, too late, the victim awakens to a life of misery and bondage. This is not a picture drawn by the imagination, but a recital of facts. God’s sanction is not given to unions which He has expressly forbidden.

“God’s Commands Are Plain.—The Lord commanded ancient Israel not to intermarry with the idolatrous nations around them: ‘Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.’ The reason is given. Infinite Wisdom, foreseeing the result of such unions, declares: ‘For they will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.’ ‘For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.’ [Deuteronomy 7:3, 4, 6.]” Ibid., 61, 62.

“Risking the Enjoyments of Heaven.—‘Can two walk together, except they be agreed?’ ‘If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.’ [Amos 3:3; Matthew 18:19.] But how strange the sight! While one of those so closely united is engaged in devotion, the other is indifferent and careless; while one is seeking the way to everlasting life, the other is in the broad road to death.

“Hundreds have sacrificed Christ and heaven in consequence of marrying unconverted persons. Can it be that the love and fellowship of Christ are of so little value to them that they prefer the companionship of poor mortals? Is heaven so little esteemed that they are willing to risk its enjoyments for one who has no love for the precious Saviour?” Ibid., 66, 67.

Overview

Are you having problems? Are you wavering in commitment? Are you thinking that your marriage may have been a big mistake? Are you becoming friendly with a member of the opposite sex? Perhaps even attracted and a little infatuated? Have you “had it” with the way your spouse treats you? Are you dying inside from loneliness, lack of love, affection, acceptance, respect, or understanding? Are you now finding your mate to be totally unattractive? Is your mate not meeting your basic needs and making no effort to do so?

Seek help for your marriage problems, first from God and second from a wise Christian counselor. Stay committed to your marriage and trust God to work. Put your duty to God and the interests of your children before your own happiness. God did not promise that our lives would be easy and our circumstances always wonderful. Sometimes we must suffer for Christ; yet, relying on Him, we can give thanks in all things and rejoice always. Do not allow your commitment to your marriage to waiver. May you be found by God to be a faithful servant—one who will be more concerned about God’s glory than your own happiness, and one who will obey God and do your duty as a husband or wife, however difficult it may become.

An Unshakable Commitment

We should all enter into marriage taking our vows very seriously and seeking to please God with our marriage. Divorce should not be seen as a possible means of escape. No matter what the problems may be, how bad the relationship may become, or how strongly you may be attracted to another, purpose that you will keep your commitment to a lifelong marriage, that you will not give up, and that you will continue to work at your marriage, weathering whatever storms may come.

For the sake of God’s name, your Christian testimony, your children, and your honor and integrity, determine that you will keep this commitment and do all you can to please God regarding your marriage.

What sort of commitment should you make to your marriage? I would suggest one that includes the following elements:

  1. You will not seek to escape from your marriage.
  2. You will not look for another, and you will run from any temptation towards infidelity. You will be very careful about any interactions with the opposite sex that could possibly lead you into temptation or provoke the jealousy of your spouse.
  3. You will work at your marriage to make it as good as you can, for your children, for your wife or husband, and lastly for yourself.
  4. You will not give up on your marriage, knowing God can change both you and your spouse.
  5. If you do not feel love, you nevertheless, by conscious decision, will decide to love, whatever you may feel. Your actions and words will be loving.
  6. You will confess past wrongs and work to make amends and to restore any broken areas of your marriage relationship.

Conclusion

Christian marriage needs to be stable and permanent; it needs to be built upon the foundation of an unconditional, mutual covenant commitment that will not allow anything or anyone “to put asunder” the marital union established by God. To accept this Biblical view of marriage as a sacred covenant means to be willing to make total, exclusive, continuing, and growing commitments to our marriage partners. Such commitments are not easy or trouble free. Just as our covenantal commitments to God require obedience to the principles embodied in the Ten Commandments, so our covenantal commitments to our marriage partners demand obedience to the principles of the Ten Commandments that are applicable to our marriage relationships.

There is no other way to enter into the joys of Christian marriage than by assuming its covenantal obligations. When we commit ourselves to honor our marriage covenants of mutual faithfulness “till death do us part,” then we experience how God is mysteriously able to unite two lives into “one flesh.” Honoring our marriage covenant is fundamental to the stability of our family, church, and society.

Domingo Nunez is Director of Outreach Ministry for Steps to Life.

Editorial – Types and Shadows, Part V

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Concerning the teaching of the apostle Paul in regard to feast days, he commanded to the Galatian church that anyone who still adhered to the keeping of feast days be disfellowshipped. So we know for certain what the apostle Paul was teaching in regard to the religious practices that, evidently, some in the church in Colossae, as well as the churches in Galatia, were still practicing. These feast days included monthly feast days (new moons) as well as yearly feast days and also old covenant ceremonial practices on the seventh-day Sabbath such as the morning and evening sacrifice.

Ellen White had some very helpful insights in regard to the change in the law when the old covenant was superseded by the new covenant. “The symbols of the Lord’s house are simple and plainly understood, and the truths represented by them are of the deepest significance to us. In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for his church a memorial of his great sacrifice for man. ‘This do,’ he said, ‘in remembrance of me.’ [1 Corinthians 11:24, 25.] This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which he had just established, was to take its place, and to continue through all time as the memorial of his death.” Review and Herald, May 31, 1898.

“In this last act of Christ in partaking with his disciples of the bread and wine, he pledged himself to them as their Redeemer by a new covenant, in which it was written and sealed that upon all who will receive Christ by faith will be bestowed all the blessings that heaven can supply, both in this life and in the future immortal life.

“This covenant deed was to be ratified with Christ’s own blood, which it had been the office of the old sacrificial offerings to keep before their minds. This was understood by the apostle Paul, who said: [Hebrews 10:1–12 quoted].” Ibid.

“In this ordinance, Christ discharged his disciples from the cares and burdens of the ancient Jewish obligations in rites and ceremonies. These no longer possessed any virtue; for type was meeting antitype in himself, the authority and foundation of all Jewish ordinances that pointed to him as the great and only efficacious offering for the sins of the world. He gave this simple ordinance that it might be a special season when he himself would always be present, to lead all participating in it to feel the pulse of their own conscience, to awaken them to an understanding of the lessons symbolized, to revive their memory, to convict of sin, and to receive their penitential repentance. He would teach them that brother is not to exalt himself above brother, that the dangers of disunion and strife shall be seen and appreciated; for the health and holy activity of the soul are involved. . . .

“It was Christ’s desire to leave to his disciples an ordinance that would do for them the very thing they needed,—that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which the reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah. Eating of the body, and drinking of the blood, of Christ, not merely at the sacramental service, but daily partaking of the bread of life to satisfy the soul’s hunger, would be in receiving his word and doing his will.” Ibid., June 14, 1898.

The Sanctuary Furnished with Lessons

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The sanctuary message is a message that is dear to the heart and soul of God’s people. It is as vital to the Christian’s life as the air we breathe, and just as air is life to the physical body, so the sanctuary message is vital to our spiritual life. But it is not just a message, it is a call to action—a plea to live after the perfect example of Christ.

“Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary: who [is so] great a God as [our] God?” Psalms 77:13. Very few words, yet so profound. We are told that the sanctuary was originally a tabernacle built by Moses after the pattern of the sanctuary in heaven. “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5. It was not just the physical nature of the sanctuary that was patterned after that of the heavenly, but also the services. “Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary.” These words alone should state clearly how important it is that we have a clear understanding of the sanctuary. God’s way has been laid open for all to see as we take a walk through the earthly sanctuary.

Although not a complete list of all of the purposes of the sanctuary, four broad purposes can be identified. Through the representations of Christ in the sanctuary, the Israelites were to lay hold of the merits of the Savior to come. Secondly, the sanctuary was a physical confirmation that God was indeed with them. It was a place where He might dwell amongst His people. The sanctuary was also to show, not just the Israelites, but all generations of mankind, the plan of salvation. Although just a shadow, it provides all that needs to be known that we might be saved from a wretched world of sin. The message is presented to us in such a way that even children can comprehend the foundation on which it is built—love, obedience, and holiness. Fourthly, when we look at the sanctuary, we are also able to see the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. Just as the high priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year to cleanse the sanctuary, Jesus is now in that Holy of Holies ministering as our high priest.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. Jesus is the only entrance into the sanctuary, and thus, into heaven. This is exemplified in the physical sanctuary. The only entrance into the tabernacle was the eastern gate. God and sin cannot coexist and because we all are sinners and have each fallen short of the glory of God, our only hope of eternal life with God the Father is through Jesus, our entrance.

It is only through Jesus that we can find forgiveness of our sins. This was expressed by John the Baptist the day Jesus came to be baptized by him. John 1:29 reads, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” In the earthly sanctuary the sinner was to bring a lamb without blemish over which to confess his sins, sacrificing its life in atonement for transgression of the law. The blood of the slain lamb was the foreshadowing of Christ’s perfect sacrifice on Calvary.

The sanctuary message makes it perfectly clear that the life of a Christian is a life of sacrifice. “If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24. There were many types of offerings in the sanctuary, one of which was the burnt offering. In the burnt offering, not only was the sacrifice slain, but also dismembered and placed on the altar to be completely consumed by the flames. I Corinthians 15:31 says, “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” Though just a few words, but profound. Each day we are to die to self and surrender all to Christ as He surrendered all for us, for what servant should expect to be treated better than the Master?

This brings new meaning to God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The burnt offering in the sanctuary was a show of complete surrender to the will of God. Christ’s body was mutilated and hung on the cross for humanity. The torture that Christ endured prior to His death makes the Christian heart ache when struck by the reality of the cruelty. Words cannot express the affliction He endured as the cat of nine tails struck His body over and over again—an instrument of torture tearing at His flesh by the ends of each tail. Thirty nine lashes, not once, but twice. The crown of thorns pressed into His brow, the mockery, the nails, and the desertion; and all the while, Jesus, with just a word, could have put a stop to it all—but chose to endure. The very people that He was dying to save were His murderers. The inexplicable sacrifice of Christ for our salvation was a complete surrender to the will of the Father; a will which stemmed from an incomprehensible love for a vile, fallen race. Our Christian calling is portrayed in the sacrifice to Christ—to surrender our will completely to the Father. Our lives are not ours, but His—paid for through creation and redemption.

“The laver was placed between the altar and the congregation, that before they [the priests] came into the presence of God, in the sight of the congregation, they might wash their hands and their feet. … It was to show them that every particle of dust must be put away before they could go into the presence of God.” Gospel Workers, 162, 163. The “dust” to be put away was symbolic also of sin. The lesson taught by the washing in the laver is that Jesus provides the cleansing. Psalms 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” There is nothing good within us without the presence of Christ. He alone can mold us into His image. Genesis says that we were created in the image of God and this image was to be reflected in each member of God’s family. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, mankind has adapted the image of evil and only by inviting Jesus into our hearts every moment of every day to cleanse us from sin and self, can we display the character of Jesus.

As the lambs were slain every morning and evening, the blood from the lamb was taken to the inner veil of the temple and sprinkled before it. Through the presentation of the blood to the sanctuary, the people were showing their faith in Christ’s cleansing and transforming power. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the veil would be cleansed; not by the priest, not with anything made by man, but by the only One who has the power to cleanse us from our sins and transform our lives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9. Jesus is the only Source of forgiveness and cleansing from a life of sin. We must believe completely in His goodness and mercy for there is no other way to be cleansed and transformed.

A breathtaking glow radiated throughout the tabernacle, the light reflecting gently off the pure gold that furnished God’s house. In the life of the Christian, Jesus is the light. He is the source of life, goodness, and love. It is the object of all who love and fear God to reflect His perfect light and holiness to others. But just as gold does not come to its purest form except through fire, so we do not become perfect in character except through the trials and tribulations that God allows in our lives to purge the impurities from us. Only then, can we truly reflect Christ. II Corinthians 7:1: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” We are to become perfect in holiness, so we can reflect Christ, the Holy One.

In the first apartment of the sanctuary was the table of showbread. Upon the table were twelve loaves of bread, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The bread was placed in two stacks of six. Now, two sixes, when placed side by side make sixty six—the number of books that make up the Bible. God’s word, the bread of life, should be consumed daily. It is our life sustenance, an anchor to hold us steady through the churning waters we call life. There is no other standard, by which we can judge our lives or characters than by God’s word.

The candlestick was made of solid gold. The seven lights were to remain lit day and night, year in and year out, never to flicker. This light represents the Holy Spirit. Maintaining the light of the lampstand required constant vigilance as does having the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Satan is imposing and forceful, but the Holy Spirit is gentle and respectful. We must constantly be battling the devil and inviting Christ. The good news is that, with our invitation, Christ helps us fight the enemy. He is our most powerful ally, if we but ask.

In the first apartment of the sanctuary was the table of incense before which the priest offered prayers on behalf of the children of Israel. The smoke rising to the heavens exemplified their prayers lifting up before the Saviour. Just as the smoke is mixed with the prayers of the priest, Jesus mixes our prayers with His righteousness before the Father. Communion with God is the key for a spiritual relationship. No relationship can be built and sustained without communication. A relationship with Jesus is no different. He wants to be our best friend. Never would we consider cutting off communication with someone who is dear to our hearts. Christ wants to be part of our lives. There is no matter too great or too small for His interest. He granted us the privilege of prayer so that we can speak with Him. Just like a human relationship is built with time and dedication, so a meaningful relationship with God is built through persistent communion.

In these ways, the Sanctuary not only teaches of a need to purify our lives, but also how we can accomplish this. When Jesus asks something of us, He never leaves us without a knowledge of how to achieve His will; nor does He leave us without a means by which to do so. He recognizes our human frailty and reaches out His hands to uphold us if only we reach back.

Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.” We are told in the Bible that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It would stand to reason, then, that if He said that keeping His commandments “is the whole duty of man,” it is just as true now as it was then. It is stated so very clearly that there is no room for speculation and doubt. This exact principle is depicted when looking at the Sanctuary. The law was designated a place of prominence—the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies, a place entered only once a year by only one person. Had the high priest entered the Most Holy place with a sin in his heart, he would have instantly died from the Shekinah glory of God. It was a serious matter to have cherished sin and it is just as serious a matter today. God has not changed. Sin cannot exist in the presence of God. Our eternal life with Him depends on our cleansing through Christ who is now in the Holy of Holies ministering on our behalf.

There were three objects in the Ark of the Covenant. The manna which Israel was given during the forty year exile in the desert shows God’s provision for His people. It serves as a reminder that God is the ultimate provider. Even something as simple as the food we eat is given us by the Creator. We need not depend on money, food or water—but solely to trust in Christ and lean on Him to meet our needs.

Aaron’s staff, which bloomed, was also stored in the Ark of the Covenant. The story is familiar to most of us. Because of the disunity amongst the Israelites over the appointment of the priesthood, God caused one staff to bud signifying His choice for the priest. God is the authority in the church, not man. This is just as true today as it was then. His directions are still binding to all Christians. We need to first follow the law and the authority of God. Only where the will and law of man is in line with that of heaven are we bound to succeed.

The third object in the Ark of the Covenant was the tablets of stone on which were written the Ten Commandments. The writing of the laws in stone was not abstract; it was to signify the undying contract that was made between God and His people. Stone stands the test of time and so it is with the divine commandments. The law is based on the love of God—God is love, and He is unchanging, thus His law is unchanging. Although people are increasingly disregarding the law created for the protection of a most beloved race, God has not changed even one letter of the law. Indeed, we are told that it would be easier for the heavens and the earth to pass away than for even a part of a letter to be taken away from the law of God. The Ten Commandments were so important to God that He wrote them with His own finger, not entrusting the job to a mortal such that we would recognize the weight of His law—the only thing given to humanity that was written by God Himself. The fact that we are bound to this agreement is indisputable. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Another lesson to be learned through the sanctuary is order. I Corinthians 14:40 says, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” During their sojourn in the wilderness, the twelve tribes of Israel pitched their tents in an orderly manner on the perimeter of the camp surrounding the sanctuary, which was always the centerpiece of the camp. Everything about the camp and the sanctuary was done in an orderly fashion. This is the way it is to be in our homes, our work places, and in our churches. God is a God of order and we, as His people, are to do all things “decently and in order” as taught through the sanctuary.

“All the pillars round about the court [shall be] filleted with silver; their hooks [shall be of] silver, and their sockets [of] brass.” Exodus 27:17. There are important lessons to be learned from the pillars that held up hangings that defined the perimeter of the courtyard. According to Exodus 24:4, Moses built an altar and set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. In Revelation 3:12, it says, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.” As you can see, the pillars in both of these two texts represent God’s people. The pillars that surround the court are joined by the linen hangings, so the pillars, which represent God’s people, are joined to each other by Christ. What a beautiful picture of our relationship to each other as shown to us in the sanctuary.

Lastly mentioned here in the sanctuary service is the lesson of the judgment. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest went into the holy of holies in the presence of the Shekinah glory of God. If the priest had not confessed and had his sins forgiven, he would die. We serve a Holy God, and no sin can withstand the presence of a Holy God. It was therefore critical that any sins be confessed and covered with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. So, the sanctuary also teaches that every man will someday face his life record and just as the high priest had to be right before God, we also need to have our sins forgiven and covered with the blood of the Lamb, for God has “appointed a day in which He will judge the world.” (Acts 17:31.)

As we study the sanctuary, we see a beautiful representation of the plan of redemption. There are many lessons to be learned, and with each lesson comes a decision, to learn of and follow the Lord with our whole being. We can find You Lord as we study and act upon the lessons of the sanctuary for “Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary.” Psalms 77:13.

Janet Headrick is office manager at Steps to Life. She can be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org or by phone at: 316-788-5559.

Bible Study Guides – The Everlasting Covenant

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May 6 – 12

Key Text

“I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Genesis 17:7).

Study Help: The Faith I Live By, 76–78, 360–364.

Introduction

“The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant.” The Signs of the Times, August 24, 1891.

Sunday

 1   THE EVERLASTING COVENANT

  •  What shows that the covenant made to Abraham is the same as the one ratified by Christ at Calvary? Genesis 22:16; Hebrews 6:13–18; 9:16.

Note: “The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the ‘second,’ or ‘new,’ covenant, because the blood by which it was sealed was shed after the blood of the first 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).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 371.

  • What was promised under this covenant and how did Abraham respond? Genesis 17:1–8; 15:6; 26:5; compare Galatians 3:8, 16; Romans 4:20–22.

Note: “To all men this covenant offered pardon and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God’s law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 370.

“The law of God was the basis of this covenant, which was simply an arrangement for bringing men again into harmony with the divine will, placing them where they could obey God’s law.” Ibid., 371.

Monday

 2   AN EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIP

  •  In what way did God express the covenant relationship He established with Abraham and his seed? Leviticus 26:12. Compare with Genesis 17:7, 8; Deuteronomy 14:2; 29:13.
  • What did God give to Abraham as a seal of the covenant relationship, and why? Genesis 17:11; Romans 4:11.

Note: “At this time the rite of circumcision was given to Abraham as ‘a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised’ (Romans 4:11). It was to be observed by the patriarch and his descendants as a token that they were devoted to the service of God and thus separated from idolaters, and that God accepted them as His peculiar treasure.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 138.

“It [circumcision] was a sign that those who received it were devoted to the service of God—a pledge that they would remain separate from idolatry and would obey the law of God.” Ibid., 363.

  • What essential experience must we have today in order to enter into the same “new” covenant relationship with God? Deuteronomy 10:16; Colossians 2:11; Hebrews 8:10; 2Corinthians 6:16, 17.

Note: “We are to believe that we are chosen of God, to be saved by the exercise of faith, through the grace of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit; and we are to praise and glorify God for such a marvelous manifestation of His unmerited favor. It is the love of God that draws the soul to Christ, to be graciously received, and presented to the Father. Through the work of the Spirit the divine relationship between God and the sinner is renewed. The Father says: ‘I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people. I will exercise forgiving love toward them and bestow upon them My joy. They shall be to Me a peculiar treasure; for this people whom I have formed for Myself shall show forth My praise’ (Hebrews 8:10; Exodus 19:5; Isaiah 43:21).” The Signs of the Times, January 2, 1893.

“The condition of being received into the Lord’s family is coming out from the world, separating from all its contaminating influences.” God’s Amazing Grace, 57.

Tuesday

 3   AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD

  •  Why is Christ called a priest after Melchizedec and not after Aaron? Hebrews 5:5, 6; 7:11–16; Matthew 1:1, 2.

Note: “The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. This order of priesthood was not to pass to another, or be superseded by another.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 930.

  • In what way does Melchisedec’s priesthood relate to Christ’s everlasting priesthood, and why is it a superior priesthood to Aaron’s? Compare Hebrews 7:1–3 with Hebrews 7:20–25; 6:18–20.

Note: “It was Christ that spoke through Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God. Melchizedek was not Christ, but he was the voice of God in the world, the representative of the Father.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 409.

“The name of that helpless little babe … was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true ‘high priest over the house of God,’ the head of ‘an unchangeable priesthood,’ the intercessor at ‘the right hand of the Majesty on high’ (Hebrews 10:21; 7:24; 1:3).” The Desire of Ages, 52, 55.

  • What parallel is there in the meal that God’s priest offered to Abraham? Compare Genesis 14:18–20 with 1Corinthians 10:16; 11:23–26.

Note: “The bread and the wine represent the body and the blood of Christ. As the bread was broken, and the wine poured out, so on the cross Christ’s body was broken, and His blood shed to save us.

“By eating the bread and drinking the wine, we show that we believe this. We show that we repent of our sins, and that we receive Christ as our Saviour.” The Story of Jesus, 98.

Wednesday

 4   AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION

  •  What everlasting land, which the earthly land was but a shadow, did God promise Abraham? Genesis 17:8; Hebrews 11:8–10; Revelation 21:2.

Note: “The varied experience of the Hebrews was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 293.

“Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home—that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no mortal tongue describe.” The Faith I Live By, 279.

  • When and how will Abraham and his seed receive their eternal inheritance? Matthew 25:31, 34; John 14:1–3, Daniel 7:27.

Note: “The broken, uneven surface of the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain. God’s entire universe was clean, and the great controversy was forever ended. Wherever we looked, everything upon which the eye rested was beautiful and holy. And all the redeemed host, old and young, great and small, cast their glittering crowns at the feet of their Redeemer, and prostrated themselves in adoration before Him, and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever. The beautiful new earth, with all its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints. The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, was then given to the saints of the Most High, who were to possess it forever, even forever and ever.” Early Writings, 295.

“The full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the second coming of Christ to this world. ‘The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,’ is to be given to ‘the people of the saints of the Most High’ (Daniel 7:27). They shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them ‘from the foundation of the world’ (Matthew 25:34). And Christ will take to Himself His great power and will reign.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 108.

Thursday

 5   EVERLASTING LIFE

  •  What is the greatest of all the promises given through the everlasting covenant? Galatians 3:29; 1John 5:11; Revelation 21:3, 4.

Note: “The day is coming when the battle will have been fought, the victory won. The will of God is to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving—the robe of Christ’s righteousness.” The Ministry of Healing, 506.

“There [in heaven], there is no disappointment, no sorrow, no sin, no one who shall say, ‘I am sick.’ There, there is no burial train, no mourning, no death, no parting, no broken hearts; and Jesus is there, peace is there. … In His presence is fullness of joy, at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore!” My Life Today, 349.

  • On what hope must we never give up? Titus 2:11–13; Hebrews 10:35–37.

Note: “Be patient, Christian soldier. Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come. The night of weary waiting, and watching, and mourning is nearly over. The reward will soon be given; the eternal day will dawn. There is no time to sleep now—no time to indulge in useless regrets. He who ventures to slumber now will miss precious opportunities of doing good. … Every soul saved will be an additional star in the crown of Jesus, our adorable Redeemer.” Christian Service, 275.

Friday

 PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

 1     How can we have confidence in God’s Word?

2     How can we have the same covenant relationship with God that Abraham had?

3     Explain how we can have confidence in Christ’s everlasting priesthood.

4     What is the blessed hope of Abraham’s children?

5     Why is eternal life with God the Christian’s blessed hope

God’s Covenant and Law

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People get the idea that the Law of God is unimportant. However, it is so important that rather than change it, God sent His Son to die. How can anything be more important than that?

There has been a lot of interest in the Ten Commandments the last few years in the public. But, what concerns me is that I have not seen the Ten Commandments in very many churches. In fact, it is the churches that have said it is really not important. Speaking of the Sabbath, the Catholics simply say, that is what the Bible says, but we changed it to Sunday. They admit this, claiming to have the authority to do so.

We do not believe that God has given anybody the authority to change this law. There are certain groups, rather than admitting that it has been changed by man, will try to twist their theology with certain Bible texts to make it look like God’s Law has been done away with. When you go through the Ten Commandments with them, you realize that there is only one law they are trying to get rid of and the other nine are okay. The only one they want to get rid of is the one that He wrote with His own finger and said remember. To think that the Fourth Commandment is not important should not even enter our minds.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” II Timothy 4:3. In other words, teachers wanting to tell people what they want to hear rather than what God said. People want their Certified Public Accountant or attorney to tell them the truth; but they want preachers to tell them what they want to hear rather than what the Bible says.

What does the Bible really say? It says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. The Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are together and should always be together. There is no conflict between God and Jesus. Some people think that when Jesus came to this earth, He was a rebel and that He stood up against God’s law. Jesus not only taught the Law but He magnified God’s law.

In Luke 2:49 when his parents found Him in the temple, He said, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” He said, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30. This is the will that He seeks, not His own will. Jesus is not in conflict with the Fourth Commandment because it refers to creation. This is right in the heart of the Ten Commandments and here is the Creator.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3. “All things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” Colossians 1:16. He created all things. Then speaking of Jesus Christ, it says, “There is one lawgiver.” James 4:12.

When Moses brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, there was a cloud protecting them by day and the pillar of fire by night. That was Jesus. “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” I Corinthians 10:4.

If Jesus were in conflict He would be in conflict with Himself. The Bible was given to us by God through His prophets. One part of it He wrote with His own hand and amazingly that is the part that some people want to say is no longer in effect.

He is so clear in Matthew 5:17: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” People have said that means to destroy. Does that say: Think not that I have come to destroy the law; I have not come to destroy but to fulfil? Jesus uses the word to fulfill in Matthew 3:15. When Jesus was baptized, John the Baptist said that he was not worthy to baptize Jesus. “And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Did Jesus do away with righteousness when He was baptized? Did He do away with baptism? No, remember His great commission in Matthew 28:19, 20: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” In other words, go and teach and baptize continually. The word fulfill means that He was bringing about a fulfillment of understanding and of knowledge.

Jesus said, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18. Take your right foot and stomp on the ground. Is the earth still there? Has heaven and earth passed away? Jesus says not one jot or one tittle, until all pass away. Jesus said as long as it is still here, the law will not pass away.

Jesus talked about those people who teach that the commandments have been done away with in Matthew 5:19, first part: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” Being called least in the kingdom of heaven means you are not going to be there. Being called least means that you are the least regarded which means that you are not going to be there.

Jesus said whosoever shall do. I am glad He added the word do because we could teach it but not do it. The talk and the walk must line up together. He says, “But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (verse 19, last part) which means they will be in the kingdom of heaven. God is so very clear. He continues to amplify this: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.” He does not say that you can kill all you want to. He says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother.” Matthew 5:21. That really makes it serious.

He is talking about our heart, our response and how important that is. Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 27, 28. Did He tell the woman caught in adultery that it was all right now to go ahead and keep doing it? No. He said, “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” That should convict each and every one of us, if not on that particular subject, but it shows that the heart is what God is after. He does not want us to be able to simply quote the Ten Commandments or to just memorize them. He does not want us even to try in our human power to perform them. God wants a change in the spirit.

What is the purpose of God’s law? The Bible is clear that the law does not save us. But it tells us what the function of the law is. In James 1:23–25 it tells us, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

We all have mirrors at home. When I get up in the morning I wish I did not have a mirror. I drag myself in and I look and I start laughing. I have about 20 minutes to become a dynamic, enthusiastic individual and it is hopeless. The mirror tells me what kind of problems I have. I have another mirror also and she will tell me if this tie is perfect or if it goes with this suit. The law shows me that there is something wrong. The mirror can’t clean me up. The mirror can’t straighten me up. The mirror can’t tell me one thing. I can get rid of that mirror, but I am still as bad off. The law is how we know that there is sin. Roman 3:20 says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 7:7 says, “I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except through the law.” Verse 12: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4.

People will say that the law was done away with 2,000 years ago. If you will stop and think about it, here we have the law and sin is the transgression of the law. Jesus is the One who brings us cleansing, forgiveness and grace. If the law was done away with 2,000 years ago, then nobody has sinned in the last 2,000 years. If the law is gone, there is no sin. Look around and you will see a lot of sin going on. The law is still being broken. If you get rid of the law, you have gotten rid of sin. You get rid of sin; you don’t need sin. Do you see how it breaks down when you take away God’s law?

The Bible tells me that there was something that was nailed to the cross. What was that?

One night I was in Washington D.C with a fairly well-known preacher who was preaching that the law had been done away with. We were talking and he asked me if I would attend a function with him on a specific date which happened to be on the Sabbath. I told him I would not be there and he asked me why not. I said because I keep the seventh day Sabbath. He said, “Oh, you do that?” I said, “Yes I do.” He said, “Don’t you know you do not need to do that?” I said to him, “I really do not want to be out of harmony with everybody. Why don’t you show me where I don’t have to do this.” I knew he could not do this. He had some new text that was in the Bible and I knew there was no new text because I had been all through the Bible. He asked me to come over to his hotel room because he had his Bible there and he was going to show me a text.

We got to his room and he read Colossians 2:14 to me. I said to him “Do you mean you brought me over here to read that text to me? That is not what that text says.” Let me read it: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” What is this talking about—the handwriting of ordinances? Remember God’s law was written with his finger. There has to be two laws. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances.” There are no ordinances in the Ten Commandments. There is nothing about washing or certain feast days or things of that nature.

In verses 15, 16 it says, “Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” There is nothing about meat in the Ten Commandments. There is nothing about drink in the Ten Commandments or respect of a holyday. It is not talking about the seventh day Sabbath. There is nothing about the new moon or of the sabbath days, those ceremonial sabbaths, that happen during those feast days, “which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Verse 17.

We went back through and looked at all of the scriptures. He said, “You just can’t get around this, can you.” I said, “No, you can’t.” He told me that in 1949 H.M.S. Richards held a crusade at Fort Worth, Texas, and he went and was convicted that he should keep the seventh day Sabbath. He went home and his family opposed him. He said he just did not have the courage to stand up to them and so he decided not to do it. I told him it was not too late. You can do it now. We had prayer together. After I left his room that night I tried to call him, and he never accepted my phone calls again.

You can turn your back on truth. You can take subjects and you can twist them so they seem to say something they don’t say. My friend, who I thought an awful lot of, had done just that. It is dangerous. He had encountered truth the first time and then God gave him another opportunity and he encountered it again. I am just praying that God gives him another opportunity.

James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” If we break the law we are guilty. In other words, if you keep nine of them and you don’t keep that fourth one, then you are guilty of not keeping them all. “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” Verses 11, 12.

Another text about abolishing is found in Ephesians 2:15: “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” All those ordinances were beautiful and wonderful but they did not save you. This was a big problem because people began to put emphasis on all of the to dos to be saved. Paul talks about them as the school teacher or the school master that brings you to the cross. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matthew 5:17.

Isn’t there a text that says we are not under the law but under grace? Yes, Romans 6:14, 15 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” God forbid. We are not under the penalty of the law if we have accepted Jesus Christ and He has come into our lives. We are not under that penalty.

When you read the Ten Commandments, it makes you wonder why anybody would want to get rid of them. In the Old Testament, sin was the transgression of the law. What is it in the New Testament?—the transgression of the law. There is absolutely no doubt that it is still the transgression of the law. God said, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. When God has saved you, you want to be loyal to Him. You want to be His. “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10.

The Ten Commandments are written in stone but God wants to write them in our hearts and in our minds. He is going to change me and I really need changing. Hebrews 8:10 says, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” Jesus desires a loving spiritual relationship. He wants to change us so effectively that we really have a relationship with Him.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4. Abiding in Him and receiving the gift. It changes our behavior and we become more like our indwelling Jesus. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8–10. He wants to change us.

I met a young man who was telling me that nothing needs to happen when you accept the Lord. There will not be any change in your behavior. I told him if you accept the Lord, there will be a change. God wants to take us and change us. I don’t want my same habits. I don’t want these same problems that I have. I want to be changed. He says, I will change you. In Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” That is how we walk.

He loves you and cares about you. We are not under law but under grace. We are not under the penalty of the law. We are not standing with the law on the outside; we are standing with the law on the inside because we have been born again. It is written in our hearts. As it was taken from the tables of stone to these tablets of our hearts and flesh, it did not drop one or two commandments on the way. All ten came to be written upon our hearts.

Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. We are His workmanship.

Pastor Jim Gilley’s sermon was taken from the Ten Commandments Weekend, 2008 series aired on 3ABN. For more information contact www.3ABN.org.

Editorial – Feast Keeping in the New Covenant, Part 1

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In the Old Covenant there were six yearly feasts and these six feasts had seven holy convocations. If you counted the Passover as a holy convocation, you would have eight. The first of these was the Passover feast on the 14th day of the first month which is very close to the time that Easter is celebrated today. Second was the feast of unleavened bread which was a seven-day feast and had a holy convocation on the first day of the feast (the day after the Passover) and on the last day of the feast. (The second day of the feast of unleavened bread or the 16th day of the first month was when the firstfruits or wave sheaf was offered.) The third feast of the year, and the last of the spring feasts, occurred 50 days after the last day of the feast of unleavened bread and was called the feast of weeks, or later, Pentecost.

The fourth feast was the first of the fall feasts, the feast of trumpets, on the first day of the seventh month, and the fifth feast was the Day of Atonement on the 10th day of the seventh month. The last feast of the year was the feast of tabernacles, which lasted seven days and had a holy convocation on the first day, and at the end of the feast there was a holy convocation on the 8th day.

It is our earnest desire to keep all of these feasts, not in the type but in the antitype, or reality, because all of them represent profound events in the development of the New Covenant which was ratified by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. This ratification brought to an end all the types of the Old Covenant and replaced them with the exciting realities of the New Covenant. As Paul said it, “He takes away the first, that He may establish the second.” Hebrews 10:9.

As implied already it is actually impossible to keep the feasts of the Old Covenant today because to do so requires a priest who is a descendant of Aaron; and, since the priests were destroyed in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, not even an orthodox Jew can keep the feasts according to what is written. See Exodus 28:1; Nehemiah 7:64; II Chronicles 13:9, 10.

However, it is our full intent to “keep the feast” (I Corinthians 5:8) not with the old leaven, but with the new leaven—not in the Old Covenant setting but rather in the New Covenant setting, with the veil taken away (II Corinthians 3:16), as we will explain in our next editorial.

Editor’s Letter – Actions and Meanings

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Sometimes God speaks to us in words as when He spoke the Ten Commandments on Sinai. But very often God speaks to us by His actions, and we need to become intelligent in understanding their meaning. For example, after God had spoken the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel and “no more” (Deuteronomy 5:22), He wrote these Ten Commandments with His own finger in tables of stone. Should we not learn something significant from that act?

When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, God did several significant things which we should study and understand. While in His suffering before Jesus died, God miraculously blotted out the light of the sun for three hours (Matthew 27:45). But when Jesus actually died on the cross, (1) there was a great earthquake so that rocks were split and (2) tombs were opened and (3) the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

Have you tried to understand the significance of the veil of the temple being torn in two from the top to the bottom? This veil was a thick tapestry resembling what we would call a rug or carpet. It was not a piece of cloth that even a strong man could tear in two. In addition to this, the curtain was torn in two, not from the bottom to the top, but from the top to the bottom.

Jesus was crucified at the Passover season. In the Old Covenant nobody was allowed to look into or go into the Most Holy Place except on the Day of Atonement. But now, it was possible to see directly into the Most Holy Place when it was not on the Day of Atonement. What should we conclude from this fact? First of all, that it was possible to go into the Most Holy Place when it was not the Day of Atonement anymore. Secondly, we could conclude that there was no sanctity anymore to the earthly Most Holy Place since God had torn the veil. But a more significant conclusion for the spiritually mature person would be that God had opened a “new and living way … through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). Because of this new and living way, the Old Covenant had become “obsolete” and “becoming old and is ready to disappear” (Hebrews 8:13). The Old Covenant that had become obsolete included the earthly sanctuary system with its “food and drink and various washings, and regulations imposed on the flesh until a time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10). It also included those regulations which were not a part of the explanation of the Ten Commandments but were given as a type, or example, of truths later to be revealed in the gospel dispensation. An example of this would be the cities of refuge.

The Two Suppers

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The book of Revelation is a book of many contrasts. We read of two women—one standing on the moon clothed with the sun, while the other one is decked with gold and jewelry. Two great cities are mentioned—the Holy Jerusalem and one that sits on seven hills. There are also two suppers contrasted, and everyone who has ever lived will sit at the banquet table of either one or the other. However, it is the second supper at which you will want to be a guest.

John, in Revelation 19:11, says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.” This is Jesus when He comes with all the “armies of heaven” (verse 14) in power and great glory. “I saw an angel standing in the sun … saying to all the fowls … Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.” Verse 17. Those who are part of this supper actually become the meal of carrion for the birds.

“Ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men. … I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse. … And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire … . And the remnant were slain … and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Verses 18–21. This supper is the beast and the false prophet and those who worship the image—not a feast you want to be part of!

Jesus warned that false christs would arise showing great signs and wonders to deceive but not to go there and not to believe it, for wherever the carcass is so will the eagles be gathered together (Matthew 24:24–28). Birds are going to feast on all who are in opposition to God and rebel against Him. This is earth’s final battle, the second coming of Jesus, which is often called the battle of Armageddon.

There are many people who do not believe that there is going to be a last day on this earth. It is hard to imagine, when every day we go about our usual routine of getting up, having breakfast, getting our car filled with gas before going to work, then coming home again and having supper. But that will all be over when Jesus comes and welcomes His guests into the marriage supper of the Lamb. The only way to get beyond that last day and that final battle is to be part of the wedding supper. If you are ever discouraged, thinking you may not be at that banquet, there is much hope in God’s word. It may be impossible with man, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

John contrasts these two suppers when in vision he sees birds eating the flesh of the rebellious people, and then he sees another supper happening.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. … These are the true sayings of God.” Verses 7–9.

These suppers are going to come to pass whether we like it or not, and it is not hard to think which supper we would like to attend. To be served at the marriage supper of the Lamb is the better choice over being food for birds. You cannot be part of the marriage supper unless you have been invited to the marriage. No one goes to the reception of a wedding unless they know the bride or groom and have been invited. Weddings are exciting events, as is this wedding that we are told to rejoice and give honor to Him.

John draws an illustration of the Eastern marriage to understand the wedding of the Lamb. A marriage of the East had four parts to it:

  • a betrothal—This was much more solemn than the western engagement and was more like a covenant. When the couple became betrothed, marriage was a certainty. It was a commitment, a covenant between two people.
  • payment—A dowry was paid.
  • the marriage—This included the consummation.
  • the marriage supper.

The Betrothal

Speaking through Hosea the prophet, God made a covenant, a commitment to His people, and said, “I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.” Hosea 2:19, 20.

Let me ask you something: If God is going to make a covenant with us, a betrothal, what has to happen on our part? We have to agree! When I proposed to my wife, she had to agree. If she said yes, she was agreeing that I was going to marry her. If God betroths me forever, then I must agree to the marriage.

God is willing to do anything it takes to get me to agree with Him. He says, “I will betroth thee in righteousness, judgment, loving kindness, mercy and faithfulness.” He shows all of these things to promise His faithfulness. There is nothing He would not do to get us to agree to this engagement, this betrothal, this covenant.

Why then do we hesitate, and why so easily be swayed by sin and the devil? God wants us to get to a point where we will say, “Yes Lord, I want to fall in love with You.” He shows us His kindness, His judgment, His mercy, His righteousness so we can see that we want to fall in love with Him. If love is taken out of a marriage, the joy has gone. I may have the paper to say that I am married, but my marriage will be miserable. God shows His faithfulness so it will attract us to Him.

It was a very expensive experiment to get human beings to agree to this covenant. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” II Corinthians 5:19. What has separated us from God? Sin! So, in order to get us back together into a betrothal or agreement, Jesus had to come and reconcile us. Our “sins have hid His face” (Isaiah 59:2) from us. Jesus’ whole purpose for coming to this earth was to reconcile us, to get us back together into a relationship with His Father.

God went to great lengths to link heaven and earth again. This whole world has been quarantined, cut off from heaven and from the rest of the unfallen worlds. Through Christ, a link has now been provided to connect heaven and earth. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32. This text explained the way Christ was going to die; He would be lifted up on a cross and by that, the world would be drawn to Him. Imagine what Christ had to go through to get us interested in Him. Just so we could have an agreement together and say, “Yes, I love you Lord,” Jesus had to be lifted up; He had to die on the cruel cross so that we could be betrothed in righteousness, in loving kindness, in faithfulness.

Jesus demonstrated His love for mankind. The Bible says that none of us love God first; none of us would even seek after Him, but we would just all go our own way (Romans 3:11). To get us to notice Him and to draw our attention, He had to be lifted up and die on the cross, all of this to show how much He loves us. In turn, this would start the process of a betrothal, and we would start being drawn to Christ with a desire to be with Him, connected to Him, linked with Him and reconciled to Him.

The Payment

“For ye are bought with a price.” I Corinthians 6:20. Whether we like it or not, we could be a total atheist, but we have been bought.

“God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being. Whether believers or unbelievers, all men are the Lord’s property. All are called to do service for Him, and for the manner in which they have met this claim, all will be required to render an account at the great judgment day.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 326. What have you done with the property that Christ has bought? What a dowry this is!

Genesis 24 and 25 describes the marriage of Isaac. When Abraham sent his trusted servant Eliezer to his father’s home, he knew that the Lord would guide him to just the right woman for his master’s son, Isaac. A specific prayer was made, and minutes later Rebecca came and watered all of the camels. He did not tell her why he was there, but she took him to her father’s house to meet the family. The family wanted to sit down and eat, but Eliezer refused to eat until he revealed his business. The very first thing that he told Nahor was that God had greatly blessed Abraham with gold and silver and manservants and maidservants, donkeys and camels among other things.

Why would this be the first thing that he mentioned to Nahor? In a marriage, if a man does not know how to care for a woman, he should not get married. Eliezer wanted to establish the fact right off that Isaac was able to take care of Rebecca financially. Before he left Abraham, he had loaded up the camels with all kinds of gold and silver and costly arraignment, and he gave these to the family as the dowry. God also has something spiritual for the dowry that secures His marriage and gives us as a guarantee that we will be ready for the marriage.

The apostle Paul said, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth (Christ), the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest [the down payment] of our inheritance [God has paid the dowry. In other Bible versions it is called a deposit or guarantee] until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14.

The Holy Spirit that He puts in our hearts is a guarantee, a deposit, a dowry that Jesus gives to secure that the marriage happens. But there is a condition. A warning is given to “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30. The Spirit is given as a guarantee that we will be sealed as long as we do not grieve away the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit convinces of sin, of righteousness and judgment. How can we grieve the spirit of God? First of all, the Spirit convinces us of Christ. “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13. If we obey the Spirit of God, it is a guarantee that we will be ready for the marriage. If we have fellowship with the Spirit and are convinced that some sin in our lives needs to go, and we continue to procrastinate and fight against it because we want our own way, we are in danger of grieving the Spirit. Remember what God has bought—our wills, our souls, our minds, our affections. If we fight against what God has purchased, we will render an account on the Day of Judgment. If we stay in the truth we will not grieve the Spirit of God away.

The Marriage

This is perhaps the most important part, for this is the big day. The engagement is exciting, but the marriage is even more exciting. To illustrate this, let us look at the story of Ruth and Boaz. In Ruth 3, Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, instructs her how to get married. It was the time of harvest, and Boaz, to protect his harvest from theft, slept with the grain. Ruth was told to wait until after Boaz had eaten and fallen asleep and then to go in to him, lie at his feet and uncover them. Boaz woke up in the middle of the night and saw someone at his feet. Ruth identified herself and said something like, I want to be your handmaid. Boaz told her that she had been very kind to him, and more kind than she had been at the first. Then he took his cloak and put it over her signaling that he wanted to marry her.

In Ezekiel 16:8, God says, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; [notice what He does] and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.” Just like Boaz, He put that covering over her and said, You are now Mine. The marriage has to do with a covering, with what you and I are clothed.

Jesus, speaking a parable, told the story of a marriage. “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.” Matthew 22:2. The king here spoken of is God and the Son is Jesus. The steps of betrothal and then a dowry would have to be made and then comes the marriage, which is referred to in verse 9.

The verses in between tell of the people who were not ready and did not want to come to the marriage. “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment.” Verses 9–11.

This was an uninvited guest. Everybody who came to this marriage was provided clothing to wear so that they would all know who was a part of the marriage and who was not. There was no excuse; the clothing was provided by the king. He asked the intruder how he could be in there without the wedding garment, but the man was speechless (verses 11, 12). “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verse 13.

Do you think it is important that we are part of the marriage? It is a life and death issue. The only sure way to be part of the wedding is to wear the proper attire, the wedding garment that is provided by the king. No one clothed in common citizen dress will be allowed into the feast.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed [or clothed] in fine linen, clean and white.” Revelation 19:7, 8. What is that clean linen that is pure and white? The righteousness of saints. But we have no righteousness of our own, so where do the saints get a spotless, pure, bright robe? It is a gift from Jesus; it is His righteousness. “Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311. How many coverings are there? Only one!

Adam and Eve tried to clothe themselves with fig leaves sewn together, works of their own hands (Genesis 3:7), but it wasn’t enough. We cannot be clothed in our own righteousness. “This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.” Ibid. One must ask himself or herself, Have I repented from every known sin and am I searching my own heart and allowing God to search my heart to see if there is anything else in me that I need to repent? If that is the case and you believe in Christ, you are going to receive that covering. He is going to spread His skirt over you and say, “You are Mine.”

This robe woven in the loom of heaven has in it not one thread of human devising. Too often we try to weave in our own devisings, but there is only one way to be saved. Peter said it; Jesus said it; all the Bible writers said it in different ways, but there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

It is that simple. If you try to devise some way yourself and weave it into the robe, it will ruin the character, that symbolic robe that Christ wants to cover us with, His own righteousness.

Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character and this character He offers to impart to us. “By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 312.

Christ is not going to cover any one of us unless we render perfect obedience to Him. Pictures have been portrayed of people in filthy garments with another covering of Christ’s righteousness over that filthy garment. No way! Zechariah 3:4 says that the filthy garments have to be taken away before being clothed with the new garment. Any human devising weaved into the character will ruin it and will not stand the inspection.

Remember, the king came into the feast to inspect those who were part of the marriage ceremony and to see if they had on the wedding garment that he had provided. Those who did not were bound hand and foot and cast out into darkness. That inspection of the guests is called the investigative judgment, when the characters of the guests are examined to see who is wearing Christ’s robe of righteousness. The inspecting eye of Jehovah will not miss one thing. He is the unerring judge.

Omnipotence is a word that is given only to God, and it is a word that means all powerful. There is no limit to what God can do in our lives. What is impossible with men is possible with God.

The Marriage Supper

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when He will return from the wedding.” Luke 12:35, 36. The marriage is taking place now, and that inspection is taking place in heaven right now.

How do you think you will hold up in the inspection? The only thing you can do is to surrender your will completely and wholly to the Lord. That’s it! We have to do what God asks us to do. When you surrender your will, you must put it into action, do what God asks you to do, give up what He asks you to give up. Then, “when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he [Christ] shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat [eat], and will come forth and serve them.” Verses 36, 37.

What a day that will be! All of our trials will be over when we sit down at that table. This is exactly what Jesus did at that Thursday evening meeting in the upper room when He washed the disciple’s feet and they partook of bread and grape juice. This is what He is waiting for. He said, in Mark 14:25, “I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God”—the marriage supper of the Lamb.

We will all join around a table that will be miles in length, and seated at that table will be the saints from every generation. I hope you are reserving a seat today. You have got to be a part of that celebration, and you will have the privilege of Jesus serving you. You must be clothed with His righteousness and pass the inspecting eye of Jehovah in the investigative judgment.

Many of us may be at different points in our Christian walk; we may be at different stages. Some may still be at the betrothal stage where Jesus will draw them into a relationship with Him. There may be some who have gone beyond that, recognizing the purchased possession on our behalf through the death of Jesus, and surrendered all to Him, but all of us, for sure, are in the third stage of the investigative judgment and are being inspected. Life and death issues are at stake. I want to be ready for the marriage supper so I am not served up as part of the feast for the birds. How about you?

Pastor Mike Bauler serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. He may be contacted by e-mail at: mbauler@earthlink.net.