100.
Did God make a covenant with the people about these
things?
Answer: Yes; God offered
to bless them with many blessings if they would
obey the law that He would give them, and the people
promised to do all that the Lord would command.
Then the Lord gave the law, and Moses wrote it in
a book, and read it to the people. He then sprinkled
the book and the people with the blood of sacrifices,
and thus a covenant was established between God
and the people.
Proof:
And
Moses came and told the people all the words of
the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people
answered with one voice, and said, All the words
which the LORD hath said will we do. And Moses
wrote all the words of the LORD ... 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. (Ex. 24:3-8).
For
when Moses had spoken every precept to all the
people according to the law, he took the blood
of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet
wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book,
and all the people, Saying, This is the blood
of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the
tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
(Heb. 9:19-21).
101.
What is this covenant called in the Scriptures?
Answer: It is called
the first, or the old, covenant.
Proof:
For
if that first covenant had been faultless, then
should no place have been sought for the second
... Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
... In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath
made the first old. Now that which decayeth and
waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Heb. 8:7-13).
102.
Why is it called the first or the old covenant,
seeing there was a covenant before it, namely,
the covenant made with Abraham, spoken of in Question
86?
Answer: Because, although
the covenant of the law of Moses was the last
to be given, it was the first to come into force,
and was the law of Israel's national life for
many hundreds of years before the confirmation
of the covenant made with Abraham by the shedding
of the blood of Christ.
Proof:
And
this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed
before of God in Christ, the law, which was four
hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul,
that it should make the promise of none effect.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no
more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was
added because of transgressions, till the seed
should come to whom the promise was made; and
it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
(Gal. 3:17-19).
Now
I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the
circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm
the promises made unto the fathers: (Rom. 15:8).
And
when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for
you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same
manner also he took the cup, when he had supped,
saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:
this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance
of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till
he come. (1 Cor. 11:24-26).
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