The first mention of a covenant in the holy Scriptures is found in the -portion above referred to, and a few things with reference to it are very striking, as showing forth somewhat of the blessedness of Christianity. Let us consider them:-
1. The origin of it:THE HEART OF GOD.
" The Lord smelled a sweet savor; and the Lord said in His heart, ' I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I smite any more every living thing as I have done. While the earth remaineth,- seed-time and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter, shall not cease.'"
day and night,
2. The nature of it:A divine COVENANT.
"My covenant." (5:9.) "My covenant." (5:2:) "The covenant which I make." (5:12.) "A covenant between Me and the earth." (5:13.) "My covenant between Me and you." (5:15.) "The everlasting covenant between God" etc. (5:16.) "The covenant which have established between Me" etc. (5:17.)
3. The extent of it:the WHOLE WORLD.
(you, the fowl, " With your seed after you, of the cattle,
( every living creature with you, ( every beast; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth." (10:9, 10.)
Between Me and you,… (5:12.)
every living creature with you.
"Between Me and the earth." (5:13.)
"Between Me and you, every living (5:15.)every living creature of all flesh.
" Between God and every living creature of all flesh." "Between Me and all flesh." (5:17.) (5:16.)
4. The immutability of it:ESTABLISHED BY GOD.
" I, behold, I establish My covenant." (5:9.)
"I will establish My covenant." (5:2:)
"The covenant which I have established." (5:17.)
5. The assurance of it:THE BOW IN THE CLOUD.
"This is the token of the covenant." (5:12.)
" I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant." (5:13.)
"And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud." (5:14).
" The bow shall be in the cloud." (5:16.)
6. The remembrance of it:god's EYE AND mind.
" The bow shall be seen in the cloud ; and I will remember My covenant." (10:14, 15.)
" The bow shall be in the cloud ; and I will look upon it, that I may remember" etc. (5:16.)
7. The duration of it:EVERLASTING.
"Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more" "Neither shall there any more be a flood." (5:2:) " For perpetual generations." (5:12.) "The waters shall no more become a flood." (5:15.) "The everlasting covenant." (5:16.)
Passing from this "the shadow of good things to come," to the "good things" themselves, how readily we may trace the various points of similarity, while yet remembering that it is but the shadow, and not the very image, of the things"!
I. As to its source.
"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself" etc. (Eph. 1:9.)
" Who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been His counselor ? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things:to whom be glory forever. Amen." (Rom. 11:34-36.)
"According to Thine own heart hast Thou done" it. (I Chron. 17:19.)
2. As to the nature of it.
" God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," etc. (Jno. 3:16.)
" God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8.)
" In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." (i Jno. 4:9.)
3. As to its extent.
" God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Cor. 5:19.)
"God our Saviour, who will have all men. to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (i Tim. 2:3, 4.)
4. As to its immutability.
"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." (Heb. 6:17, 18.)
5. As to the assurance of it.
" The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. 8:16.)
" Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God ; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Cor. 1:21, 22.)
" Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father.'" (Gal. 4:6.)
6. As to the remembrance of it.
" God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent:hath He said, and shall He not do it ? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numb. 23:19.)
" The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (Rom. 11:29.)
7. As to the duration of it.
" According to the eternal purpose which He purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eph. 3:2:)
"God hath given to us eternal life." (i Jno. 5:2:) " The author of eternal salvation." (Heb. 5:9.) "Having obtained eternal redemption." (Heb. ix 12.) "Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself." (Heb. 9:14.)
'They which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Heb. 9:15.)
" Who hath called us unto His eternal glory," (i Pet. 5:10.)
May we learn, beloved brethren, the depth of blessing in these " precious things of God " which have thus cast their shadows backward, and to Him shall be the praise. B. C.G.