Exodus 34:10

THE RENEWED COVENANT

‘Behold, I make a covenant.’

Exodus 34:10

I. God undertook to do certain things for His people, ‘I will do marvels.’ What were they? Among these marvels were the passage of Jordan in face of the enemy, the taking of Jericho, and all those other supernatural signs by which God proved that He was with His people and against the unclean and idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan.

II. But God required certain things from Israel.—What were they? (a) Not to make a league with the wicked. (b) To destroy their polluted altars, and cruel, bloodthirsty idols, and the groves where so many unclean and abominable things were practised, (c) Not to mix, or intermarry with the ungodly. (d) Not to make idol gods of any kind. (e) To keep the ten Commandments and the other ordinances of their church. Does God make such a covenant with us? What are our ‘Amorites,’ etc.? Will He drive them out? God’s great love which has provided so great and wonderful a salvation for those who will accept it, can save only those who (a) believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, (b) come to the light, (c) do truth. The ‘New Covenant’ does not abolish law, but by it

III. God agrees to put His laws into our mind, and on our heart to write them.—These laws can only be disregarded at our peril. Do not think, because the Mosaic law is superseded, that you can, therefore, do just what you like. God proclaims Himself as ‘One who will by no means clear the guilty.’ This is not because God is hard and does not wish to remit punishment, but because the only salvation is sin surrendered. God is not an arbitrary Governor, but it is impossible for the unholy to enter heaven. God has done, and is doing His part toward our salvation. Are we doing ours?

Canon Dawson.

Illustration

(1) ‘In a covenant each party is bound to certain conditions. God undertakes to do certain things for man, if man, on his part, will fulfil his undertaking towards God. Next show that this is not an arbitrary condition of grace, such as a conquering king might impose upon a subject nation according to his whim. There is nothing arbitrary about salvation. It is an efficacious gift to those who use it. God’s gift of grace saves those who are willing to be saved from their sins. They must give up their sins, or there can be no salvation for them. To go on sinning and hope for salvation is futile, though it is very commonly practised. This is God’s Covenant—“I will do marvels,” but “ thou shalt worship no other God.” God does His part, we must do ours.’

(2) ‘It is remarkable that the very system which was emphatically one of law and retribution should have been heralded by a word “forgiving” (ver. 7) which is perfectly “evangelical” in its whole tone. That fact should have prevented many errors as to the relation of Judaism to Christianity. True, the harmony of the two “covenants” and the great revelation of the means of forgiveness lay far beyond the horizon of Moses and his people, but none the less was it the message of Judaism that “there is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared.” ’