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Advent Lessons

Lesson 8 · August 24, 1907

The Covenant of Bondage

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Questions

  1. 1.What covenant is contrasted with the covenant of liberty by the apostle Paul? .
  2. 2.What three things does he introduce as illustrations of the covenant of bondage? . Note 1.

Notes

#### First Illustration—Hagar and Ishmael.

  1. 3.What had God promised Abraham? .
  2. 4.What question arose in Abraham's mind concerning God's promise? .
  3. 5.With what words did God repeat the promise? .
  4. 6.What was the result of Abraham's effort to fulfil God's promise? ; , first part; 23, first part; and 25, last part.
  5. 7.How will the children of the covenant of bondage feel toward the children of the covenant of liberty, and what will be the final result? .
  6. 8.What do we learn from this illustration about the covenant of bondage? Note 2.

Notes

#### Second Illustration—Sinai and the Israelites.

  1. 9.What was the attitude of Israel toward God from Egypt to Sinai? . Note 3.
  2. 10.What proposition and promise did God make to them at Sinai? .
  3. 11.What did God set before them as a principal part of the covenant? .
  4. 12.What did the people say when Moses submitted the matter to them? .
  5. 13.How was this covenant then confirmed? . How long was it kept by them? .
  6. 14.What does God say of this covenant? .
  7. 15.Where was the fault? , first clause.
  8. 16.In what respect is the second or new covenant with the house of Israel better? , last part.
  9. 17.Upon whose promise did the first depend? .
  10. 18.Upon whose promise does the second depend? ; . Note 4.
  11. 19.What do we learn from these illustrations about the old covenant? Note 5.

Notes

1. In Paul gives three illustrations of the covenant of bondage; namely, Hagar and Ishmael, Mount Sinai and the Israelites, and the Jerusalem of Paul's day with its people.

2. From the illustrations here given we learn:

(a) That this covenant is after the flesh.

(b) That it is a substitution of man's works for God's works, or man trying to help God fulfil His promise.

(c) That it is an effort on the part of man to provide for his own salvation.

3. In all the murmuring of the children of Israel there was a spirit of criticism of God's dealings with them. A murmur always suggests the idea that the complaining one could suggest an improvement. "I could do better than that myself" is the under-current of all complaining. So when they reached Mount Sinai God endeavored to teach them their weakness by giving them a chance to show just what they could do.

4. The promised results are the same in both covenants, but the compliance on the part of the people in the first covenant rested upon the promise of the people. "All that the Lord hath said, we will do and be obedient," was the promise. Man's promise was not good. But in the second the compliance rests upon the promises of God. "I will write the law in your hearts. I will take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh. I will give you My Spirit. I will cause you to walk in My statutes. I will remember your sins no more." These are the better promises upon which the second is established, and they are all good, for they are the promises of God. All we have to do is to accept them and we find them to be yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Notice, also, that the second has the advantage of the promise of the forgiveness of sin, which does not appear in the first at all.

5. From these illustrations we learn:

(a) That the old covenant is simply man's effort to keep God's commandments, and

(b) That man's promises are of no avail and only deepen the bondage of sin.

Bible texts in this lesson

Galatians 4:21-24 · Galatians 4:22-25 · Genesis 12:2 · Genesis 12:3 · Genesis 13:16 · Genesis 15:2 · Genesis 15:3 · Genesis 15:4 · Genesis 15:5 · Genesis 16:4 · Genesis 16:5 · Galatians 4:22 · Galatians 4:29 · Galatians 4:30 · Exodus 14:11 · Exodus 14:12 · Exodus 16:2 · Exodus 16:3 · Exodus 17:2 · Exodus 17:3 · Exodus 19:5 · Exodus 19:6 · Exodus 20:1-17 · Exodus 19:7 · Exodus 19:8 · Exodus 24:3 · Exodus 24:4 · Exodus 24:7 · Exodus 24:8 · Exodus 32:4-8 · Hebrews 8:7 · Hebrews 8:8 · Hebrews 8:6 · Jeremiah 31:33 · Jeremiah 31:34 · Ezekiel 36:26 · Ezekiel 36:27 · Galatians 4:22-28

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