On the Republication of the Covenant of Works

Once again...

1. Sinai (the Mosaic Covenant) was a covenant of works for Jesus (and prior to Jesus' birth national Israel was a type of the Messiah, so that is why it was presented to national Israel, and see point #4 below to further understand this), and in that it was a covenant of works for Jesus it was part of the covenant of grace for us. So when some say it was a covenant of grace and some a covenant of works, they are both right (if they understand it in this on-the-mark way).

2. The parallel between the two Adams makes it clear. Jesus (the second Adam) came to accomplish what the first Adam failed to accomplished. Jesus did this. What do you think he was called on to do, not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? No, the covenant of works in the Garden was republished on Sinai (what was boiled down and revealed by God's word to us as the commandment not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was published more expansively on Sinai), and that is what Jesus succeeded in following (with all t's crossed and all i's dotted) hence doing what the first Adam failed to do. (And there is a parallel between the tempation of Adam and Eve at the tree by the Devil and the temptation of Jesus in the desert by the Devil; Adam failed to protect his bride, and Jesus succeeded in protecting His bride which are the elect.)

3. This parallel of the two Adams also includes the federal aspects and not just the individual. Adam in the Garden carried all his posterity with him in his actions; Jesus, the second Adam, carried all the elect with Him in His actions.

4. In the plan of redemption there are - other than Jesus Christ - two unique players: Adam, and national Israel. *Neither of these two correlate to fallen man.* (This is a BIG point that seems to get missed by all sides.) Both are a type of Jesus. Yes, the Israelites - individual Israelites - were saved by faith in the *coming* Messiah just as we are saved by faith in the *already come* Messiah, but national Israel's role was also corporately unique in God's plan in ways our role is not. National Israel shepherded the Word of God. National Israel played out the lesson of the worthlessness of the law in saving us in their actual history which became the Word of God. National Israel kept the kingly bloodline pure until the birth of Jesus. National Israel enacted the life of the Saviour typologically in history until the arrival of the Saviour. Until Jesus died on the cross national Israel was a unique player in God's plan of redemption, but after the death of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection national Israel no longer was a unique player (though their former status and work as a unique player holds some meaning in the eyes of God towards them as Paul intimates in Romans, but basically, as Paul says, they are in the same position regarding salvation as the gentiles are).

5. The aspect of the Mosaic Covenant (what I've been calling Sinai) regarding the land of the Israelites (a favorite aspect of the Mosaic Covenant for people who like to find problems where none exist) is simply part of the typologically unique aspect of national Israel. This aspect of it all is seen to be a problem when it is simply being forced into the plan of redemption in an off-the-mark way. It's said to cause a 'problem' when there is no problem (the Bible is simple and elegant; classical Covenant - Federal - Theology is simple and elegant). When we are in covenant with God and we sin God punishes us, but He doesn't cast us off. This is what was shown with the land vis-a-vis the Israelites. This is part of the lesson national Israel was enacting in their very history which became special revelation. The land itself was a type of the New Jerusalem, and not the actual land of Canaan or Palestine. The land promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.