Righteousness Under The Covenant

RIGHTEOUSNESS UNDER THE COVENANTS

IT thrilled me when I realized what mighty achievements were wrought by men who had only limited Righteousness under the First Covenant. I thought of Abraham. As soon as he was circumcised and came into the Covenant, God gave him a limited Righteousness. I thought of his daring to stand in the presence of God and plead for Sodom and Gomorrah with that lofty fearlessness that is not matched in our modern day by men who know their unlimited Righteousness and rights in Christ.

I thought of the mighty acts of Moses who only had a servant’s place before Jehovah, yet he dared to obey God and achieved such marvelous victories for that slave nation, Israel. I thought of Joshua who dared to obey Jehovah and led that nation down to the shore of the Jordan when it was at flood-tide. He dared to say to the priests, “Take the Ark and go down and dip your feet into the water, and when you do a way will be opened for you to go through dry shod.” And yet, this man Joshua had only limited Righteousness-the Righteousness of a servant.

We see him stand before the armies and cry to the sun, “Stand still until the nation is avenged of its enemies.” That man dominated the universe, and yet he had but limited Righteousness. We see Elijah at the Battle of the Gods on Mount Carmel calling down fire out of heaven, bringing rain upon a drought-stricken land. He was an absolute master of the laws of nature. And yet, he was but a servant with a servant’s standing and a servant’s limited Righteousness. Space will not allow us to speak of Daniel and the three Hebrew children, or of David’s mighty men of war.

They had only limited Righteousness, yet what prodigies they wrought. Their Righteousness was reckoned to them on the grounds of the value that God placed upon the blood of bulls and goats, upon the sacredness of His Covenant with Abraham.

They were not Recreated men and women as we are. They were but servants under a law that must be set aside for another to take its place, which was to be based upon a better sacrifice and better blood. Our hearts thrilled as we read of their obedience to the command of an Angel.
They did not walk by faith as we do. They walked by sight. They saw the Angel. They heard his voice. They lived in the realm of the Senses. Their outstanding characteristic was obedience to the voice of God. He has given us a record of their mighty achievements based upon their obedience to the Abrahamic Covenant.