Did Abraham understand the full meaning of God’s promise? ¶ 99.

What is the meaning of the word “covenant”? ¶ 100.

How does God regard his covenants?  Give Scriptural proof. ¶ 100.

How many parties are required to make a covenant? ¶ 100.

Where only one party is bound, what kind of covenant is it? ¶ 100.

Where both parties are bound to perform certain things, then what do we call the covenant? ¶ 100.

Why was God’s covenant with Abraham a one-sided covenant? ¶ 101.

What is the important statement of the Abrahamic covenant or promise? ¶ 101.

Whom will the Abrahamic covenant ultimately affect? ¶ 101.

“IS IT COME?”

  Poet and seer that question caught,
   Above the din of life’s fears and frets;
  It marched with letters, it toiled with thought,
   Through schools and creeds which the earth forgets. 
  And statesmen trifle, and priests deceive,
   And traders barter our world away;
  Yet hearts to that golden promise cleave,
   And still, at times, “Is it come?” they say.

  The days of the nations bear no trace
   Of all the sunshine so far foretold;
  The cannon speaks in the teacher’s place;
   The age is weary with work and gold;
  And high hopes wither, and memories wane;
   On hearths and altars the fires are dead;
  But that brave faith hath not lived in vain;
   And this is all that our watcher said.

—­Brown.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER V

String 4:  The Birth of Jesus

It has pleased Jehovah to use men and women to picture or foreshadow various parts of his plan.  For instance, Abraham at times pictures or represents God; while Sarah his wife was used to picture or typify God’s covenant with Abraham through which he promised to bring forth the seed for the blessing of all the families of the earth.  Sarah was the mother of Isaac, her only son.  Isaac was used to typify or foreshadow Jesus, the son of God, the Redeemer of the world.  Hagar had a son by Abraham, and Hagar typified or foreshadowed the law covenant, which was made by Jehovah with Moses as a mediator for the children of Israel at Mount Sinai.  As Hagar was a bondwoman, the servant of Sarah, so was the law covenant one of bondage that brought forth no real blessings to the Jews; but it was made for the purpose of teaching the Jews their inability to lift themselves up to life and to show them the absolute necessity for a redeemer.  After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham married Keturah and by her had many children; and Keturah is used as a type foreshadowing the new covenant that is to be made by Jehovah with Christ as the Mediator for the world of mankind, through which all will have an opportunity to gain life everlasting.