60
I could make myself perfect and live.’? The operation
of the law covenant is absolute proof that the theory
of evolution is from the Devil, and that those who
advocate it are the instruments of the evil one, wheth-
er they know it or not. The so-called ‘‘conscientious’’
preachers will never be permitted to hide behind a
conscience which has been trained contrary to God’s
Word of truth.
Paul declares that the law foreshadowed good things
to come. (Heb. 10:1) While the law covenant was
made primarily because of the transgression, God
employed it also to make shadows or pictures of his
purpose for the reconciliation of man to himself. The
apostle further states: ‘‘Then verily the first covenant
had also ordinances [ceremonies] of divine service,
and a worldly {orderly arranged] sanctuary.’’ (Ifeb.
9:1) What were these ceremonies and orderly ar-
rangements of divine service? At the time of making
the covenant in Egypt a lamb without blemish, a
male of the flock, was slain and its blood sprinkled
upon the doorposts, which served as a means of sal-
vation to the Jews on the passover night. That lamb
was eaten, together with unleavened bread. (Ex. 12: 8)
That eeremony must be repeated or performed once
each year thereafter on the fourteenth day of Nisan.
The lamb represented the sacrifice of Jesus, the
beloved Son of God, who would redeem all mankind
from sin. Ife was ‘‘the Lamb slain from the founda-
tion of the world’’, (Rev. 18: 8) ‘‘As of a lamb with-
out blemish and without spot.’’ (1 Pet. 1:19) By this
ceremony the ransom sacrifice was foreshadowed. God
made promise that he would ransom man from death
and the grave. (Ifos. 18:14) This ceremony would
teach the Jews and others thereafter that the Lamb
of God would take away the sin of the world, and
it was so announced by John at the beginning of the
ministry of Jesus—John 1: 29.
After the confirmation of the covenant at Sinai,
Moses, under God’s instruction, erected the tabernaele.
In the holy place thereof Gud showed his presence
by the cloud and the livht. (Iix. 40:34) Onee each
year there was a special divine service in connection
with the tabernacle. On a day certain a bull and guat
were slain and the blood thereof carricd by a priest
into the Most Holy and sprinkled upon the merey
seat to make atonement. (Lev. 16; Heb. 9: 6-8) That
tabernacle service foreshadowed something better to
eome and showed that the sacrifice of the reality would
make atonement for the sin of man and make it pos-
sible for man to be reconciled to God as he had prom-
ised. The sacrifice of these animals was done by a
priest, for which the law made provision. These cere-
monies were to teach lessons to the Jews and others
thereafter. The sacrifice of the paschal lamb referred
to the saerifice of Jesus Christ, and pictured the
Transom; and the sacrifice of bulls and goats and the
sprinkling of the blood in the Most Holy represented
the offering of the blood of Christ Jesus in heaven
She WATCHTOWER.
Brooxiyn, N.Y.
itself as a sin-offering for man. Furthermore, they
taught that Christ, as the great High Priest appointed
by Jehovah, would offer the sacrifice and make atone-
ment for sin——Heb, 9: 10-14, 24.
The law covenant therefore shows absolutely the
necessity for the great ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ
and for a sin-offering to be made by him first in be-
half of the members of the ‘‘seed’’ and then in behalf
of mankind in-general. Also, that covenant fore-
shadowed a new and better covenant thereafter to be
made; and the ceremonies in connection therewith
bore testimony to the fact that there would be a long
period of time elapsing between the making of that
new covenant and the time of its confirmation or
inauguration,
Suppose the Jews had put forth their best efforts
to keep the law covenant, would any special benefit
have resnited to them? Yes. They would have shown
their faith and confidence in God and in his promises,
and their allegiance to him rather than to the Devil.
The Jewish elergy who were Jeaders of Israel did not
try to keep the spirit of the law covenant. They kept
it in form, with their mouths, and outward show,
while their hearts were far removed from Jehovah.
(Isa. 29: 13) They were frauds and hypoerites, mak-
ing an outward show for a selfish reason. (Matt. 23:
13-35) They claimed to be children of Abraham, but
Jesus told them plainly they were liars and children
of the Devil because they would do Satan’s will and
not the will of God. (John 8: 39-44) The fact that
they were sons of the Devil shows that they had no
faith in the Jaw covenant and were not trying to keep
it. Their exact counterpart is found today in the
so-called ‘Christian elergy’’ who ‘having a form of
godliness, deny the power thereof’; and from such
the people are warned to “‘turn away’’.—~2 Tim. 3: 5,
But some of the Jews did try to keep the law cove-
nant. They had faith in God, and they did their’ best
to obey him. When Jesus eame he found some of these
who were looking for the eoming of the Messiah, and
they aecepted him. The leaders, looking to the letter
of the law, expected the coming of the Messiah; but
they were “looking for hin entirely from a_ selfish
motive. They practiced fraad and deceit. When ‘‘Je-
sus saw Nathanacl coming to him, [Jesus] saith of
him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”’
(John 1:47) Nathanael then and there aceepted him
as the Son of God and the King of Israel. ‘‘Nathanael
answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God; thou art the Ning of Isracl.’’ (John 1: 49)
He had no deceit or subterfuge about him, such as
did the Pharisees. Nathanael and other honest Jews
kept the spirit of the law because of their faith in
God and in the promised ‘‘seed’’. They were pleasing
to God and accepted by him, not because of the law
which they attempted to keep perfectly, but by reason
of faith in Christ. Upon this point Paul says: ‘‘ Know-
ing that a man is not justified by the works of the
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