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Contents - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Whispers of the New Covenant
by Ray Prinzing
3 - ENDING THE STONE AGE"The letter of the Law leads to the death of the soul; the Spirit of God alone can give life to the soul. The administration of the Law which was engraved in stone (and leads to spiritual death) was so magnificent that the Israelites were unable to look unflinchingly at Moses' face, for it was alight with heavenly splendor. Now if the old administration held such heavenly, even though transitory, splendor, can we not see what a much more glorious thing is the new administration of the Spirit of life." (2 Corinthians 3:6-8, Phillips).
There is a very strange malady that affects much of Christendom, a peculiar disorder that is hard to reconcile with world progress in general. When it comes to the affairs of natural development, no expense or effort is spared to advance with the latest techniques. But when it comes to spiritual development, strangely enough, men are afraid to move on with God, but they stubbornly cling to old traditions, and insist that the first glory be repeated over and over again. Jesus faced this in His day, and said, "No man also having drunk old wine straightway desires new: for he says, The old is better." (Luke 5:39).
Let us make it very clear, we have no desire to simply "update religion," nor to modernize form and ceremony to keep them in harmony with worldly times. But we truly desire to follow on to KNOW THE LORD in the reality of HIS SPIRIT OF LIFE as pertains to the new covenant. Thus we find it imperative that we walk softly before God, and make the transition out of the stone age of the first covenant, into the life of the new-- in Christ.
Briefly note the introduction of the administration of that which was written in stone. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give you tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that you may teach them." (Exodus 24:12).
"And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." (Exodus 31:18).
Two tables of testimony-- literally, OF WITNESS. They were a written declaration of God's will for man. ENGRAVEN IN STONE as a further confirmation that they were to be enduring and unchangeable. When God gives a Word, He does not alter it at a later occasion, adjusting it to a new situation. Because He is omniscient (all knowing, infinitely wise), He knows what all future happenings, needs and requirements will be, and He has already taken them into consideration. Thus HIS LAW (His will) shall stand throughout all generations-- its required holiness is unchangeable. The standard shall never be lowered. "For I am the Lord your God: you shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and shall be holy; for I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44).
The requirements of holiness are never changed. What desperately needed changing was the ADMINISTRATION-- so that it would be wrought BY THE SPIRIT, by the indwelling Christ, and not by the efforts of the flesh.
TABLES OF STONE. Herein lies the limitation of this covenant with man. The "STONE" becomes a powerful symbol of this ministration of the law. It was CLEARLY WRITTEN, indeed, by the very "finger of God." There was no mistaking its message. There were no obscure passages that required intense scholarly effort to learn what it was that God required of them. It was clear cut-- do this, and live; don't do this, under penalty of death. But it was apart from man, it was not internally made apart of his nature, but written outside of man, on these specially prepared tables of stone. They could see it, they could read it, but they were dependent upon their own abilities and strengths to carry it out. This was the WEAKNESS of this ministration-- of this order.
"The Law never succeeded in producing righteousness-- the failure was always the weakness of human nature." (Romans 8:3, Phillips).For this reason, Paul writes, "The commandment, which was meant to be a direction to life, I found was a sentence to death." (Romans 7:10, Phillips). For remember, they were called tables of witness, and while they gave testimony to the right way, they also gave witness against whoever could not meet the standard. To add to the distress, Paul points out, that it was BY THE LAW that he gained a knowledge of sin. "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet." (Romans 7:7).
Example, the children are out playing in the yard, blissfully unaware that their mother is baking cookies. They are not hungry, so the thought of cookies doesn't even enter their mind. Then mother comes out with a small plate of cookies to take to a neighbor, and she pauses to admonish the children, "Don't you dare touch those cookies cooling on the table." At that moment the law is given-- and suddenly the children are both aware that there are cookies, and they find they are awakened to a desire for them. Had mother never mentioned them, they could have kept at their play without any temptation to go see the cookies. But I now, with the KNOWLEDGE GAINED BY THE SPOKEN LAW OF MOTHER, sin was waiting to ensnare. "For where no law is, there is no transgression." (Romans 4:15). But the law gave knowledge of sin, and the wickedness of the human heart was alerted, and the flesh was too weak to resist-- so the law was broken. And now the law was a witness against them, for mother could say, "I told you not to touch the cookies." But what mother could not do was impart the strength for obedience. She could threaten them with punishment, but the obedience had to come from within, and if we could borrow the words, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Evidence of the weakness of the flesh is all about us. Man has the knowledge of what will happen if he goes against all the laws of nature, the laws of society; moral laws, spiritual laws, civic laws, etc. Yet the depravity of the flesh causes disobedience, and the consequences multiply-- the prisons are overflowing, disease and sickness grip the human race, homes are broken, abuse abounds, and the wickedness of man is horrendous. Obviously the order is NOT WORKING-- it is a ministration resulting in death. Yet the LAWS remain, and are a solid WITNESS AGAINST every one that disobeys. More laws will not help the situation! Only an impartation of a NEW MINISTRATION of an INNER SPIRIT OF DIVINE LIFE can bring man into victory.
An interesting event occurred with Joshua and the children of Israel. Brought into the land of Canaan, ready to establish their homes and settle down to live in their inheritance, Joshua gave a strong challenge to the people. "And Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the Lord: for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that He has done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:19-21). Thus they made their covenant-- choosing to serve the Lord.
"Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest you deny your God." (Joshua 24:26-27).
THE STONE WAS A WITNESS, for it had HEARD the words of the Lord. As a visible pillar it would remind them of this time when they covenanted to serve the Lord. To pass by and see it, they would remember their vow-- how they had chosen to serve God. But it was far more than Just a SILENT WITNESS, for the STONE HEARD-- it had received and stored into itself the word of the Lord, and yes, the confession of the people. Should there come a day when they would deny the Lord, if God chose to release the SOUND VIBRATIONS WHICH WERE STORED UP IN THE STONE, it would be a witness against them. If they lived out that which they had covenanted to do, it would remain a witness FOR them.
"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O EARTH, the words of My mouth." (Deuteronomy 32:1). The WORD has gone forth, the EARTH, yes, even the STONES of the earth have heard it, received it, stored it up within them. Insomuch that Jesus said, at the time the Pharisees complained about the people shouting praises to Jesus on His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, THE STONES WOULD IMMEDIATELY CRY OUT." (Luke 19:40). And what praises the STONES could give to their Creator.
The prophet Habakkuk spoke of these things. "For the STONE SHALL CRY OUT OF THE WALL, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it." (Habakkuk 2: 11).
From ancient writings, Juvenal (the Roman poet) has a passage which well illustrates this:
"Should trembling slaves not dare to squeak,
Beasts, dogs, and posts, and marble walls shall speak."But from our present day comes another illustration: The report has been recorded of how a certain man in England watched a program on his television that was broadcast from the United States. He was so impressed on receiving a program that originated so far away, that he wrote down the call letters and location of the station that did the broadcasting, and wrote to them of the remarkable fact that he had received their program from so many thousand miles away. But then the astonishing report came back to him that the station had been off the air for over three years. So the question was: Where had those electrical sound waves been stored? It is one of the phenomenon of nature, that those electrical sound waves had been held in the atmosphere, and with the conditions just right, had been received by the Englishman's television set.
This certainly gives another dimension of meaning to the scripture, "For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). If God releases from the earth the sound of our own words, how often would we stand in shame before Him? Such is the ministration of the first covenant, with THE STONES retained as a witness, and often working against us. Yet how precious is the ministration of the new covenant, wherein He states, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:12). Yea, "Not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Corinthians 5:19). Bless His wonderful name!
How tremendous is the promise, "I, even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:25). Again, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens; for the Lord has done it: shout, you lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel." (Isaiah 44:22-23).
BLOTTED OUT-- the Hebrew word is "machah" meaning: to rub or wipe off, thus, by implication, to erase. Herein is the MERCY and LOVE and GRACE of our Lord. With the atmosphere filled with the sound of our iniquities, as thick clouds stored in His treasuries; and with the earth itself, stones and all, retaining the sound vibrations that will witness against us; He shall cause "the heavens to pass away with a great noise, and the elements to melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (AND THEN). "We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10, 13). That's redemption!
The first covenant retained the witness in STONE-- a witness that surely goes against us. But He purposes to WIPE IT ALL AWAY, blot it out, erase it, till there is nothing remaining which is against us, while GOD HIMSELF IS FOR US. Then let the mountains "break forth into singing," for it shall be totally of praise and glory to our God!
Might we insert a special word right here: So often men are prone to document all their grievances-- writing down so as to have a record, and as the occasion arises, they bring out this witness against another, in judicial court, or however used. They follow the ways of the STONE AGE, and use the evidence to stone another. If you never write those negatives in a letter to another, it will never be there-- in written record, to condemn at a later time, and witness against you. Thus, we find the holy Spirit checking us again and again from all this documenting of events and happenings-- if it is negative, forgive and release it immediately, and there is no need to keep a record, a score card, a tally sheet. There is no "written in stone" witness retained against another, nor one that remains ready to fall on you. BLOT OUT WITH FORGIVENESS IMMEDIATELY-- it is a characteristic of the new covenant ministration, which does not impute iniquity.
Yes, "Our sufficiency is of God; who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).
Not of the letter-- significant that the same Greek word "gramma" which is given as "letter," is also used in the phrase "WRITTEN in stone." The letter of the stone! When the law was written in tablets of stone, people have found cause to stone others with it ever since. They throw out their "you shall not," at every twist and turn. But for all their stoning of another, they cannot change the inner nature. Thus it became a ministration of condemnation and death.
"Moreover, you shall say to the Israelites, Anyone of the Israelites, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who gives any of his children to Molech (the fire god, worshipped with human sacrifices) shall surely be put to death, the people of the land shall stone him with stones." (Leviticus 20:2, Amplified).
"A man also or woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones." (Leviticus 20:27).
While several other passages could be cited, these are enough to reveal that under this ministration of the law, anyone that disobeyed the specific laws that were given, "they shall stone them with stones." One of those explicit laws was concerning adultery. Exodus 20:14, "You shall not commit adultery." Therefore, "The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." (Leviticus 20:10). The commandment was written in stone, and those who disobeyed it were stoned with stones.
"The scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what do You say?" (John 8:3-5).
How quickly they were ready to stone-- for all they had was the letter written in stone. By His message and action they knew that Jesus was OF ANOTHER ORDER, and they would tempt Him, test His way concerning this. Jesus knew that they were not ready to walk a path of love and forgiveness BY THE SPIRIT, and so He dealt with them on their own level. "And said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7). He left them on the STONE-LEVEL, but turned them inward just enough so that their own conscience convicted (or shall we say, stoned) them, and they slipped away.
All of this action of the stone has one result, it is a ministration unto death. Stephen had dared to touch the temple, challenging their whole religious order, how they "received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." (Acts 7:53). And what happened? They "cast him out of the city and stoned him," so that he died. The stone age leads to death!
Even Israel's God, in Old Testament times, was likened unto a Rock. "For their rock (gods of the heathen) is not as our Rock (God of Israel), even our enemies themselves being judges."
(Deuteronomy 32:31).Certainly one can draw positive applications from this, lifting it up to spiritual realities, but the figure remains, the types and shadows were in the outward, the letter, the stone. But Jesus taught, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
(John 4:24).Jesus knew the mentality of those held in the ministration of the law, He knew of their stony nature, so He used the same metaphor to teach them, saying, "Whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21:44). If you are in the STONE AGE, you will be dealt with as stones, and the GREAT STONE will fall on you, and utterly diminish you.
Yes, we know there is a precious message here, and we thrill to the fact that we can fall on Him, and be broken, and with the sharing of His cross, the fellowship of His sufferings, also come into the sharing of His life. But the fact remains-- the terminology is of stones.
From the life of Jacob we draw another illustration. Jacob had fled from his brother Esau, spent the night in a lonely place, with stones for his pillows, and went to sleep. He had a dream, and received a tremendous promise from God, that God would be with him and bring him safely back to his father's house. "Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that You shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto You."
(Genesis 28:18, 20-22).Over and over this has been lived out by many people. They take the LAW and try to use it for their pillow (to rest their head, mind, upon) through the long dark night. It has not been without its visitation of God, yet whenever they are touched by His presence they are amazed. So they follow in step with Jacob. They are ready to "make a deal with God." If God will do such and such, then they will serve Him, He can be their God, and if He really prospers them, they will even pay their tithes. While this actual happening to Jacob was "before the law," yet it holds all the earmarks of that which followed in the stone age. I will serve God, I will do all my works-- but I will also expect God to bless and honor me for it. And the ministration of the law worked on that principle. "That the man which does those things shall live by them." (Romans 10:5). On the basis of their works, men will try to bargain for prosperity here on earth, and a place in heaven.
"Then Jacob went on his journey, and he looked, and beheld a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great STONE was upon the well's mouth." (Genesis 29:1-2).
The applications are many, and one ought not to press any parable too far lest they distort the truth. We note there were three flocks of sheep at the well. Body, soul, and spirit, all three realms desperately need the water of life from this well. Also, mankind had been divided into three major races, and it is imperative that all races of men drink deep of this water of life. Yet there has been a GREAT STONE upon the mouth of the well. The dispensation, ministration of the law has been as a great stone which has hindered, more than helped, to obtain that water.
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:2-3).
Yes, God has been our SALVATION all through the ministration of the law, and any time we could get past the STONE we could draw water and be refreshed.
Jacob observed the situation, and began asking questions, (most religious organizations prefer you not ask too many questions, they just want you to accept their system as it is). But what Jacob wanted to know was: Why are all the flocks gathered and lying around? Water them, and send them out to feed, AND GROW. "And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep." (Genesis 29:8). This was too much for Jacob, he would not play their games and wait-- he "went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock"
Thank God, He has always had a few, those stalwart men of FAITH, who have dared to by-pass the religious systems of man, even go past the STONE, "And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world (age) to come." (Hebrews 6:5). These have truly drawn water out of the well to water the sheep.
But we are now reminded of another day, and another well to which the thirsty would come for water, and on this occasion the woman who came to draw, found that "JESUS... sat thus on the well." (John 4:6). This was no STONE ministration now, here was the NEW ORDER, the SPIRIT OF LIFE, and while the woman had to "go through Him," to get to the water, He promised her, "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (verse 14). No more works, no more DRAWING, but the reality of His INDWELLING LIFE would cause a springing up-- the out flowing life of the Spirit, to thoroughly refresh so that one never need thirst again. THAT IS THE VICTORY OF THE NEW COVENANT ORDER!
Yes, there is a well-spring of living water, yet for many long years there has been a STONE, (law-ministration) which has covered the well, and far too few have been able to partake of its life-flow. Yet JESUS CAME, fulfilled all the requirements of the law, and SAT DOWN ON THE WELL-- so that now all of its life-flow is available through Him. He offers no restrictions, but calls out to mankind, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
(John 7:37-38)."And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17). Praise God!
There are not a lot of strenuous requirements of DO this, DO that, before receiving of His life. Men do not have to fashion special buckets, make long ropes, work hard to get the bucket into the well, and labor even more to pull up a small amount of water. It is not because of much fasting, shouting, clapping, praying, singing, and whatever other religious exercise one might conceive that enables us to have a drink of the WATER OF LIFE. Hear it, beloved reader, all He says is "COME, and DRINK." The STONE (law-ministration) has been removed from covering the well, and HE is there to freely impart of His life to those who believe in Him.
Again an illustration from the life of Moses. WORKS, DOING, was the fundamental basis of the old ministration, so that even Moses fell into its practice, and carried it too far. Israel had come into a desert area without water, "And the Lord spoke unto Moses... speak unto the Rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the Rock; so you shall give the congregation and their beasts to drink." (Numbers 20:8). But Moses was hard pressed with the strain of the murmuring people, "Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips." (Psalm 106:33). So when they gathered the people together before the Rock, "He said unto them, Hear now, you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this Rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the Rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts." (Numbers 20:10-11).
What condemnation Moses uttered against the people. And then almost as if to think that it was he, by his works, that would fetch out the water, so that he smote the Rock twice. Ah, we shall not think too negatively of Moses in this-- he was demonstrating the weakness of the flesh to cope with such pressures. And it all serves to point out a pertinent truth-- We don't have to BEAT ON THE ROCK to receive His life-giving water. Just speak-- "Ask, and it shall be given you... for everyone that asks receives; ...shall our Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask Him." (Luke 11:9-10, 13).
SMITING THE ROCK is still deeply entrenched in Christendom even in this day. How misguidedly they quote, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12). Supposing that this gives them the right (authority) to violently DEMAND that God impart to them the blessings of His kingdom. The Kingdom is HIS, the right to command is HIS, He is to RULE IN US, we are not to exercise some kind of authority over Him. HE gives the orders, we yield in obedience. We do not seize it by force. Well Jesus said, "The good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God is being preached, and every one strives violently to go in - would force his own way in rather than God's way into it." (Luke 16:16, Amplified).
It is this trying to FORCE OUR OWN WILL, OUR WAY, that is doing violence to the kingdom-- it is smiting the Rock again. But in the ministration of the New Covenant there is no smiting the Rock, for we bow low before Him to worship Him for all His ways, and in total surrender from every atom of our being, we cry out, "Not my will, but Yours, be done."It was stated that because of his attitude and action, Moses did not glorify God at the waters of Meribah, and, faithful servant that he was, because of this short-coming he was not allowed to lead the children of Israel into their promised land. Neither does any of the STONE AGE, law ministration bring us into the fullness of divine life. Yet "Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after. But Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Hebrews 3:5-6).
Praise God, the ministration of TAKE IT BY FORCE, "do this, and you shall live," has been replaced with a far more excellent way. CHRIST has come-- not as a stone covering the well, but as a NEW AND LIVING WAY into the fullness of life. What shall we do? is the often asked question of the old order. But, "Christ in you" as the well of living water, is the glorious ministration of the new covenant.
How this was tested at the time of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. "The devil said unto Him, If you be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." (Luke 4:3). There are so many beautiful applications of truth from the Scriptures, permit us to draw one more from this: "For the Bread of God is HE which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world." (John 6:33).
HE WAS THAT LIVING BREAD. Yet the temptation of the adversary was that He just cause the STONE to become bread. Carry on with the old STONE AGE MINISTRATION, don't go on to become that NEW ORDER BREAD that feeds the hungry and fully satisfies. Jesus answered, "It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God." Full well He knew that there was a FAR BETTER expression of THE WORD OF GOD that was being unveiled, and it would feed the hungry of this world in a way that former things could never satisfy. Stones turned into bread are not enough. We desperately need to be "filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19): And where is that fullness to be found? "It pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) should all fullness dwell." (Colossians 1:19). Yea, "For it is in Him that all the fullness of Deity continues to live embodied, and through union with Him you too are filled with it."
(Colossians 2:9-10, Williams).When the stone was rolled away from the tomb, and Jesus Christ came forth in resurrection life, it truly signaled the end of the stone age-- rolled away, to release His New Covenant Life. Some may try to roll the stone back in place, to resume the ministration of the law, but it is too late! HE IS RISEN, and the Spirit of His Life cannot be confined in a tomb-- nor restrained by the STONE AGE, but He is free to bring us into the fullness of His life and glory.
Significant that after Pentecost, and Peter's infilling with the holy Spirit, that we see in his message a transition also out of the stone age. We read that we are come "as unto a LIVING Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. You also, as LIVELY stones, are built up a SPIRITUAL HOUSE, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2.4-5).
In Him the LIVING STONE all the stones have COME ALIVE, and as soon as they are FILLED WITH HIS LIFE, we can drop the term "stones," and talk about being A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, with the offering up of SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES. Everything is being called to the higher dimensions, no more to be of the letter, but of the Spirit, the reality of His divine life.
Some try to turn stones into bread,
And find they feed on grit instead,
Because they are not fed thereby--
They pick up stones and let them fly,
A ministration of death!
In Christ we have the Living Bread,
And by His life are richly fed,
He is within our righteousness,
How fully He doth save and bless--
A ministration of life!
The contrast of the old and new,
Two ministrations stand in view,
Praise God, the stone age passed away,
Christ dwells within, has come to stay,
A ministration of rest!
That one in Him we might become,
His grace and mercy fill the sum,
His holy nature is our law,
No more from other wells to draw--
A ministration of peace!Contents - Part 4 - Spirit of the Word -
Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Preface
1 - He Takes Away The First
2 - God Was In Christ
3 - Ending The Stone Age
4 - God's Commandments Are Promises
5 - Jesus, The New Covenant 'Yes'
6 - With Shoutings Of Grace
7 - A New Covenant Spirit
8 - A New Covenant Generation
9 - New Covenant Security
10 - A New Covenant Name
11 - Embracing The Choice Vine
12 - New Wine In The Cluster
13 - In That Day
14 - Kingdom Of The New Covenant
15 - Beholding--Near And Afar Off
16 - Summary