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<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>JUNE 15, 1947

mieWATCHTOWER.

from it. "For as many as are of the works of the
law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed
is everyone that continueth not in all things which
are written in the book of the law to do them. Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree."-Gal. 3: 10, 13.
ABRAHAMIC PRD:IISE REMAINS IN FORCE
14 The mediator Moses was a minister or servant
of that law covenant with Israel. The law of the covenant failed to legislate righteousness into the Israelite nation. It exposed them plainly as sinners, unable
to justify themselves by any works of righteousness
of their own. }'Ioses' bringing the law to the Israelites has rightly been spoken of, therefore, as "the
ministration of condemnation". It was such because
the law that Moses ministered simply made it appear
all the more strongly that they had inherited condemnation from Adam and that God was right in
condemning them as well as all the rest of mankind.
The law made them acquainted with what sin is. It
showed them up as being in sin, the wages of which
is death. For that reason, too, }'foses' ministration
of the law to Israel was also properly called "the
ministration of death, written and engraven in
stones". (2 Cor. 3: 7, 9) Although it was a ministration of condemnation and of death, the delivery of
the Mosaic law was made the occasion for marvelous
supernatural sights and sounds around Mount Sinai
and even with glory beaming from Moses' face so
that he was obliged to veil his face from the terrified Israelites. This glorious background to the law
of the covenant was in order to give the law covenant a fitting send-off, to show the dignity of it and
the seriousness of it, and to show its authenticity
or genuineness as being truly from Jehovah the
Almighty God and Supreme Lawgiver. Also it foreshadowed the giving of a better covenant, a new
covenant, which was to be marked with even greater
glory, a glory that should not pass away as Moses'
glory did.
15 For a fact, the entrusting of that law to Jacob's
descendants, the Israelites, was an honor to them,
for Jehovah God did not deal so with any other
people. What nation on earth was there then, or is
there to this day, that had or has such a marvelous
law? "He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes
and his judguiEmts unto Israel. He hath not dealt so
with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have
not known them. Praise ye the LORD." (Ps.147: 19, 20)
Said Moses to the Israelites: "What nation is there
so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the
LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him

14. How did Moses minister condemnation and death? Why with glory?
Hi Why must a day come for God to hold final judgment with them?

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for! And what nation is there so great, that hath
statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law,
which I set before you this day!" (Deut. 4: 7, 8)
Therefore there must come a day when God would
hold final judgment with that nation of Israel for
the great favor and privileges which he had long let
them enjoy by the law. That he would do so, he
reminded them, saying: "You only have I known
of all the families of the earth: therefore I will
punish you for ,all your iniquities."-A.mos 3: 2.
18 The law given through Moses did not cancel or
set aside the promise that had been made to the patriarch Abraham 430 years earlier. At that time, because of Abraham's faith and devotion, Jehovah God
entered into a covenant with him, the terms of which
were dictated by Jehovah God and which said: "In
thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." After
Abraham had proved willing to sacrifice his beloved
son Isaac to God, this covenant promise was enlarged to say: "In thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12: 3; 22: 18) This covenant with Abraham concerning his seed still stood
after the giving of the Mosaic law to the nation of
Israel, and the Israelites thought that by keeping
the Mosaic law they could become that seed for
blessing all other nations.
11 If, though, the privilege of being the seed to
bless all families and nations of the earth was to be
by their own righteousness through keeping the
Mosaic law, then the Abrahamic covenant would
have been made useless or set aside. If that was the
purpose of giving them the law at Sinai, then it
would have been as if God said to them: 'COWell, now,
with this law you can earn your own salvation, and
the sending of the Seed of the Abrahamic promise is
no more necessary. By the works of this law you
can justify yourselves and prove yourselves deserving of eternal life and worthy of my everlasting
blessing. By this law is your chance for eternal life
and blessing." To the contrary of this, the Mosaic
law, because of tpe very unattainableness of its
righteousness by condemned, imperfect men descended from Adam, was given for the sake of showing up their sins rather than their self-righteousness. It was given in order to teach the Israelites all
the more that they needed to have Abraham's Seed
sent in their behalf, because the 1Yfosaic law made
them all the more conscious of their sins and helplessness, and their inability to earn their own eternal
salvation by self-righteousness. In view of this distressing fact, the Abrahamic covenant should have
been a comfort to all faithful, believing Israelites,
instead of being ignored because of the Mosaic law.
18 The law covenant was a schoolmaster to point
16. What covenant st1ll stood alter glvini I8rael the law?
17. What, then, was the purpose in adding the Mosaic law?
18. How was it a llChoolmaster' llnd why not with an eternal curse?

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