What the Bible Teaches - Truth #6
(a) The old covenant "gendereth to bondage" (Galatians 4:24, KJV, "slavery," NEB).
(b) It is the spiritual experience of being "under the law," under a fear motivation (4:21).
(c) The old covenant was formed at Mt. Sinai when Israel vainly promised, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8). God did not ask them to make that promise. They broke it soon afterwards.
(d) Peter's promise never to deny the Lord was an old covenant promise (Mark 14:29-31).
(e) God made seven great promises to Abraham, but did not ask him to make any promise in return (Genesis 12:1-3). God repeated and enlarged them later, still exacted no promise from him (13:14-17; 15:4, 5). Chapter 15:9-17 shows that the covenant is a one-way promise.
(f) God never asks us to make promises to Him; He asks us to believe His promises to us (15:6).
(g) Abraham is "the father of all those who believe." Thus he is the example of genuine righteousness by faith (Romans 4:1, 11-13, 16-18). The law, given 430 years later, became "our tutor" ("schoolmaster," KJV) to lead us on a long detour back to the experience of Abraham, to be "justified by faith" (Galatians 3:23-26). ( Waggoner Caught the Bible Idea)
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