Jung 1, 1919 opinion, which was written by Judge Henry G. Ward... . Referring to the treatment of the witnesses, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Hudgings and Hudgings, the decision says: “We think that the attitude of the court in regard to the testimony of these three witnesses and the action it took in the presence of the jury in the case of the witness William THE WATCH TOWER (179-180) F. Hudgings was most prejudicial to the defendants. It was very likely to intimidate witnesses subsequently called, to prejudice the jurors against the defendants and to make them think that the court was satisfied of the defendants’ guilt. What a judge may say to the contrary on such an occasion may not necessarily prevent such consequences.’ ” Vou. XL PITTSBURGH, PA., JUNE 15, 1919 GOD’S COVENANTS AND BLESSINGS No. 12 “Let them curse, but bless thou.”—Psalm 109:28. Clear understanding of every feature of God’s plan, while desirable, is not necessarily essential to our blessing thereunder. Most of us believed in the precious blood of Christ and were justified freely thereby from all things when we did not at all understand the philosophy of the atonement—-even as the majority of Christian people do not understand it now. While increasing knowledge did not bring increasing justification, it did bring increased appreciation, devotion and love, together with greater opportunities for harmony and co-operation with God’s purposes, as those purposes were better understood. Likewise a clear appreciation of God’s covenants is important and valuable to the Christian, In the knowledge of these he possesses the key to the understanding of the entire plan of God. That which we believe the Lord has allowed us to see more distinctly than most Christians is manifestly our duty and privilege to lay before the household of faith. The Apostle’s statement that God “will have all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” together with the inspired allusion to God’s disposition quoted at the head of this column, shows us that the heavenly Father prefers to bless, rather than to curse. But for the maintenance of justice, the stabilizing attribute of God’s character, he will curse, or remove the blessings already possessed or remove the opportunity for additional] blessings, if favors already shown are unappreciated and unused. Adam, God’s perfect earthly image, was fairly engulfed in divine blessings. He was perfect socially, mentally, morally, and physically; more than this he had a_ perfect environment and perfect dominion. He was the climax of all Jehovah’s wonderful creative work on earth and was included in the genera] statement of approval: ‘And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold it was very good.” Thus “God blessed them” by making every arrangement for their well-being and happiness. HOME TIES BROKEN But man disobeyed God and so severed the bond of fellowship and communion between them, the tacit agreement between man and his Maker to render mutual love and appreciation. Ged’s blessing or favor was withdrawn, and since only “in his favor is life’? (Psalm 30:5), the curse or disfavor of Jehovah rested upon Adam. (Genesis 3:19) What now? Could nothing in the shape of divine blessing be looked forward to as the disobedient pair were driven from their home in Eden? Yes, there was a glimmer of hope given in the curse upon the serpent: “it [the seed of Eve] shall bruise thy head.” (Genesis 3:15) It must have been humiliating to Adam, who should have been the head, to have his only ray of hope expressed in God’s communication to the serpent, and that in a promise where his own name was not even mentioned; but the realization of that fact could not have been half as humiliating as the consciousness of the utter ingratitude with which he had treated the benign providences of his Maker. Adam’s failure to keep God’s law had cut himself and his race off from divine favor and placed them under divine sentence; and nothing that man could do would restore that favor. The initiative toward reconciliation must come from God, if at all; and God’s covenants are his statements of his proposition for a reconciliation, and indicate how, with whom, and by whom it shall be accomplished. COVENANT, AN ARRANGEMENT OR CONTRACT Before taking up a review of God’s three most prominent covenants we will perhaps do well to bring clearly to mind the meanings of the important terms used, especially the words of Covenant and Mediator. The word in the Greek which is translated covenant or testament is diatheekee and is derived from dia, thoroughly, and theh-o, to place. From this we get the thought of disposition, arrangement, bequest, testament, or covenant. Professor Young gives “arrangement, covenant”; Strong’s Concordance gives “disposition, i. e., (specifically) a contract (especially a devisory will).” The English word covenant is probably well understood, but a few citations will not be out of place: VII—40 Covenant; an agreement entered into by two or more parties. A written agreement between parties under seal. Standard Dictionary. Covenant; A written contract under seal; ‘covenant’? is frequent in religious usage, as “contract” is in law and business. Fernald Synonyms, Covenant; A covenant is usually a national and public transaction; a solemn engagement on the one hand and faith in that engagement on the other, enter into the nature of a covenant. Crabb’s Synonymes. Covenant; A mutual contract or agreement of two or more persons to do or to refrain from doing some act. In general (law), an agreement under a seal. In Biblical usage, the free promise of God, generally, though not always, expressly accompanied by the requirement of fulfillment of certain conditions on the part of man. Century Dictionary. A contract or covenant may be unilateral, i. e. onesided, or bilateral, i. e. two-sided. A covenant may be conditional, or unconditional. Where a covenant is conditional each contracting party is bound to fulfill certain conditions, and a mediator is appointed to see that each keeps his covenant. Where a covenant is unconditional, no mediator is necessary. Mediator; (Greek meseetees) middleman. Young's Concordance. Mediator; a go-between, i. e. (simply) an internunciator, (by implication) a reconciler. Strong’s Concordence. The Greek word means simply a betweener, but is used in the Scriptures for one who interposes between parties at variance in order to reconcile them or to see that justice is done to both parties. THE OATH-BOUND COVENANT THE PROMISE GEN. 12:3 or a, Pa ~/., “ Tre CHURCH ~ “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, into a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”-—-Genesis 12:1-3. Any blessing ever coming to any human being comes as a fruitage of that promise. On this point we quote from THE Watcn Towrr of June Ist, 1916. page 169, first column: “The Abrahamic Covenant is an all-embracing arrangement. Everything that God has done and will yet do for our race ig included in that Abrahamic Covenant. .... All kindreds and families of the earth will be blessed by the privilege or opportunity of becoming children of Abraham, children of God, whom Abraham represented in a figure. ‘I have made thee a father of many nations’ (Genesis 17:5; Romans 4:17), said the Lord to Abraham. These will be blessed under the New Covenant, an arrangement whereby the Abrahamic Covenant will be fulfilled as relates to Israel and to all. The Abrahamic Covenant, then, embraces all the other covenants, those covenants being merely different features of God’s arrangements by which the work implied in the great Abrahamic Covenant or promise is to be accomplished.” The original covenant, or promise, includes all that ita added, or dependent covenants include in the way of blessing; while the latter constitute but proper and reasonable limitations and regulations by which the blessings may become everlasting to all the worthy. Little is said of Abraham prior to God’s making the cov [6445]
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