I read a book by Williamson today in which he makes the following points:
(1) The Sinaitic Covenant was a national covenant;
(2) The Abrahamic covenant promised a future national covenant;
(3) The Sinaitic Covenant "spells out the type of nation that [Adonai] intended Israel to be";
(4) The reference to "nation" in Exodus 19:5-6 is a fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that his descendants would eventually become a great nation.
Here's the excerpts from Williamson's book that relate to the above points:
pg. 94 "The national covenant in biblical-theological context... Of all the divine-human covenants in the Old Testament, the one formally established between [Adonai] and Israel at Sinai is certainly the most prominent, not only in terms of the space devoted to it within the Pentateuch, but also in terms of its numerous echoes, renewals and theological significance within the Old Testament as a whole. Indeed, as McKenzie (2000: 4) observes, 'This is the one considered THE Old Testament covenant.'
However, while a disproportionate amount of space may be devoted to the covenant(s) established between [Adonai] and Abraham's national progeny, the Israelites, it is important to realize that these national covenants do not in any sense supersede the patriarchal covenants. Rather, the latter are the theological backbone supporting the national covenants and against which they must be understood (cf. Lev. 26:42-45). It is important to emphasize this, as it guards against any misreading of the Sinai covenant in terms of a temporary suspension, still less an annulment, of the programmatic agenda announced to Abraham. The giving of the law was not intended to set aside the promise (cf. Gal. 3:17); rather, it was the means by which the goal of the promise would be advanced in and through Abraham's national descendants (Gen. 12:2; cf. 18:18-19).
The hermeneutical key to the exodus event and its sequel (the Sinai covenant) is found in Exodus 2:23-25. From this text it is clear that God's intervention on behalf of the Israelites in Egypt was prompted by the covenant promises he had made to Israel's ancestors. Thus the deliverance from Egypt and God's revelation at Sinai must be interpreted in light of the programmatic agenda set out in Genesis (cf. the allusions to the patriarchal promises in Exod. 3:7-8, 16-22; 6:4-6; 13:5,11).
The book of Exodus begins by outlining the initial fulfilment of the promise relating to phenomenal expansion of Abraham's biological descendants (cf. Gen. 15:5). The extended family that had gone down to Egypt (Gen. 46:27) had grown into a multitude in the interim period (Exod. 1:6-10). Moreover, it continued to do so despite the genocidal policy of ethnic cleansing instituted by a new regime in Egypt (cf. Exod. 1:11-12, 20; 5:5). Evidently, the divine promise concerning the proliferation of Abraham's physical descendants had begun to materialize.
Furthermore, by the end of Genesis the first prerequisite for the inheritance of the Promised Land had been met: Abraham's descendants had become 'migrants in someone else's land' (Gen. 15:13a my trans.). The opening chapters of Exodus recount how the second requirement (viz. the slavery and oppression of Abraham's descendants; cf. Gen. 15:13b) unfolded when a new king (presumably also meaning a new dynasty) established himself over Egypt (cf. Exod. 1:11-14; 2:23-25; 3:7-10). Moreover, as the story progresses the stage is further set for the promised deliverance of Genesis 15:14 (Exod. 3:16-22; 6:2-8; 7:1-5; 11:1-3). Thus the exodus event constitutes the fulfilment of the preliminary stage of the prospect held out in the covenant of Genesis 15: the prospect of nationhood. The 'great nation' promised by God to Abraham (Gen. 12:2) is about to emerge on to the world stage. Indeed, this is the very purpose of the exodus event: to bring to birth the nation with whom God will establish a special relationship (Exod. 6:7; cf. Gen. 17:7-8).
Therefore, as Anderson (1999: 137) correctly concludes, 'In the final form of the Pentateuch (Torah), the Mosaic covenant is subordinate to the Abrahamic. In this canonical context the Abrahamic covenant, which guarantees the promise of land and posterity, is the overarching theme within which the Mosaic covenant of law is embraced.'
The revelatory purpose of the national covenant
In essence, the Sinaitic covenant spells out the type of nation that [Adonai] intended Israel to be. It is clear from the obligations imposed upon Israel that being in special relationship with [Adonai] involved more than privilege; it entailed responsibility. Israel, Abraham's promised descendants, could continue to enjoy the divine-human relationship anticipated in Genesis 17:7-8 only by maintaining the socio-ethical distinctiveness enshrined in God's instructions to Abraham ('walk before me, and be blameless' Gen. 17:1). Like their ancestor, Israel must 'keep the way of [Adonai] by doing what is right and just' (Gen. 18:19 my trans.). Like Abraham, Israel must 'obey [Adonai's] voice and keep his requirements, commandments, statutes and laws' (Gen. 26:5; own trans., which changes the original pronouns to suit usage in text; cf. Exod. 19:8, 24:3, 7). Having [Adonai] as their God entailed conformity to his holy character (cf. Lev. 19:2). Thus the primary concern of the Sinaitic covenant was on how the promised divine-human relationship between [Adonai] and the 'great nation' descended from Abraham (Gen. 17:7-8) should be expressed and maintained.
The bilateral nature of the covenant is reflected in the conditional framework (i.e. 'If you obey...then...' TNIV; similarly, ESV) of Exodus 19:5-6. For his part, God would make Israel unique among the nations: they would be his 'special treasure' (segulla implies a special value as well as a special relationship), a 'priestly kingdom' and a 'holy nation'. As Dumbrell (1984: 87) suggests, the use of the term 'nation' (goy) rather than the more customary 'people' ('am) [in Exodus 19:5-6] may well indicate an allusion her to the promise of nationhood in Genesis 12:2. In any case, this text clearly indicates what kind of nation God intends Israel to be: a holy nation, set apart to God from all other. As such, Israel was clearly to function as 'a light to the nations'. While ultimately Abraham's individual and eschatological 'seed' inherited this mission (cf. Isa. 42:6; 49:6; 60:3), such a role is at least implicit in Israel's description here as a 'priestly kingdom'. The latter phrase (found only here in the OT; although cf. Isa. 61:6 for a similar idea) has given rise to various interpretations, but its most straightforward sense (i.e. 'kingdom of priests') suggests that it is a statement of Israel's distinct status as 'a servant nation'. The whole nation has thus inherited the responsibility formerly conferred on Abraham--that of mediating God's blessing to the nations of the earth. Such a mission is also suggested by the explanatory statement that follows: 'because [ki] all the earth is mine' (Exod. 19:5). As Dumbrell maintains, 'the ki clause functions not as the assertion of the right to choose but as the reasons or goal for choice' (1988: 146, emphasis his). Israel's election as [Adonai's] 'special treasure' was not an end in itself, but a means to a much greater end. Thus understood, the goal of the Sinaitic covenant was the establishment of a special nation through which [Adonai] could make himself known to all the families of the earth.
To be such a nation, however, Israel must 'keep my [God's] covenant' (Exod. 19:5). In order to do so, Israel must fulfil the obligations inherent in this particular covenant, as the following chapters clearly indicate. The principal obligations ('words') are set out in the Decalogue (Exod. 20:1-17); the more detailed obligations ('judgments') are contained in the 'Book of the Covenant' (Exod. 20:22 -- 23:33)....just as the Noahic covenant had guaranteed the preservation of life, in particular human life, on earth, so the Mosaic covenant guaranteed the preservation of Israel, Abraham's national posterity, in the land."
pg. 99 "The ratification of the covenant at Sinai... The formal ratification of the Sinaitic covenants takes place in Exodus 24. Like earlier divine covenants (cf. Gen. 8:20-21; 15:9-10; 22:13-14), a sacrificial ritual is involved (Exod. 24:3-8). No explanation is offered with regard to the ritual described here. While there is some correspondence with later sacrificial rites (cf. those of Exod. 29:16,20 and Lev. 1:5,11) in which blood is sprinkled upon the alter, the rite described here in Exodus 24:6 is nowhere repeated in the Old Testament, making its precise meaning difficult to ascertain. One plausible suggestion is that the symbolism is analogous with the more primitive covenant-making ritual reflected in Genesis 15 (and apparently revived in the early sixth century; cf. Jer. 34:18-20). Thus understood, the splattered blood (Exod. 24:6,8) chillingly symbolizes the fate of the covenant breaker(s). Alternatively, the blood ritual may simply serve to consecrate the human agent as in the case of priesthood (so Nocholson 1986: 172-174), whose consecration (cf. Exod. 29; Lev. 8) may also be understood as part of a covenantal arrangement (so Dumbrell 1984: 94). In any case, while the precise significance of the symbolism remains unclear, the twofold application of the blood (i.e. to the altar and the people) would appear to underline the bilateral nature of the covenant so ratified."
No comments:
Post a Comment