(15) Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. (16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. (18) For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (19) В¶ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (20) Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
No form of words could have been more happily chosen, than what is here done, to show the unchangeable nature of the Covenant in itself; and to manifest at the same time, that it is all completed in Christ. The Covenant being from everlasting, partook of all properties suited to its everlasting nature; and as such, was ordered in all things and sure. And nothing could possibly arise, from which provision was not made. Consequently nothing could counteract the whole design. And when this Covenant was made and confirmed, by all the Persons of the Godhead; nothing could be added to, or taken from. Even a man's covenant, (with Paul), once stamped and sealed, is not to be rescinded. Now as the Almighty Covenanters engaged for all the parts of this Covenant, it is plain, that no respect was had either to the good works, or, to the evil works, of those, who were to be the highly favored objects of the bounty this Covenant promised. The Church of Christ, was considered as in need, of this rich mercy. And the Church of Christ had nothing to do, but to be the receiver of it. Jehovah, in his threefold character of Person, was neither constrained by the Church's deservings, nor restrained by her undeservings. All was of grace. And the whole result was all along intended, to be to the praise of the glory, of His grace, who hath made the Church accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6
And, as the Covenant itself was, in its very nature, fixed, unalterable, and everlasting: so Christ, in whom the whole centered, and by whom the whole was to be accomplished, and who in fact was the whole of the Covenant, became the sole Security, on the part of his Church, for the fulfillment. Now, to Abraham (saith Paul) and his seed, were the promises made: (that is, were given, or deposited). He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one: and to thy seed, which is Christ. Nothing can more strongly define, both Christ, and his seed. For Abraham, had many children beside Isaac. But, in Isaac the line of grace ran. And to show at the same time, even in this line, that the children of promise were all of Christ; while, in the generations, from Abraham to Christ, all pointed to Christ: and the promised seed, Christ himself, came in with the fall. The very first promise of the Bible, proclaimed Christ: when it was said, the seed of the woman. Genesis 3:15. And, without all question, or doubt in that holy portion of our nature, which the Son of God took into union with himself, was contained, all the spiritual seeds of holiness, from whence the nature of his Church should be formed; and become partaker with him, of all that she is capable of receiving, of grace here, and glory forever. He is the Head of his body the Church, the fullness of Him which filleth all in all Ephesians 1:22-23
And, to confirm this point still more, the Apostle refers to the great distance in point of time, after which the law was given from that period, when God confirmed the Covenant to Abraham. Four hundred and thirty years ran out, before the law was heard of. And how, in the nature of things, could this be supposed, to counteract the Lord's original purposes, revealed to Abraham? And besides this, it was at least two thousand years, from the first, and original promise at the fall: yea, the Covenant itself, and all the promises, were in Christ, before the world began. Psalms 89:3; 1 Timothy 2:9; Titus 1:2. Reader! do not fail to observe these things! A Covenant formed between the Persons of the Godhead, from all eternity; formed in Christ, depending wholly for accomplishment by Christ, and all the blessings of it placed with Christ could have no respect to merit, or undeserving, in the objects of the proposed grace, either before, or after receiving the unspeakable mercy. For, as the Apostle elsewhere concludes; if it be by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. Romans 11:6
And if, from this unanswerable, and conclusive reasoning, the question should arise in any man's mind, wherefore then serveth the law? The answer (saith Paul) is direct: It was added because of transgressions, until Christ the seed should come. That is to show the heinousness of sin, and the holiness of God: and thereby more fully prove, the infinite importance of redemption by Christ. And nothing could so effectually manifest, the desperately wicked state of man's nature by the fall, as when held forth in the glass of God's holy law. For, precepts to holiness, act as a bridle upon our corrupt affections, and we thereby discover our propensities the stronger to offend: just as pent up waters, swell, and grow more violent, the more they are restrained. And hence the law was added, to show poor fallen man, the awful state, to which by sin he is reduced; and the more powerfully to show, the necessity of Christ. Reader! it would be always blessed, if men so viewed the holiness of God's law, and their total inability to perform it. Jesus, and his complete salvation, would then be valued, as the one only ordinance of heaven, whereby we must be saved.
On the subject which the Apostle next treats of, respecting the law being ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator; I am free to confess, that after the numberless times I have read this Scripture; I know not, whether my apprehension of the Apostle's meaning is correct. No Commentator that I have seen, hath afforded me any satisfaction upon it. And the greater part of their opinions I differ from. Under these circumstances, I shall venture to give the Reader what appears to me to be the most probable sense of the passage, without determining upon the correctness of it: and I pray God the Holy Ghost, to be the Teacher on this occasion, both of the Writer, and Reader, of this Poor Man's Commentary.
I see no difficulty, however, in apprehending what is said on the subject, in relation to the angels. They are no more than servants, or messengers, upon the occasion. And certainly, nothing can be intended by what is here observed, than that their services were used at the giving of the law. Ordained by angels, means not, that they had a hand in forming, or framing, the law. This was (and is expressly said to be) in the hand of a Mediator. The Apostle elsewhere useth a different word, to what he here names ordained; and saith, the word was spoken by angels. Hebrews 2:2. And Stephen, in his defence before the council, terms it, disposition of angels. Acts 7:53. The sense, therefore, is plainly this, and no more: that the Lord was pleased, as he did upon various other occasions to the Church, to make use of the services of angels, in ordaining, or speaking, or disposing; that is, delivering, the law. Hebrews 1:6; Genesis 32:1; John 1:51; Matthew 25:31, etc.
But the great difficulty, to the full, and clear apprehension of the passage, relates to the Person of the Mediator here spoken of. The question is, whom doth the Holy Ghost mean? The general opinion of Commentators, decidedly declare it to be Moses. But to me, I confess, nothing appears to be more improbable. For, not to remark, how unsuitable so high an office of dignity, must be, for the exercise of any, that is but merely man and no more; the terror, and apprehension of Moses at this scene of Sinai, totally disqualified him from it, had nothing beside been unfavorable to this opinion. And though some, to lessen the force of this objection, have observed, that Moses only acted here, as a type of Christ; yet this was altogether unnecessary, when, as is evident from other Scriptures, Christ was himself present. And although Moses, as the servant, and minister of the Lord Jesus, went in, and out, before Christ's Church; (Deuteronomy 5:5.) yet no where through all the Bible is he ever called mediator. But, on the contrary, God the Holy Ghost tells the Church finally, and fully, by Paul, that there is One Mediator (and the very expression implies that there is no other) between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 5:1. See Commentary on the passage.
And moreover, on the supposition that Moses was here meant, as personating Christ; then, in this case, there was only one party present, at the delivery of the law, namely, God. And the Holy Ghost by Paul saith, that a Mediator is not a Mediator of one; for there must be two parties at least in every Covenant: for otherwise he cannot be called a mediator, where there is nothing to mediate, or come between. Whereas, if Moses be considered on this occasion as a mediator, where was the other party to form the Covenant? In this sense, I should be rather inclined to consider Moses as the representative of the Church, than a mediator, or the representative of a mediator; for then, both parties might be said to be present.
According, therefore, to every view which can be taken of the subject, we can look nowhere for this Mediator, but to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, although a difficulty seems to arise, (and who is there taught of God, but must expect continual difficulties to arise in our perception of divine things, in the present twilight of knowledge?) how Christ should be the Mediator, at the giving of the law, when the Holy Ghost declares him to be the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises: Hebrews 8:6. yet difficulties are less, in reconciling this apprehension of things together, than in the former. Though the law be called the ministration of death, when compared to the Gospel; and Christ himself is the source of life, to his people: yet the law is said to be spiritual also; and was intended to act spiritually in the Church, unto the coming of Christ. And, it should seem to be the more probable conclusion, that Christ is the Mediator on this occasion, in whose hand the law was ordained, than any other: though I beg it may be understood, that I presume not to speak the least decidedly upon the subject.
But the Reader will indulge me yet a little farther I hope, to bring before him a few more Scriptural testimonies (as they appear to me) in confirmation of it; and as the subject is in itself so highly interesting.
The Prophets who have noticed the solemn transaction, of the giving of the law, at Mount Sinai, appear to have uniformly considered Christ, as the manifested Jehovah, on this occasion. Thus the Psalmist: He first speaks of the Lord's descension on the Mount; and immediately connects with it his ascension when redemption-work was finished. And, that the Psalmist considered the splendid acts, to have been accomplished by one and the same Person, the smallest reference to the Scripture he hath given on the subject, will fully prove. See Psalms 68:17-18. and Poor Man's Commentary there.
In like manner, the Prophet Habakkuk, when speaking of God, coming from Teman; and the Holy One, from Mount Paran: (a well-known name of the Lord Jesus Christ:) he connects the subject of this glorious One, going before Israel in the Wilderness, with Him as one, and the same Person, which went forth for the salvation of his people; even for salvation with his anointed ones. (For so the words may be rendered.) See Habakkuk 3:3-13. compared with: Micah 5:2. and Poor Man's Commentary in both places.
And still further. It is worthy remark, that Stephen, when under the full influence of the Holy Ghost, as he stood before the Sanhedrim, expressly calls Christ, the Prophet foretold by Moses; and then as expressly added: This is He that was in the Church in the Wilderness, with the Angel, which spoke to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the lively Oracles to give unto us. Acts 7:38 and Commentary. A plain proof, that Stephen, as well as the Prophets, considered Christ present at those solemn transactions, in the Mount.
And what should seem to be the fair, and probable conclusion, from the whole, in reference to this most interesting subject; (for I still beg it may be considered I am not speaking decidedly, but rather in a way of enquiry), but that Christ, who in his office-character as Wisdom-Mediator, saith himself, that he was set up from everlasting; Proverbs 8:22 was, and is, the same in all ages of his Church, who hath come forth from the invisibility of the divine essence, to make known, all that can be made known, of the purpose, and will of God. In the early ages, by glorious manifestations of his divine presence. In the after days of his flesh, in open revelation. But in all, as the only visible Jehovah. Hence, all things are in his hand, as in the hand of a Mediator. He reveals the law, in the Shechinah glory before his incarnation. He fulfills the law, in the days of his tabernacling among his people. And He was, and is, and will be, to all eternity, the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Romans 10:4. And hence, so considered, we enter into some apprehension of that sweet, and precious Scripture of Christ himself; which seems, as far as we can at present judge, not to be explained in any other way. No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven; even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. He who in his Covenant office and character, after redemption-work was finished, ascended up to heaven, is the same which came down from heaven; having stood up from everlasting in heaven, in the Covenant Council of chosen God-Man-Mediator: even the Son of Man; who in the same Covenant-character represented is in heaven. John 3:13 and Commentary there.