摩西之約The Mosaic Covenant
譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/誠之
「耶和華喜愛你們，揀選你們，並不是因爲你們的人數比別的民族多，其實你們的人數在萬族中是最少的；而是因爲耶和華對你們的愛，又因爲祂遵守祂向你們的列祖所起的誓，祂才用大能的手把你們領出來，把你們從爲奴之家，從埃及王法老的手裏拯救出來。」（申七7-8）
-----申命記七6-8
在上帝和祂的百姓所立的盟約當中，沒有一個盟約會比摩西之約更令人誤解的了，我們更普遍地把摩西之約稱爲舊約。從根本上說，上帝以摩西作爲中保而與以色列所立的約是恩典之約。摩西之約是恩典之約展開的一部分，它不是引入一個與亞伯拉罕之約的應許相反的救贖原則。
連同諸如賀治等傑出人物，我們在某種意義上可以說摩西之約是「原始行爲之約的重新宣講」；原因在於它在理論上（爲罪人）闡述了一種通過完美地遵行命令來獲得拯救的方法（參：利十八5；加三10-14）。但是上帝的意思從來不是讓以色列人認爲，他們可以完成盟約的條件，並完美地遵行稱義的律法要求。例如獻祭系統的存在，意味著他們不能完成盟約的條件。事實上，摩西之約中的獻祭見證了摩西之約是恩典之約的一部分，它們被添上是為了向百姓證明他們的過犯，使他們逐漸養成對彌賽亞的盼望，祂會爲罪獻上最後犧牲的祭。但就某種意義而言，摩西之約不是與亞伯拉罕之約相反的行爲之約的重新頒布；事實上，摩西之約是恩典之約的一部分，上帝這恩慈的禮物啓示了對百姓的要求，最後把人指向基督，並提供一幅藍圖，爲唯獨因信稱義的人勾勒出聖潔生活的面貌。
在摩西之約裏，上帝對亞伯拉罕的應許開始得到更加輝煌的應驗。由十二支派組成的族長後裔構成一個國，就如上帝開頭對亞伯拉罕的應許 : 「你向天觀看，數點衆星，看你能不能把它們數得清楚。」（參看創十二1-3；十五1-6） 上帝降臨會幕，住在祂的百姓當中，以色列人被呼召作聖潔的國度，見證上帝的恩典， 并鼓勵外邦人來到祂的面前領受祝福（十九1-6；申四1-8；彌迦書四1-5）。
當我們思想上帝立約的背景時，摩西之約恩慈的特征是最明顯的。如我們在今天的經文中看到，以色列民族不擁有任何促使上帝與他們立約的條件。事實上，上帝單方面決定這樣做，祂遵守向列祖所起的的誓言（申七6-8）。此外，救恩在先，上帝從埃及拯救以色列人出來，然後才啓示祂的律法。
活在上帝的面光中（Coram Deo）
上帝把以色列民族從埃及救贖出來後，我們的造物主制定了成聖的基本原則。嚴格地說，我們不能使自己聖潔。首先，上帝把我們從罪中拯救出來，把我們從萬民中分別出來作聖潔的子民。然後，我們接受並遵行祂的律法，向祂恩慈的救贖表達我們的感恩。摩西之約是上帝恩典的禮物，它不是作爲一種拯救手段賜給我們的，而是教導我們如何爲祂的救恩，生活在感恩之中。
延伸閱讀：出十五1-21；提後一8-10
The
Mosaic Covenant
“It
was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set
his love on you and chose you … but it is because the Lord loves you and is
keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has redeemed you
from the house of slavery” (vv. 7-8).
-
Deuteronomy 7:6-8
Of
all the covenants that the Lord has made with His people, perhaps none is more
misunderstood than the Mosaic covenant, which we more commonly refer to as the
old covenant. Fundamentally, the covenant with Israel that was mediated by
Moses is a gracious covenant. It is part of the unfolding of the covenant of
grace, and does not introduce a new principle of salvation in opposition to the
Abrahamic covenant of promise.
Along
with such luminaries as Charles Hodge, we could say that in some sense the
Mosaic covenant is “a renewed proclamation of the original covenant of works”;
in that it sets forth a theoretical (for sinners) way of salvation via perfect
obedience to its commands (see Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:10-14). But the Lord never
meant for the Israelites to think that they could fulfill the covenant and keep
His law with the perfection He demands for justification. The very existence of
the sacrificial system, for example, presupposes that they would not. In fact,
the sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant are a testimony to its being part of the
one covenant of grace, added to show people their transgression and to
cultivate the hope of a Messiah who would offer the final sacrifice for sin.
But the Mosaic covenant is not a republication of the covenant of works in the
sense that it is opposed to the covenant with Abraham; in fact, it is part of
the covenant of grace, a gracious gift of God to reveal His demands, point
people finally to Christ, and provide a blueprint that outlines holy living for
those who have been justified by faith alone.
In
the Mosaic covenant, God’s promises to Abraham begin to reach a more glorious
fulfillment. The twelve tribes made up of the patriarch’s descendants are
constituted as a nation as the Lord starts to make the number of Abraham’s
progeny as numerous as the stars (see Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-6). God comes to dwell
among His people in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38), and the Israelites are
called to be a holy nation that testifies to the Lord’s grace and encourages
the Gentiles to come to Him for blessing (19:1-6; Deut. 4:1-8; Micah 4:1-5).
The
gracious character of the Mosaic covenant is most evident when we consider the
context in which the Lord gave it. As we see in today’s passage, there was
nothing in Israel that motivated God to enter into covenant with the nation. In
fact, it was His decision alone to do so and keep the oath He swore to the
patriarchs (Deut. 7:6-8). Furthermore, salvation comes first. God saves the
Israelites from Egypt, and only then does He reveal His law.
Coram
Deo
By
revealing His law to Israel after redeeming the nation from Egypt, our Creator
establishes the basic principle of sanctification. Strictly speaking, we do not
make ourselves holy. First, God saves us from sin and sets us apart as His holy
people. Then, we receive and obey His law, expressing our gratitude for His
gracious redemption. The Mosaic law is God’s gift of grace, given not as a
means to save ourselves but to show us how to live in thankfulness for His
salvation.
Passages
for Further Study
Exodus
15:1-21
2
Timothy 1:8-10
