In light  of eternity

How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament?

The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all fore-signify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation. 

These elements represent types and ordinances that foreshadowed something greater. The Old Testament functions as a sign pointing to a different time, space, and person, telling both historical and eternal stories simultaneously.

While it’s easy to romanticize the Old Testament, it’s important to remember that every era has its purpose. All of time is significant because it either shows us, in anticipation, what Christ would do, or reveals what He is doing to complete and fulfill what He has begun.

The unity of the covenant of grace highlights the centrality of Christ. There can only be one covenant because there is only one Christ. He fulfilled the Old Testament foreshadowing and continues to apply that finished work through the Holy Spirit.

Many passages come alive when we understand this concept. For example:

• Romans 15:8: “For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers.”
• Hebrews 10:1: “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.”
• Romans 4:11: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.”

These passages, and others, emphasize how Christ fulfilled the promises and foreshadowing of the Old Testament.

Let’s highlight a few particularly important foreshadowing elements:

• Promises and prophecies: These informed Israel and kept their eyes focused on the future, ultimately on Christ. They serve the same function for us today. All promises and prophecies are about Christ and His work, victory, plan, and Kingdom.
  
• Sacrifices: The sacrifices kept Israel’s focus on death, dying, blood, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ. This is perhaps the most potent element pointing us to Christ, whose blood was given in our place. It was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, both past and future. The idea of a future temple and sacrificial system is a baseless theological fiction.
  
• Circumcision and the Passover: These are interesting individually, but even more so when considered together. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant, while the Passover marked the dramatic rescue from Egyptian bondage. Together, and especially when connected to their New Testament counterparts, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, they demonstrate remarkable continuity in the story of redemption through Christ.

It is crucial to understand that Christ is not merely the fulfillment of Old Testament expectations, but the entire purpose behind them. He is the reason those events, people, and history unfolded as they did. This aligns with Dr. Ridderbos’s observation that the law’s function was not to gradually lead people to Christ, but to prepare them for redemption through Him by exposing the enslaving and killing nature of the law.

This idea is echoed in passages like Hebrews 8, Galatians 3:7-9, and Galatians 3:14, which emphasize that Jesus, from beginning to end, is the reason for all things, and we are His inheritance.