Epistle of Barnabas - Loss
of Covenant at Mount Sinai
See all of the Epistle of Barnabas.
Yes [it is even so]; but let us
inquire if the Lord has really given that testament which He swore to
the fathers that He would give
to the people. For the prophet declares, "And Moses was
fasting forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, that he might
receive the testament of the Lord for the people (Ex. xxiv. 18.) And
he received from the Lord
(Ex. xxxi. 18.) two tables,
written in the spirit
by the finger of the hand of the Lord. And Moses having received
them, carried them down to give to the people. And the Lord said to
Moses, "Moses, Moses, go down quickly; for thy people hath sinned,
whom thou didst bring out of the land of Egypt. Ex. xxxii. 7; Deut.
ix. 12. And Moses understood that they had
again
(made for themselves) made molten
images; and he threw the tables out of
his hands, and the tables of the testament of
the Lord were broken. Learn now how we have received it.
Moses, as a servant, (Comp. Heb.
iii. 5.) received it; but the Lord himself, having suffered in our
behalf, hath given it to
us, that we should be the people of
inheritance. But He was manifested, in order that
they might
be perfected in their
iniquities, and that we, being
constituted heirs through Him, (through him who inherited) might
receive the testament of the Lord Jesus, who was prepared for this end, that
by His personal manifestation, redeeming our hearts (which were
already wasted by death, and given over to the iniquity of error) from
darkness, He might by His word enter into a covenant
with us. For it is written how the Father, about to redeem (through
Christ) us from darkness, commanded Him to prepare a holy people for
Himself. (Cod. Sin. reads,
"be prepared." Hilgenfeld follows Cod. Sin. so far, and reads, "For
it is written how the Father commanded Him who was to redeem us from
darkness (autw-lutrwsamenoj) to prepare a holy people for Himself.") The prophet therefore declares, "I, the Lord
Thy God, have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thy hand,
and will strengthen Thee; and I have given Thee for a covenant to
the people, for a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind,
and to bring forth from fetters them that are
bound, and those that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. ( Isa.
xlii. 6, 7.) Ye perceive, (Cod. Sin. has, "we know.") then, whence we
have been redeemed. And again, the prophet says, "Behold, I have
appointed Thee as a light to the nations, that Thou mightest be for
salvation even to the ends of the earth, saith the Lord God that
redeemeth thee. (Isa. xlix. 6.) And again, the prophet saith,
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the humble: He
hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim deliverance to
the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to announce the
acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompense; to comfort
all that mourn (Isa. lxi. 1, 2.) Counter added 1.17.05 6:58p 1846
He did give it; but they were not
worthy to receive it, on account of
their sins.
Moses then received it, but they proved
themselves unworthy.
