Theological term
Sanctions
2 sermons · All terms
The Ratification of the Covenant, Part I
Exodus 24:1–8 records the formal ratification of the old covenant at Sinai, and this expository study examines three elements the text presents: God's instructions structuring nearness and distance on the mountain, Moses' compliance in writing the covenant words and erecting the altar and twelve pillars, and the blood-sprinkling ceremony that sealed the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. The sermon argues that the old covenant, far from being a mere administration of the covenant of grace, is a republication of the covenant of works — a position the 1689 LBCF reflects in distinction from the Westminster Confession. The blood of the ratification ceremony finds its antitype in the blood of Christ, whose once-for-all sacrifice inaugurates the new covenant in which believers stand accepted not by their own obedience but by that of their covenant head.
The Prophet's Refuge
Habakkuk 3:17–19 — a confession of joy in God amid total material destitution — is only fully appreciable when the prophet's historical and theological context is understood. Preaching through the book's three-chapter arc, this sermon traces Habakkuk's movement from perplexed dialogue with God, through a deliberate rehearsal of God's past mighty acts, to a resolute refuge in the Lord independent of all outward circumstances. The linchpin is Habakkuk 2:4 — 'the justified by faith shall live by his steadfast trust in the living God' — which grounds the prophet's joy not in divine provision of health or prosperity but in God himself. The sermon calls believers to build a theological foundation in their souls now, so that when calamity comes, the resolution of Habakkuk 3:18 is already settled.