The Covenant Of Grace And The People Of God

This is a fine defence of the integrity of the pan-Biblical covenant and

the faithful and consistent testimony of God to His church and people

in every age. I particularly found Dr Ella’s thoughts concerning the

international nature of God’s covenant promises in the Old Testament

helpful and refreshing. I enjoyed, too, his thoughts on how a singular

view of Jewish covenant applicability is too narrow.

It has struck me for a long time how frequently the Lord was pleased

to send the gospel outside of Israel’s borders. Did not Joseph take the

gospel to Egypt? Naaman certainly carried the gospel back to Syria

where there was already at least one believer in Damascus, a little

servant girl who evangelised her peers. Mordecai and Esther’s greatness

in the court of the Medes and Persians was immense and we are told

many believed because of them. Daniel’s influence was considerable in

Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar had wonderful revelations of God’s

glory. The history of Balaam and Balak betrays a keen awareness

amongst surrounding nations of God’s covenant dealings with His

people. These things were not hid. Jonah’s testimony in Nineveh was

powerful and if we may take the scripture testimony at face value, and

we should, many, many believed God. This was a huge, huge city of

antiquity and the vast majority must surely have been Gentiles.

Wise men came from the east seeking the King of the Jews. Even

the Lord’s dealings with the Syrophenician woman who by the

Saviour’s own testimony possessed great and genuine faith shows

covenant grace was never restricted to a single race. She was a

Canaanite by birth and abode, but was truly one of the lost sheep of the

house of Israel whom the Lord had come to seek and to save. Gentiles

knew grace and were blessed in the Covenant of Peace long before the

gospel was sent more fully to the Gentiles in the great commission.

This volume goes forth with the prayer and sure confidence that the

same grace that always saved sinners by bringing them to a knowledge

of the truth will be instrumental in opening the eyes of God’s elect till

the last lost sheep is gathered and the fulness of the truth as it is in Jesus

is known the world over. Then the earth shall be full of the knowledge

of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.