The Everlasting Covenant

Only One Leader—Christ

Moses and the children of Israel were called to the same inheritance that is reserved for us. The promise was to them in Christ, as well as to us. It was an inheritance to be gained only by faith in Christ, and that faith was to be such as would make Christ a real, personal presence, although invisible. And more, the basis of the faith and hope was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Christ then, as now, was the head of the church. The true church has not and never has had any other than an invisible head. “The Holy One of Israel” was given to be “a leader and commander to the people” ¹ ages before He was born a babe in Bethlehem. EVCO 195.3

We see therefore that personal faith in Christ was the basis of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. This was shown in the institution of the passover. Matters had then come to a crisis. Pharaoh had persisted in stubborn resistance until the mercy of the Lord had no effect upon him. That Pharaoh had acted deliberately, and had sinned against light, is shown by his own statement after the locusts had been sent. He called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.” ² He had come to acknowledge the Lord, and he knew that rebellion against him was sin, yet as soon as there was respite he was as stubborn as ever. He definitely and fully rejected all the Lord’s advances, and now nothing remained but to execute such judgment upon him as would compel him to desist from his oppression, and to let Israel go. EVCO 196.1