The Ancient Witnesses

154 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

picture. 3 Now, if you have studied the covenants, you know that creation and redemption are part of one great story.” I saluted, and Mentor called on me. “I’ve always found the covenants confusing,” I admitted, “there are so many of them in the Old Testament; how do they all connect with the New?” “I’ll tell you,” replied Irenaeus, “they are lessons in the training of God’s people, first Israel and later the Church. This all began, as you have seen, with the call of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and continued with the Exodus, as Melito shows. Then came the wilderness wanderings, the conquest, and so on, when God was preparing His people for the way of salvation. He educates humanity, if you will, gradually guiding them by means of covenants made with Adam, Noah, Moses, and, in time, the covenant of the Gospel itself.” “Israel was in school,” said Preacher. “They graduated to the next grade with each covenant,” added Cesar. “I think they flunked out,” said Joseph, “anyway, I don’t remember reading about a school in Exodus.” “It does say God wrote the commandments on tablets of stone,” said Father Greg. 4 “Does that mean he literally wrote with his finger?” said Joseph. “How do you write?” asked Irenaeus.

3 The statement is based on Joseph Lienhard, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Vol. 3 Exodus—Deuteronomy (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press), xviii.

4 Exod. 31:18.