Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

ordinate with, but subordinate to, the latter. These temporal blessings did not constitute
an end in themselves, but served to symbolize and typify spiritual and heavenly things.
The spiritual promises were not realized in the natural descendants of Abraham as
such, but only in those who followed in the footsteps of Abraham.
e. In view of this establishment of the covenant of grace with Abraham, he is
sometimes considered as the head of the covenant of grace. But the word “head” is
rather ambiguous, and therefore liable to misunderstanding. Abraham cannot be called
the representative head of the covenant of grace, just as Adam was of the covenant of
works, for (1) the Abrahamic covenant did not include the believers that preceded him
and who were yet in the covenant of grace, and (2) he could not accept the promises for
us nor believe in our stead, thereby exempting us from these duties. If there is a
representative head in the covenant of grace, it can only be Christ (cf. Bavinck, Geref.
Dogm. III, pp. 239,241); but, strictly speaking, we can consider Him as the Head only on
the assumption that the covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are one.
Abraham can be called the head of the covenant only in the sense that it was formally
established with him, and that he received the promise of its continuance in the line of
his natural, but above all, of his spiritual, descendants. Paul speaks of him as “the father
of all them that believe,” Rom. 4:11. It is clear that the word “father” can only be
understood figuratively here, for believers do not owe their spiritual life to Abraham.
Says Dr. Hodge in his Commentary of Romans (4:11): “The word father expresses
community of character, and is often applied to the head or founder of any school or
class of men, whose character is determined by the relation to the person so designated;
as Gen. 4:20,21. . . . Believers are called the children of Abraham, because of this identity
of religious nature or character, as he stands out in Scripture as the believer; and because
it was with him that the covenant of grace, embracing all the children of God, whether
Jews or Gentiles, was re-enacted; and because they are his heirs, inheriting the blessings
promised to him.”
f. Finally, we must not lose sight of the fact that the stage of the Old Testament
covenant revelation which is most normative for us in the New Testament dispensation,
is not that of the Sinaitic covenant, but that of the covenant established with Abraham.
The Sinaitic covenant is an interlude, covering a period in which the real character of
the covenant of grace, that is, its free and gracious character, is somewhat eclipsed by all
kinds of external ceremonies and forms which, in connection with the theocratic life of
Israel, placed the demands of the law prominently in the foreground, cf. Gal. 3. In the
covenant with Abraham, on the other hand, the promise and the faith that responds to
the promise are made emphatic.
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