Kingdom through Covenant (2)

I have read as far as the first of two chapters on the Mosaic covenant now and am thoroughly enjoying the book. Peter Gentry is the biblical theologian and I like the way he points out the twin motifs of sonship and servant-kingship in the image of God in Adam and the later covenants - so that Noah, Abraham and Israel are 'new Adams'.

One thing I found puzzling was the complete absence of any mention of any of the traditional Reformed arguments for a 'covenant of works' in Genesis 1-3. He has a good chapter on the 'covenant with creation' but does not mention at all any covenant specifically with Adam, certainly not in his representative capacity, or any probation in Eden. Perhaps this will come later in the 'systematic' sections later on, or in dealing with the new covenant. But there is enough biblical material to have made it worth at least a mention.

Also, though he deals well with the concepts of priesthood and kingship in Eden, and Eden being a temple, he attaches the idea of sonship to the Hebrew word for likeness (demuth) in Gen 1:26, and the idea of servant-kingship to the Hebrew word for image (tselem). I need to read it again to make sure of his arguments but it seems little dangerous to separate two essential concepts in that way.

Further, he makes no mention of the way in which the Fall not only damages the whole image, but does actually obliterate some essential part of it - original righteousness/ holiness. But maybe this will come up later...

One puzzle in the Mosaic section - he seems to support the Roman Catholic exegesis which brackets the first and second commandments together, partly on the basis that there is one 'motivation' - in Exod 20:5 -which applies to them both. Suffice it to say, I am not convinced. He does not deal with the last six commandments so I am not sure what he would say about separating coveting your neighbour's wife from coveting his property! Maybe later, again...