Brandon Adams's Library tagged blog →  View Popular, Search in Google

Neither the 1924 synod nor Berkhof's pamphlet mention this crucial distinction. Later, in his Systematic Theology, Berkhof does bring this distinction into his discussion of the well-meant offer. Again, he uncritically equates the serious call of Canons III/IV.8 with the well-meant offer affirmed by the 1924 synod.23 He affirms that God "earnestly desires" that the sinner will accept the offer. Berkhof lists two objections to the "bonafideoffer of salvation.' The first has to do with the veracity of God:
  

 It is said that, according to this doctrine, He offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those for whom He has not intended these gifts. It need not be denied that there is a real difficulty at this point, but this is the difficulty with which we are always confronted, when we seek to harmonize the decre-tive and preceptive will of God, a difficulty which even the objectors cannot solve and often simply ignore.24 
  

 The point of the precept-decree distinction, however, is to clarify how God can command one thing and will the actual occurrence of the opposite! The "difficulty" only arises when one confuses the two, as is the case with the doctrine of the well-meant offer. The objectors have no difficulty to solve; nor are they ignorant of this basic distinction that is operative in the Canons and in major theologians of the Reformation and post-Reformation periods.

The text gives no explanation for Abraham’s special treatment of the birds. This information gap perplexes many modern readers, but Moses’ early readers did not need an explanation because Mosaic law had codified this practice in sacrificial rituals by the time of the writing of Genesis (see Leviticus 1:17).  

In effect, as with the Abrahamic covenant, the certainty of eventual outcomes for the kingdom of God rested on the unconditional dimension of David’s covenant. Yet, this certain hope did not imply that every royal figure in David’s family would enjoy the blessing of God. On the contrary, only those who were faithful to covenant could expect to participate in the blessings promised to David’s house.   

This conditional quality of the Davidic covenant is a central feature of much of the Old Testament. It formed the basis of the critiques of royal figures in the books of Kings and Chronicles. It was the foundation for the numerous condemnations of particular kings found in the prophetic books. To characterize David’s covenant as entirely unconditional is to mischaracterize it. It was unconditional in its dynastic guarantees, but conditional in its requirements for David and his sons.