An excerpt
For the next year, Israel camps near Mount Sinai. It is here that God reveals his complete covenant with the descendants of Abraham. Exodus 19:1 to 24:8 provides all the details of the covenant. Each of the six parts of a covenant can be found within these verses.
Is the covenant given to Israel at Mount Sinai a renewal of the covenant originally given to Abraham or is it a new and different covenant? God's word shows that the covenant God gives Israel at Mount Sinai are a renewal of the covenant for two reasons. First God told Abraham that the covenant he was making with him is also for his descendants and he will confirm his covenant with them (Genesis 17:2) which, as we have seen he did with Isaac, Jacob and the nation of Israel in Egypt. The second reason is from a statement by King David.
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant”. (1 Chronicles 16:15-17)
The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you,”... On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. (Exodus 19:9,16-19)
The two parties, God and Israel, have come together for the giving of the covenant. God has descended on Mount Sinai and Israel has come to the foot of the mountain to meet with God.
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together “We will do everything the LORD has said.” Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. (Exodus 19:5-8)
In this passage, both parties declare their promises to each other. God promises Israel that they will be his treasured possession and that he will be their God and they will be his people. We can also add to these original promises given to Abraham that they will be the inheritors of the Promised Land. Israel also declared their promise to God that they will obey all that he asks of them.
At the conclusion of the giving of the covenant, both parties affirm their promises to each other.
Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. And none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. (Exodus 23:25-27)
[Israel] responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said, we will obey.” (Exodus 24:7)
God is bound to his promises only on the condition that Israel keeps their promises to obey him. Just as our earthly fathers lay down the rules of the home and the punishments for disobedience of those rules, God, our heavenly father also lays down the rules, or commands, and punishments for disobedience of those commands to His children.
What has God required Israel to obey? Exodus 20:1 to 23:19 outlines the commands God gave to Israel. These commands can be broken down into eight different sections; they are.
The Ten Commandments
Hebrew servants
Personal injury
Property protection
Social Responsibility
Justice and mercy
The Sabbath
The Three annual festivals
The eight sets of commands identified above, lay the foundation for all the other commands, which God will give Israel over the next 40 years. Those who lived a life obedient to the commands of God would be blessed, while those who lived a disobedient life would be cursed. In the next chapter, we will discuss these commands and how they affect Israel's relationship with God.
My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17:13)
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant. (1 Chronicles 16:17)
God can never break his promises within the covenant. If the covenant were only dependent upon God, then this covenant would last for an eternity. But, the duration of Israel's covenant relationship with God is dependent upon their obedience to him. As we will see later, Israel has a tough time keeping their promise, but God is very patient and full of grace. Leviticus 26:3-45 shows us just how patient God can be. This rather large passage has been condensed down to just a few sentences so we can see the patience of God.
If you keep My commandments then I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. But if you do not obey Me I also will set My face against you. If you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers then I will remember My covenant.
Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. ... Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. (Exodus 24:4,7)
After God presented the covenant to Israel, he commanded Moses to write it all down. This would be the “contract” of the covenant. It was to be a reminder to each party of the promises that they made to each other. This book, which Moses wrote was called the “Book of the Covenant”. Israel kept this book as the sign of the covenant.
There are many other signs of the covenant, but we cannot go into all of these here. But, let us look at one, as it will be examined closer throughout this book. The Passover Feast was to be a celebration held each year on the anniversary of God's redemption of Israel.
It is interesting that from the giving of the law at Mount Sinai to its conclusion in Deuteronomy, there are only three references to circumcision. Two of these are commanding Israel to circumcise their hearts (Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6). The third is only used as a time reference for the cleanliness of a woman after childbirth (Lev 12.3). The significance of this will be discussed later.
Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. (Exodus 24:4-8)
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey. Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
At the conclusion of the giving of the covenant the parties again come together for the dedication of the covenant with God on the mountain and the people gathered at the foot of it. Moses constructed an altar where offerings of animals were made. The blood from these offerings were sprinkled on the altar and Moses reads the “Book of the covenant” then sprinkles the blood on the people. Again we see the shedding of blood sealing the covenant.