Diving In Covenant 5 The Mosaic Covenant – The Provisions of the Covenant

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As we saw last week, the Covenant was introduced in Ex. 19:1-8, and confirmed in Ex. 24:1-8, then signed sealed and delivered by the Lord from the Shekinah Glory in Ex. 24:9-12. The intervening chapters give the actual terms that the people were to obey as part of the Covenant.

  • Who is the covenant granted to? The nation of Israel Ex. 19:3
  • Who is granting the Covenant? Jahweh who had delivered them from Egypt Ex. 19:4
  • Conditions to be fulfilled by the vassals? Hear and obey, and keep Ex. 19:5
  • Promises made by the Suzerain? To take them as His special people Ex. 19:6
  • What was the response of the people? All that the Lord has spoken, we will do Ex. 19:8; 24:4,7

I want to expand the idea I floated last week regarding these chapters presenting a picture of a wedding. Since then, Pat has sent me some teaching materials which fill out some more details regarding that. (It’s also interesting that Ex. 19 & 20 are part of the Torah readings in the Synagogue this week.)

The Mosaic Covenant as marriage

  • The proposal of marriage Ex. 6:7
  • The calling of the Bride to the wedding Ex. 19:4 God had gone to her father’s house – the house of bondage and delivered them and brought them to Himself, to His House (seen at Sinai)
  • The marriage presented Ex. 19:5-6
  • The people’s response “I will” Ex. 19:7-8
  • The pre-wedding cleansing and arrival of the the Groom arrives Ex. 19:10-25
  • The reading of the Ketubah Ex. 20:1-17
  • The outline of the Covenant Ex. 20:22 – Ex. 23:33
  • The signing of the register Ex. 24:1-8
  • The marriage supper Ex. 24:9-11

Speaking of Ex. 24 Alexander MacLaren says:

An effort is needed to feel what a tremendous and unique fact is narrated in these words. Next to the incarnation, it is the most wonderful and far-reaching moment in history. It is the birthday of a nation, which is God’s son. It is the foundation stone of all subsequent revelation. Its issues oppress that ancient people to-day, and its promises are not yet exhausted. It is history, not legend, nor the product of later national vanity.

  • Isa 54:5 For your husband is your Maker— the LORD of Hosts is His name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.
  • Jer. 31:32 “when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD
  • Jer 2:2-3 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest.”

What is “The Torah”?

So the Mosaic Covenant is the Marriage of Jahweh and Israel. What do we do with the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which, together with Genesis is commonly seen as the Torah. Is the Torah different from the Mosaic Covenant? The first mention of “Torah” relative to the Covenant is in Ex. 24:12, although anticipated in Ex. 13:8; 16:4, 28 & 18:20, Note the distinction between the tables of stone, the Torah and Commandments

Uses of the word Torah:

  1. First 5 books of the Bible, known as the books of Moses
  2. Teachings – inform, direct, teach, but teaching what? (To know the Lord – see Jer. 31:34)
  3. The 10 Commandments (or 9 now according to some theologians) see 2 Cor. 3:7-11!
  4. 613 commandments Rabbinic derivation! I found at least 4 different lists, and several of the individual commands pre-date the Exodus (e.g. be fruitful and multiply Gen. 1)
  5. The moral law, pre-dates Moses, the eternal law of God as defined by His eternal character and so is consonant with, if not identical to, the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) and the Law of the Spirit (Rom. 8:2). The Mosaic Law embodies the Moral Law, but it did not originate it (Fruchtenbaum) and it has no power to enable us to obey it.

We need to know which is incumbent upon New Covenant believers? Which ‘Torah’ is written on our hearts and why? (Jer. 31:33-34) This will be covered in a future session.

The Inauguration of the Mosaic Covenant

So we need to place the content of the Covenant Provisions Ex. 20 – 23 in our understanding of the Torah

  • 20:1-17 the Ten Words- the main requirements
  • 20:18-21 parenthetical – the people’s fearful response
  • 20:22-26 Worship and altars
  • 21:2-11 Treatment of servants
  • 21:12-36 Personal injuries
  • 22:1-15 Personal property
  • 22:16-28 Social justice and treatment of disadvantaged
  • 22:29-31 Firstfruits and holiness
  • 23:1-9 Justice
  • 23:10-12 Sabbath
  • 23:13 No other Gods
  • 23:14-19 The three annual Festivals and rules for offerings

The section concludes in Ex.23:15-33 with the promise of God’s provisions for the journey and their inheritance.

Discussion

Discuss Ex. 19:1-8. We also need to note these Scriptures where the participants and terms are defined and limited.

  • Deut. 4:6-14 – a people of wisdom and understanding, having God’s laws and statutes; those who actually heard the voice of God
  • Deut. 7:6-11 – the people God chose because He loved them and would keep the oath He swore to their forefathers (Rom. 11:28)
  • Deut. 9:4-6 – not for their righteousness or uprightness (they are a stiff-necked people) but for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
  • Psa. 147:19-20 – the recipients of the Law, unlike any other nation

We identified that the actual Mosaic covenant is from chapter 19 to chapter 24 of Exodus. We discussed the significance of the term “Torah” which is based on a root word meaning teaching and described the 613 laws as the ‘small print’ to the 10 Commandments. We also discussed the concept of the Holy Spirit guiding individuals in God’s ways.

We had a wide-ranging discussion about various rules and practices within religious tradition. We touched on the Sabbath day and its 29 prohibited activities, the impossibility of one person adhering to all 613 rules, and the specifics of certain practices such as marrying a brother’s widow.

We then discussed the complexities and interpretations of the 613 commandments in the Jewish law and the potential binding nature of moral laws, especially referring to Matt. 5:17-20. David brought up the fact that the apostles potentially eliminated 609 of the 613 commandments in Acts 15 and this is a point that will be discussed when we talk about its relationship with Christians. We suggested that being in Christ removes the need to keep the law.

We discussed the significance of the Sabbath in the context of Israel’s special status as God’s chosen people and noted that the Sabbath was originally a day of family time, with restrictions on work and cooking, and emphasized that it was not meant to be a day of corporate worship. The shift to Sunday as the day of worship, they suggested, was largely due to Constantine’s establishment of churches. They concluded by linking the Sabbath to God’s marriage to Israel, emphasizing the importance of this covenant.

We covered the concept of the curse in relation to the Mosaic law, interpreting it as a metaphor for infidelity in marriage and linked it to the idea of keeping God’s laws and the consequences of breaking them. We also touched upon the practice of Sabbath, suggesting that, if observed by Christians at all, it should be observed on Saturday to allow for rest and rejuvenation before church activities on Sunday!

We noted the different interpretations of the 10 Commandments among Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Eastern traditions. They noted that there are three different lists of the Commandments, each with slightly different versions. The conversation also touched on how Augustine of Hippo combined the first two commandments into one and split the last commandment into two.

We clarified that the laws were not intended for salvation, as the Israelites were already saved, but were instead for teaching and clarification. The laws helped the people understand what sin was and how to live a holy life. They also highlighted the role of these laws in shaping the Israelites’ understanding of their identity as a special possession, a nation of priests, and a holy nation. The discussion concluded with a reference to Romans 7:9, which speaks about the role of the law in reviving sin.

We discussed the challenges faced by the Israelites after being freed from slavery in Egypt and explored how the Israelites, having been oppressed for over a century, would have struggled with their newfound identity as a holy nation. We emphasized the importance of maintaining Jewish identity, highlighting that assimilation was a significant threat and talked about the role of the law in shaping the Israelites’ understanding of their faith and identity. The comparison to the church was drawn, with the conversation highlighting the importance of walking in the way of the Lord.

Covenant, Diving In!, The Mosaic Covenant