Mosaic/Sinai Covenant
At Mount Sinai the Lord proposed a covenant to the nation of Israel through Moses, setting forth the law as the condition for their relationship with him. The people consented to obey all his words, and the agreement was ratified by the sprinkling of sacrificial blood upon the book and the people. This covenant defined Israel as a holy nation and kingdom of priests, with obedience bringing blessing and disobedience bringing curse, serving in the redemptive story to reveal God's holiness and the need for greater grace.
Covenant Details
- Parties
- God and the nation of Israel
- Sign
- Sabbath
Key Passages
God Proposes the Covenant
Exodus 19:3-8
God offers Israel a unique identity among the nations - a kingdom of priests and a holy nation - conditioned on their obedience to His voice and faithfulness to the covenant.
3nd Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17
These ten words form the heart of the Mosaic covenant, establishing both vertical obligations to God and horizontal obligations to neighbor that define covenant life.
1nd God spake all these words, saying,
Covenant Ratified
Exodus 24:3-8
The sprinkling of blood on both the altar and the people seals the covenant relationship, foreshadowing the blood of Christ that would ratify the New Covenant.
3nd Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Did You Know?
The Mosaic covenant was a conditional covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai.
It was built around the Ten Commandments and the system of sacrifices and festivals.
This covenant revealed God's holiness and humanity's need for a mediator.