7 Covenants - #4 Mosaic
This is the fourth of seven very important covenants in the Bible. Most Christians can only name a couple (before doing my research I have to admit that I could only think of 4), and many other people only focus on one covenant from the Old Testament as being the "ultimate" covenant.
We will be studying each covenant in detail.
The fourth covenant is the Mosaic.
(This is not "mosaic" as in a tile mosaic piece of artwork but rather, referring to Moses).
Just to be very clear, we will again begin by defining the word:
Covenant - a solemn, binding agreement established by God with individuals or groups. It involves promises, blessings and stipulations that underscore the relationship between God and His people.
And then let's define two words from the definition of covenant above: solemn & binding.
Solemn- very serious; done with the utmost sincerity
Binding- imposing an obligation
The Mosaic Covenant was established after the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt; after they crossed the Red Sea and wandered through the desert/wilderness. Once they reached Mount Sinai, God called Moses up the mountain to explain to him what needed to be done before presenting the 10 Commandments (read Exodus 19).
After following those instructions, Moses received the Commandments (see below):
Then, Exodus chapters 21 and 22 go through examples and more detail about God's laws concerning servants, violence, personal property and animals. And in Exodus chapter 23 we learn about "Laws of Justice".
Exodus 23:1-8 - click HERE to view "Biblical Laws of Justice" )
If the Israelites followed God's laws - then the land blessing was given to them (as we read at the end of Exodus 23):
Exodus 23:20-26
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. 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.”
There are serious consequences for disobeying God's laws. Especially when it comes to worshiping other gods. Notice in Deuteronomy (see below) that death will be the result of such behavior. Remember that people sacrificed babies to these false gods - a total abomination.
I love the example below of how we should emphasize the 10 Commandments in our daily life (read Deuteronomy 11:18-21 below):
- fix God's words in our hearts & minds (focus on them)
- bind them to our hands (I believe this means actions - putting God's words into action)
- bind them on our foreheads (memorize God's words)
- teach them to our children
- talk about God's words everywhere (at home, in public, in the morning and evening)
- write God's words on our houses (put God's words on our doors and walls)
Each covenant is just as important as the previous. The Mosaic covenant is still relevant today. Granted, the 10 Commandments are no longer a requirement for salvation (salvation now comes through Jesus Christ) but they are still a guide for righteous living.
Other Covenant Posts:
Linked to:
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You might be interested in viewing this video:
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