The Mosaic Covenant

Series: The Blood Covenant

March 17, 2019
Ben Homan

Ben Homan - Class Leader Lesson 3 in the series on the Blood Covenant titled: "The MOSAIC COVENANT"

Episode Notes

Israelites left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, less than 3 months later they reach Mount Sinai.

● Exodus 19:1-16

On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on thatvery day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. ​2 ​After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. ​3 ​Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ​4 ​‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ​5 ​Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ​6 ​you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” ​7 ​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. ​8 ​The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.​ ​9 ​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.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. ​10 ​And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ​11 ​and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.​12 ​Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.13 ​They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” ​14 ​After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ​15 ​Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.” ​16 ​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.

  • People are preparing for a pre-covenant agreement & His Holiness.

  • v8 - This is the setup. People have some rules and consequences.

○ Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

● - Listen to God’s way

Book Of The Covenant (not book of the law)

● Exodus 20-23

  • 10 Commandments;
  • how to build altars;
  • serving other gods;
  • rules about slaves;
  • personal damage and property damage disputes and responsibilities;
  • borrowing things and what to do if they broke or die
  • dealing with immorality;
  • justice and mercy,
  • sabbath laws,
  • festivals,
  • what to do with foreigners, etc.

● Joshua 8:30-35
30 ​Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 ​as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the ​Book of the Law​ of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. ​32There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses. ​33 ​All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel. ​34 ​Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. ​35 ​There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

  • Mentions book of the law and that it was 40 years later when it was completed and read.

  • Deut 29:1

● Gen 15:12-14

12 ​As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ​13 ​Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 ​But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and ​afterward they will come out with great possessions​.

■ God said he would deal with Abrahams people, and He is about to in Exodus 24

Old Covenant

● Exodus 24:1-11
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance,​2 ​but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” ​3 ​When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” ​4 ​Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. 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. ​5 ​Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ​6 ​Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. ​7 ​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.​” ​8 ​Moses thentook 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.” ​9 ​Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up ​10 ​and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. ​11 ​But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

  • Aaron becomes High Priest, his sons (Nadab & Abihu) could also come. The people agree to do what God has spoken.

  • V4 - After reviewing the book of the covenant Moses builds an alter

  • V5 - Moses begins “to cut” the covenant. Sign the deal with blood.

    Cutting The Covenant

    Exodus 24:6 - 1⁄2 Blood in Basins, 1⁄2 Blood sprinkled

    V7 - Read the Book of the Covenant
    V8 - Put blood on people (touching the blood of the covenant with God

  • Hebrews 9:18-22

18 ​This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.​19 ​When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ​20 ​He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” ​21 ​In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ​22 ​In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Explains the first covenant with Blood. The inauguration of the Old Covenant with through the blood

  • How did Moses touch the blood of the covenant?

  • How are Christians sprinkled with the blood of the covenant?

    What does it mean to be in Covenant with God?

    God takes his unlimited power and builds a bridge that connects us to him. We have hope and promises from God. When we are in covenant with God, He listens to us and we can plead with Him.

● Gen 18:22-23
22 ​The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. ​23 ​Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

  • Abraham has connection with God.

  • Who was allowed into the holy of holy?

● Hebrews 4:14-16

14 ​Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ​15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ​16 ​Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

We can approach His Throne of Grace with the covenant relationship

  • Who is allowed into the throne of Grace?

  • Can you imagine being able to approach God’s throne?

  • We can do that through Jesus / with the New Covenant

Do you remember when you became a Christian?

Chances are you had an abbreviation of the covenant.

You knew some about Jesus and knew you needed him.
  1. You know he died and rose in 3 days.

  2. You repented of your sins.

  3. You were buried in the waters of baptism.

  4. Your sins were washed away and you received the Holy Spirit.

God has given us a complete relationship and now we have to learn and apply. When we cut the covenant of Salvation, the New Covenant, we are saying the same thing the Israelites we saying. “All the Lord has spoken we will do and we will be obedient.”

Hesed - Going above and beyond to keep the covenant. God did with with the Old Covenant. He warned people, sent prophets and angels and gave them notice on what would happen if they broke the covenant.

He is doing it the same way with the New Covenant. He gave His Son, Shed his blood, Gave Holy Spirit as a helper, His Word as a sword, etc. Is there difference in the nature of God?

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