We will now take a brief look at what is referred to as the Mosaic Covenant. This is presented by Jehovah to Moses just 90 or less days from their leaving Egypt. But He first revealed this to Moses in Midian.
Exodus 19:1 In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
19:2 When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.
This mountain is not just any mountain, but the very mountain upon which Jehovah first called out to Moses.
Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 3:2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3:3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."
3:4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
3:5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
This will be reinforced and made abundantly clearer later.
3:6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 3:7 The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.
3:8 "So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
3:9 "Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 3:10 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."
3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Here we read the beginning of the revelation of Jehovah’s covenant to the tribes of Jacob/Israel. It will be reinforced and emphasized later after they leave Egypt. This mountain can now be visited in the southern part of Saudi Arabia, known as Midian. The mountain is referred to as Mount Sinai. The locals still refer to it as Moses’ Mountain. It has been fenced off and under armed guards in Saudi Arabia for years, but now is open.
19:3 Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 19:4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.
19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 19:6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
Did these people ever really become a holy nation and kingdom of priests to Jehovah?
So once again, we read that obedience is the condition upon which all of Jehovah’s blessings rests. He will not bless those who do not obey, instead He will curse those who disobey. More later on this subject.
19:7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him.
19:8 All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD.
Just 90 days out of a 400 year period of being in Egypt and this large group is now publicly agreeing to do all Jehovah has commanded.
Would they?
Did they?
What did Jehovah do?
More next Saturday.