The Mosaic Covenant

by THOMAS, R. | Category: Bible Covenants | May 2007

God's people, Israel, were greatly blessed in their covenant relationship with God. This, the Mosaic covenant, is often referred to as the 'old covenant'. However, the people became disobedient and rebellious and eventually the covenant was broken, but in God's mercy a new covenant was given for all nations. That is not to say that the old covenant is of no value, for we learn much about the new from the lessons of the old.

Made with Israel collectively

The Mosaic covenant is evidence that it was God's desire from ancient times to have a people gathered in a covenant relationship with Himself, subject to His authority and rule. Only three months after God redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt and had brought them through the Red Sea, their baptism (1 Cor.10:2), He called them together as a people at Mount Sinai. He descended upon the mountain in fire. It was engulfed in smoke and quaked, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder (Ex.19:18,19).

Seeing this awesome sight, the people trembled and told Moses, �"You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."� (Ex.20:19). God recognized Moses as the mediator between Him and His people, and called him and other elders of the people to come up the mountain. However, only Moses, as the chosen mediator, was to draw near to God (Ex.24:1,2). Alone, he learned of the covenant for the people from the mouth of Jehovah. Never before had God offered a covenant like this to a people. Israel was given the awesome opportunity to be God's people and He would be their God (Lev.26:12). They would enjoy a unique relationship with Him.

Covenant blessings were conditional

In return God demanded a wholehearted acceptance of the covenant and a declaration of obedience by all the people. So when Moses returned he told all the people every word that Jehovah had spoken to him, and all the people responded with one voice, �"All the words which the LORD has said we will do"� (Ex.24:3).

Hearing this affirmative response, Moses wrote down all the words of Jehovah. He got up early the next morning to build an altar and set up twelve stone pillars representing the tribes of Israel. He instructed some young men to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice young bulls as fellowship offerings to Jehovah (Ex.24:4,5).

The blood of the covenant

Moses took from the offerings half of the blood and put it in bowls and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. He read to the people the book of the covenant and once again they all responded, "All that the LORD has said we will do" (Ex.24:7). Hearing once more their pledge of obedience to the Lord, Moses sprinkled the people with the blood, saying, �"This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words"� (Ex.24:8). This was a very solemn moment in their national history, for with this sprinkling of the blood and their promise to be obedient, the covenant was ratified and they were sanctified as the people of God (Heb.9:19,20; Heb.10:29). As His people, they would be governed by Him according to the commandments and statutes that He had given to them.

Blessings the covenant provided for in terms of divine service

There were innumerable great blessings as the people of God. He would look upon them with favour, to make them fruitful and to increase their numbers. They would enjoy abundant harvests and would not hunger, spiritually or physically. He promised to keep His covenant with them and to put His dwelling place amongst them. Though under the bondage of sin, He would not abhor them, but instead He would walk among them and be their God and they would be His people (Lev.26:9). Great spiritual blessings would be theirs in the joyful service of the Lord. They would be made high above all nations in praise, in name and in honour. They would be a holy people unto Jehovah (Deut.26:17-19), a treasured possession out of all the nations of the world, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex.19:5,6). God's house would be in their midst and it would be called 'a house of prayer for all nations' (Is.56:7).

All these blessings were conditional upon the people's relationship with God. Much later He asked them through the prophet Amos, �Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?� (Amos 3:3).

Personal participation (Deut.5:2-4)

To continue as the people of God requires that individuals walk in agreement with Him. Moses told them, �"The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid"� (Deut.5:4,5). Although the covenant was made with the people, individual holiness is necessary, as the Lord often reminded them, �"...'You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy' ..."� (Lev.11:45). This was the key to their obedience to God in His Kingdom.

One soldier in Israel's army had taken plunder when Israel had been instructed not to do so. When they went to battle against the city of Ai they were routed by the enemy. Joshua and all the people discerned that God was not with them. The Lord told Joshua, �... But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan ... took of the accursed things� (Josh.7:1). Had all, or perhaps many, of the Israelites taken some of the things that they were not to take? No, only Achan. Therefore, all Israel had sinned because they had violated God's covenant. All Israel is seen as one in covenant with, and in the service of, the Lord. The sin of one brought judgement upon all Israel, as reflected in their defeat in battle. After the sin was purged from Israel, the Lord assured Joshua that He was again with His people. Similarly, we should be careful to examine ourselves that we do not detract from the service of the people of God today.

From the book of the Law, they learned that each individual was responsible to bring his sacrifice to God. It needed to be carefully chosen, offered at the correct time and in the correct manner, and only at the place of God's choosing. Other offerings were to be on behalf of the people, such as the sin offerings on the Day of Atonement (Lev.17:11). There were other offerings as well, each to be offered in the way that God had commanded Moses. However, the blood of animals could never take away sin (Heb.10:1), but the sacrifices pointed forward, in God's eternal purpose, to the time His Son would die for sins once for all (1 Pet.3:18). The blood of Christ has done what the blood of animals could never do, for by grace we are saved from the penalty of sin through faith in our Saviour; a free gift from God (Eph.2:8).

Superseded by the New Covenant

The old covenant was imperfect, for Israel was quite incapable of living up to it (Heb.8:7). Consequently, a new and better covenant has superseded it which is associated with a better hope, and linked to better sacrifices. Each one of us falls short in our daily personal pursuit of practical holiness, but now justification is by faith; the righteousness of Christ covers us, His holiness envelops us and we are saved.

God has embraced a people who were not a people (1 Pet.2:10) and has established them to be a spiritual house, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession (1 Pet.2:9). We must be careful that we do not forfeit our spiritual calling, as Israel did, because of disobedience.

Moses as the mediator of the old covenant is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not only the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises (Heb.8:6) but also the guarantor of a better covenant. His familiar words to His disciples, �"This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you"� (Luke 22:20) introduce us to a better hope of drawing near to God (Heb.7:18,19), which those of the old covenant could not envision. Jesus as our eternal High Priest is able to save and cleanse the sins of all who come to God through Him. What a privilege to be part of the better covenant, for the complete cleansing of sin was never possible under the old.

Conclusion

The old covenant with its rituals and animal sacrifices could never put away sin. We are thankful to God who, in His mercy and grace, has given us a new covenant, which is based on better promises and the perfect sacrifice of God's Son. The people of God under the old and the new covenants share many similar blessings and responsibilities. God's expectation of obedience and holiness remains and His command is the same, �"Be holy, for I am holy"� (1 Pet.1:16 NIV). Holiness is achieved only through the imputed holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The old covenant is for our study and learning, for the Holy Spirit instructs us in many precious truths of the new covenant, which we could not trace without the way marked out in the old.

THOMAS, R. | May 2007
Bible Covenants