Old Covenant
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"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." 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. Then he sent
young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as
fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and
the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 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."
Moses then took 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.""
(Exodus 24:3-8)
responded with one voice, "Everything the Lord has said we will do." 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. Then he sent
young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as
fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and
the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 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."
Moses then took 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.""
(Exodus 24:3-8)
The book of Exodus, chapters 20-23 tells of the
covenant that God made with the Israelites. Most
of that particular section is dealing with the rules
God expects the people to follow...including the
Ten Commandments. There are, however, many
other rules besides just the ten. You might be
interested in browsing through them sometime.
In return for their obedience, God's part of the
bargain includes the following:
"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." (Ex. 23:25,26)
"I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into
confusion every nation you encounter. I will make
all your enemies turn their backs and run." (Ex.
23:27)
"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." (Ex. 23:20)
God has told the Israelites that if they will follow
His commandments and worship Him, He will
bless their food and water, take away sickness
from among them...and not just protect them
from their enemies, but He will send His terror
ahead of them to throw nations into confusion!
Can you imagine being a victim of God's terror?
How terrifying it must be!
covenant that God made with the Israelites. Most
of that particular section is dealing with the rules
God expects the people to follow...including the
Ten Commandments. There are, however, many
other rules besides just the ten. You might be
interested in browsing through them sometime.
In return for their obedience, God's part of the
bargain includes the following:
"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." (Ex. 23:25,26)
"I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into
confusion every nation you encounter. I will make
all your enemies turn their backs and run." (Ex.
23:27)
"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." (Ex. 23:20)
God has told the Israelites that if they will follow
His commandments and worship Him, He will
bless their food and water, take away sickness
from among them...and not just protect them
from their enemies, but He will send His terror
ahead of them to throw nations into confusion!
Can you imagine being a victim of God's terror?
How terrifying it must be!
God has offered to take care of them, protect
them and provide for them if they would simply be
obedient and worship Him as their God. Notice
that God didn't force them to accept...He simply
laid His offer on the table. And, the people
accepted it. This "transaction" is generally
referred to as the "old" covenant between God
and His people. And the covenant was sealed with
blood.
(Even though this covenant is referred to as the
old covenant, it actually came after the promise
of the new covenant...but the promise of the new
covenant wasn't fulfilled until Jesus came! See
Galatians, chapter 3. Also see the New Covenant.)
The Bible is very specific in instructing the
Israelites on sacrifices and blood...how each
should be handled. And, the sacrifice and
ceremony depended on who sinned and how. For
instance:
" 'When a leader sins unintentionally and does
what is forbidden in any of the commands of the
Lord his God, he is guilty. When he is made
aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as
his offering a male goat without defect. He is to
lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at
the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered
before the Lord. It is a sin offering. Then the priest
shall take some of the blood of the sin offering
with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar
of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood
at the base of the altar.
them and provide for them if they would simply be
obedient and worship Him as their God. Notice
that God didn't force them to accept...He simply
laid His offer on the table. And, the people
accepted it. This "transaction" is generally
referred to as the "old" covenant between God
and His people. And the covenant was sealed with
blood.
(Even though this covenant is referred to as the
old covenant, it actually came after the promise
of the new covenant...but the promise of the new
covenant wasn't fulfilled until Jesus came! See
Galatians, chapter 3. Also see the New Covenant.)
The Bible is very specific in instructing the
Israelites on sacrifices and blood...how each
should be handled. And, the sacrifice and
ceremony depended on who sinned and how. For
instance:
" 'When a leader sins unintentionally and does
what is forbidden in any of the commands of the
Lord his God, he is guilty. When he is made
aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as
his offering a male goat without defect. He is to
lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at
the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered
before the Lord. It is a sin offering. Then the priest
shall take some of the blood of the sin offering
with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar
of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood
at the base of the altar.
cov·e·nant (kŭv'ə-nənt) n. 1. A binding agreement
2. In the Bible, God's promise to the human race.
2. In the Bible, God's promise to the human race.
He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way
the priest will make atonement for the man's sin, and he will be forgiven.' " (Lev. 4:22-26).
But...
" 'If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull
without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He is to present the bull at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter
it before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into
the Tent of Meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times
before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. The priest shall then put some of the
blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting.
The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the
fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near
the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- just as the fat is
removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the
altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the
inner parts and offal- that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place
ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap."
(Lev. 4:3-12).
the priest will make atonement for the man's sin, and he will be forgiven.' " (Lev. 4:22-26).
But...
" 'If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull
without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He is to present the bull at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter
it before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into
the Tent of Meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times
before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. The priest shall then put some of the
blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting.
The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the
fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near
the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- just as the fat is
removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the
altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the
inner parts and offal- that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place
ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap."
(Lev. 4:3-12).
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