Jul 24, 2016
After being led by God through the Sinai desert, Israel finally encamped a short distance away from Mt. Sinai. From the mountain, God spoke the Ten Commandments out of a storm of fire, smoke, lightening and an earthquake. The Ten Commandments were the ‘high points’ and overview of the whole Law, which they had not received yet. In addition to the Commandments, Moses wrote down a covenant from God that He promised to take care of them if they would obey it (Ex. 20-23). God’s word demands a response! Also, they were to obey the voice of His angel (Heb. mal awk, ‘to dispatch, messenger’) who had the character of God and was involved with judging sin and was probably a theophany of Jesus (Ex. 23:20-23). Oxen were then sacrificed as their innocent blood was used to ratify the Covenant and as the peace offering between sinners and a perfect God, which also mirrored the sacrifice of Jesus (Col. 1:19, 20). The blood meant that whoever broke the covenant should die! God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God (Matt. 26:27, 28).