God’s Covenant with His People

GOLDEN TEXT: “And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” —Mark 12:33

EXODUS 19:3-5; 20:14,7,8,12-17

ABRAHAM and his descendants were God’s chosen people. They had been chosen to be the channel of God’s promised blessings to all the families of the earth—but they were not to occupy this high position in the divine plan unconditionally. God expected them to prove their worthiness of it by obedience to the terms of the covenant into which they entered with him.

God reminded his people of his ability to care for them, and to fulfill his promises toward them. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself,” he said to them. (vs. 4) “Now therefore,” the Lord continued, “if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.” (vs. 5) Verse 6 continues, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

Later God established a priesthood within Israel. The function of the priests was to offer sacrifice, and upon the basis of the sacrifices offered, to extend the blessings of the Lord to the people of the nation. God’s proposal, conditioned on obedience, to make them a kingdom of priests suggests that the entire nation would serve as a priesthood for the other nations of the earth. It was to be a “kingdom” of priests, indicating kingly authority and power.

This promise of God continued with Israel throughout the centuries, although the nation never did qualify to inherit it. The promise was still theirs, however, when Jesus came. But because they rejected him, the One Jehovah had sent to be their Messiah and King, he said to them that the kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a nation bringing forth the proper fruits of righteousness. This new “nation” is identified by the Apostle Peter. (Matt. 21:43; I Pet. 2:3,10) It is made up of the faith “seed” of Abraham.—Gal. 3:16,27-29

The Ten Commandments were the basic requirements of the Law. By obedience to these commandments—perfect obedience, that is—the Israelites could have gained life. “The man that doeth them [the law of commandments] shall live in them,” the Lord said. (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12) And Paul wrote that the Law was ordained to give life; but instead of giving them life the Israelites found that it brought death, because of their inability to live up fully to its requirements.—Rom. 7:10

Paul refers to the commandments engraven on stones as “the ministration of death.” (II Cor. 3:7) It brought condemnation upon the Israelites because of their inherited imperfections. Paul mentions this point in his discussion of the fact that God has promised a New Covenant, and that the ministers, or servants, of this New Covenant are Jesus and his followers. He refers to the ministry of the New Covenant as a ministry of the Spirit which will give life—Jer. 31:31-34; II Cor. 3:3-12

The first four commandments pertained to the Israelites’ relationship to God; the last six to their relationship with one another. Jesus was asked by one of the scribes, or lawyers, which was the greatest commandment. In answering this question Jesus did not specifically quote any of the Ten Commandments, but rather Moses’ summary of them.—Matt. 22:35-40; Mark 12:29-34; Luke 10:25-28

The first of all the commandments is, as Moses said, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,” and Mark adds, “with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:29,30; Deut. 6:4,5) Jesus continued, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”—Mark 12:31; Lev. 19:18

In answering the scribe, Jesus was wise in quoting from the writings of Moses, and apparently those who heard his answer were satisfied, as indicated by the scribe’s answer in our Golden Text. And how beautifully these two commandments sum up the intent of the Law! Those who love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and strength, will not willingly do anything to bring reproach upon his name. They will not make graven images of him. Indeed, they will endeavor as completely as possible to measure up to all his requirements.

QUESTIONS

What special promise did God make to the Israelites if they obeyed him?

What else did God promise to the Israelites if they kept his Law?

How did Jesus sum up the intent of the Law?

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