In our last study we saw God keeping promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had promised to give them numerous descendants; they had them. He promised Abraham that his descendants would come out of an oppressive nation with many possessions. It happened. Yet two key promises had not yet been fulfilled: Abraham's descendants had not inherited the land of Canaan, and all nations had not yet been blessed through Abraham's offspring. As we continue our study we begin to see these promises more clearly delivered.

We left Israel in Exodus chapter 12 as they were coming out of Egypt. Two chapters later we read that Pharaoh again had a change of heart and wanted to retake Israel. He sends his army after Israel only to be destroyed by God in the Red Sea. Egypt has been completely destroyed for her treatment of Israel. But, God provides food, water, and solid leadership for Israel in chapters 15-18. We pick up our study in chapter 19.

Notice that is 3 months after Israel walked out of Egypt. Here is the birth of Israel as a nation. Note God's words to Moses: "Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:3-6, NIV).

God spells out for Moses that Israel will be a nation. What quality does God say Israel as a nation ought to be? Doesn't he describe them as a "holy nation." The term holy means, "set apart or set aside for a unique purpose." They are to be a nation set apart from the rest of the nations. What else does God say in terms of His relationship with Israel? Doesn't he say in verse 5, "if you keep my covenant..."? In other words, God is going to make a covenant with Israel - they will be His possession for a specific purpose.

If we recall our funnel analogy from our earlier studies in this series you will imagine the wide opening of Eve's descendants narrowed from her to Abraham. Then from among all Abraham's children it narrows to Isaac. From Isaac it is narrowed between Jacob and Esau. Now the funnel narrows to Israel as a nation. Moses takes God's word back to Israel - they have a choice to make. Notice what they say: "So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, "We will do everything the Lord has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord." (Ex. 19:7-8, NIV).

How willingly would you say the people of Israel agreed to enter this relationship with God? Who was it that represented the voice of the people? With whom does God then make this agreement or covenant relationship? Its with Israel as a nation, right?

Chapter 20 begins then with the terms of this covenant relationship. Many will recognize the first few verses of this chapter as the "10 Commandments" but really the covenant and its terms continue past chapter 20 through to chapter 24. Notice how the covenant is ratified, if you will in chapter 24.

"Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him." 3 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." 4 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. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 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."
8 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 24:1-8, NIV).

How similar is this closing of the covenant to the opening of the covenant? Do we see the elders of Israel agreeing to the terms? How is the covenant ratified? Who is sprinkled with the blood of bulls? What phrase is used in reference to the blood in verse 8? Its called the "blood of the covenant" is it not? All of this demonstrates that the leaders or representatives of the people, that is the nation of Israel, agree on behalf of the nation to enter the covenant relationship with God.

A covenant is similar to a contract with one party committing to provide some deed, good, or service to another in exchange for something else. As we look at this covenant, Israel agrees to follow God by observing the ordinances God has set down. What about God, what does He promise to give Israel? Notice what He says (Exodus 23:20ff):

"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. 21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. 25 Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.
27 "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. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
31 "I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. 32 Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you." (Exodus 23:20-33, NIV).

What promises do you see God making to Israel? Does He promise protection? What about land? What does He promise concerning good health? What does he offer as a timeline for receiving the land (verses 29-30)? Now look at verse 23; with whom does God make this contract? Is God making this contract with the Amorites? Is He making this covenant with the Hittites? Is He making it with the Perizzites? Is He making it with the Canaanites, Hivites, or Jebusites? Is He making it with the Americans? Obviously the answer to each of these is no, God is making this covenant with one nation and one nation only, Israel (see again 19:3-5).

Many people today it seems want to take portions of this covenant and apply it to other people in other places and at other times. But God is making this unique covenant with Israel; do you remember, to be a "holy nation." Israel was being set aside for a unique purpose. The question for us at this point in the text is, what is that purpose? The answer is not quickly supplied in the text. But we go back to Eve and Abraham.

The serpent of Genesis 3 was told that a seed of the woman would crush his (the serpent's) head. We were not told in that passage who, when, or where. But we noticed the implication this would end the "enmity" between the offspring of the woman (Eve) - that's all of us - and the serpent. There's a promise of hope for us in that curse of the serpent. A few chapter later we read God's words to Abraham, "through your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Could it be the "set aside" purpose of Israel is to be the nation from which this seed to will come by whom all families will be blessed?

As we continue flipping through the pages of the Old Testament the rest of Exodus highlights God's instructions for Israel in building a portable place of worship, the attire of the Priests, and the establishment of the priesthood for Israel. The next Old Testament book, Leviticus, highlights God's direction for the work of the priesthood. It's given while Israel journeys toward Canaan. The third Old Testament book highlights specific events as Israel journeys toward Canaan, and it discusses the genealogies of the tribes of Israel originating from the twelve sons of Jacob. Along the way, in Numbers 13-14, spies are sent in to Canaan but Israel rebels against God not trusting they can take the land. As a result, God punishes that generation by making them wander in the wilderness outside Canaan and not allowing them to enter the land promised to Abraham. Deuteronomy, the fifth Old Testament book, is Moses standing before the next generation of Israel just before they enter Canaan. He reminds them of the covenant and agreement they as a nation made with God.

In the closing chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses restates the covenant and reminds Israel of their commitment and their blessings for following God. Notice Moses' words in Dt. 29:9-15, "Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. 10 All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God — your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, 11 together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. 12 You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, 13 to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you 15 who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today. (NIV)

Moses reiterated this covenant with Israel in the days leading to his death. In chapter 31, Joshua is commissioned to lead Israel in to Canaan. Deuteronomy closes and the next Old Testament book, Joshua, highlights Israel taking possession of Canaan. From Genesis 15 to Joshua 24 God is carrying out the promises He made to Abraham. The seventh book of the Old Testament, Judges, opens with a review of Joshua leading Israel into Canaan and his death. Israel has received the promise God made to Abraham. The one promise yet to be realized is "through your seed all families of the earth will be blessed."
At this point in our study have we been told how the families of the earth will be blessed by this seed of Abraham? Have we been told who this seed of Abraham will be? Do we know when this seed of Abraham will be born? The answer to all of these questions is, 'no'.

The book of Judges highlights a period of Israel's history when Israel is governed by judges. The nation goes back and forth in their commitment to God. As they do, they trust in the idolatry of the surrounding nations and God allows those nations to oppress Israel. The next two books of the Old Testament take place, in part, during this time period. 1st Samuel begins with the birth of the final judge of Israel, Samuel. It's during his leadership that Israel demands a king for themselves (1 Samuel 8). It will be during the period of the kings that we begin to catch a greater glimpse of the seed of Abraham. In our next study we will begin to answer some of these remaining questions of who and how this seed will be a blessing. We will also begin see the qualities of this seed which will allow us to identify who this seed is. Please join us next time.

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