Exalting Jesus in Leviticus

By Allan Moseley, David Platt, Dr. Daniel L. Akin and Tony Merida

Exalting Jesus in Leviticus is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.  This series affirms that the Bible is a Christ-centered book, containing a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. It’s presented as sermons, divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy-reading, practical and friendly commentary. The series is projected to be 48 volumes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780805497922

Book preview

Allan Moseley is one of my favorite preachers and Old Testament scholars. This work on Leviticus is vintage Moseley. Anyone preaching through this challenging book will be tremendously assisted by this superb exposition. I will be sure to take advantage of it myself when teaching through a book of the Bible that so beautifully points us to our atonement and sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina

For many pastors, perhaps even most, preaching through Leviticus presents itself as a formidable and even fearsome task. Allan Moseley is both an Old Testament scholar and a pastor, and his gifts are evident in this work. He has provided preachers and teachers with an indispensable resource for an important but too often avoided book of the Bible.

Ken Keathley, professor of Theology and director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina

No one can question the courage of anyone who is willing to write an expositional commentary on the book of Leviticus—perhaps among the least-read, hardest-to-wade-through books in the entire Bible. Dr. Moseley has done the nearly impossible—take a difficult book and break it down into simple truths and take ancient concepts of conduct and character and transform them into relevant twenty-first-century principles. All of God’s Word is inspired and deserves study. Thanks to this warm-hearted effort a much-neglected book may once again become a greatly respected book where God’s truth is still marching on.

James Merritt, lead pastor, Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Georgia

Leviticus is one of a handful of biblical books that preachers avoid like the plagues of Egypt. No more does the shepherd have that luxury, if he ever did. Dr. Allan Moseley, premier expositor and seasoned pastor, has brought Leviticus to rich life and prominence in this volume of Christ Centered Exposition. Take Moseley to your study and Leviticus to your people.

Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas

"It is my pleasure to write this endorsement for Allan Moseley’s work on Leviticus in the Christ-Centered Exposition series, produced by B&H.

"Following excellent opening statements that introduce the text to be studied, Moseley explains the practical teaching of each biblical section of Leviticus. Each preaching unit is outlined, focusing on preaching points from the text that apply directly to the believer’s life. The points of the outline are presented as timeless principles that apply the ancient biblical text to a modern contemporary audience. In the sermon content itself Moseley provides excellent, pertinent illustrations that help bring to life the theological points and teaching of the text. In these discussions of the meaning of each section of Leviticus, theological connections are made to the teaching of the Bible as a whole and are correlated to the teaching of the New Testament.

This volume is vital for those preachers and Bible teachers who make it their mission to proclaim ‘the whole counsel of God’ to the church today. It is difficult to imagine that a modern preacher who desired to preach the inspired text of Leviticus would not consult this well-written and vital volume. This book represents one of the few models that demonstrate how to preach the Old Testament to the modern church. I highly recommend Allan Moseley’s work on Leviticus and look forward to using it as I seek to gain a deeper understanding of Christ’s atonement.

Mark F. Rooker, senior professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Allan Moseley is one of the godliest people I know, and his depth of character shows through in the pages of this commentary. This theologically conservative and practical work will bring the book of Leviticus alive for modern-day readers and challenge us all to be more like Christ. It is a must-read for anyone serious about studying God’s Word.

Thomas White, president, Cedarville University

Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Leviticus

© Copyright 2015 by Allan Moseley

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-8054-9782-3

Dewey Decimal Classification: 220.7

Subject Heading: BIBLE. O.T. LEVITICUS—COMMENTARIES \

JESUS CHRIST

Unless otherwise stated all Scripture citations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009

by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible,

English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,

a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.

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BethP

SERIES DEDICATION

Dedicated to Adrian Rogers and John Piper. They have taught us to love the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, to pastor the church for which our Savior died, and to have a passion to see all nations gladly worship the Lamb.

—David Platt, Tony Merida, and Danny Akin

March 2013

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Several people deserve my profound gratitude for their help in the production of this book. First, my wife Sharon supports me in every endeavor, every day. Her life and ministry have always been the perfect complements to mine, and I am thankful that God gave such an amazing gift to me. Second, I am grateful to Drs. Danny Akin and Tony Merida for their invitation to write this volume in the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Though I do not know what motivated the invitation, when I accepted, something G. K. Chesterton once wrote came to mind—Even a bad shot is dignified when he accepts a duel (Chesterton, Heretics/Orthodoxy , 169). So I accepted, and readers may judge whether my aim has been true or off the mark. Third, I am grateful to the staff and elders at Christ Baptist Church. Their faithful service for God and constant attention to the flock allowed me to devote the time necessary to teach, preach, and write. I am especially thankful for the staff members, who worked every day to complete tasks made necessary by the part-time status of their pastor. Special gratitude is due to Carrie Kelly and Jade Thomas, two very bright and capable people who gave assistance as I completed the manuscript.

As for the progress in my thinking about Leviticus, I am indebted to many. I have learned much from the authors cited in this commentary. I always encourage students and pastors to use as many good resources as possible in sermon preparation. The Works Cited section at the end of this book reflects my own effort to learn from a wide range of sources, and I hope students of Leviticus will use this book as one of at least several volumes. I have also learned from my colleagues and students at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Interaction with Doctor of Ministry students about interpreting Old Testament law has been especially helpful. For several years I have been exploring ways the church should think about and apply the law. Working through Leviticus was helpful in that project, and I hope my understanding will continue to grow.

This book is dedicated to Christ Baptist Church. Your encouragement as we journeyed through Leviticus was another reminder that you are the most wonderful church family in the world. Preaching God’s Word each week to you has been an immeasurable source of joy for me, and preaching from Leviticus was no different.

Finally, I am grateful for Jeremy Howard, David Stabnow, and the team at B&H Publishing Group. Thank you for your encouragement and assistance in bringing this volume to completion and publication. It is a privilege for me to participate in what you are doing for the good of the church and to the glory of God.

SERIES INTRODUCTION

Augustine said, Where Scripture speaks, God speaks. The editors of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series believe that where God speaks, the pastor must speak. God speaks through His written Word. We must speak from that Word. We believe the Bible is God breathed, authoritative, inerrant, sufficient, understandable, necessary, and timeless. We also affirm that the Bible is a Christ-centered book; that is, it contains a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. Because of this Christ-centered trajectory that runs from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, we believe the Bible has a corresponding global-missions thrust. From beginning to end, we see God’s mission as one of making worshipers of Christ from every tribe and tongue worked out through this redemptive drama in Scripture. To that end we must preach the Word.

In addition to these distinct convictions, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has some distinguishing characteristics. First, this series seeks to display exegetical accuracy. What the Bible says is what we want to say. While not every volume in the series will be a verse-by-verse commentary, we nevertheless desire to handle the text carefully and explain it rightly. Those who teach and preach bear the heavy responsibility of saying what God has said in His Word and declaring what God has done in Christ. We desire to handle God’s Word faithfully, knowing that we must give an account for how we have fulfilled this holy calling (Jas 3:1).

Second, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has pastors in view. While we hope others, such as parents, teachers, small-group leaders, and student ministers, will read this series, we desire to provide a commentary busy pastors will use for weekly preparation of biblically faithful and gospel-saturated sermons. This series is not academic in nature. Our aim is to present a readable and pastoral style of commentaries. We believe this aim will serve the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, we want the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series to be known for the inclusion of helpful illustrations and theologically driven applications. Many commentaries offer no help in illustrations, and few offer any kind of help in application. Often those that do offer illustrative material and application unfortunately give little serious attention to the text. While giving ourselves primarily to explanation, we also hope to serve readers by providing inspiring and illuminating illustrations coupled with timely and timeless application.

Finally, as the name suggests, the editors seek to exalt Jesus from every book of the Bible. In saying this, we are not commending wild allegory or fanciful typology. We certainly believe we must be constrained to the meaning intended by the divine Author Himself, the Holy Spirit of God. However, we also believe the Bible has a messianic focus, and our hope is that the individual authors will exalt Christ from particular texts. Luke 24:25-27,44-47 and John 5:39,46 inform both our hermeneutics and our homiletics. Not every author will do this the same way or have the same degree of Christ-centered emphasis. That is fine with us. We believe faithful exposition that is Christ centered is not monolithic. We do believe, however, that we must read the whole Bible as Christian Scripture. Therefore, our aim is both to honor the historical particularity of each biblical passage and to highlight its intrinsic connection to the Redeemer.

The editors are indebted to the contributors of each volume. The reader will detect a unique style from each writer, and we celebrate these unique gifts and traits. While distinctive in their approaches, the authors share a common characteristic in that they are pastoral theologians. They love the church, and they regularly preach and teach God’s Word to God’s people. Further, many of these contributors are younger voices. We think these new, fresh voices can serve the church well, especially among a rising generation that has the task of proclaiming the Word of Christ and the Christ of the Word to the lost world.

We hope and pray this series will serve the body of Christ well in these ways until our Savior returns in glory. If it does, we will have succeeded in our assignment.

David Platt

Daniel L. Akin

Tony Merida

Series Editors

February 2013

Leviticus

Introduction to Leviticus

Historical and Canonical Setting

The book of Exodus ends with an extended description of where the Lord was to be worshiped—in the tabernacle. The book of Leviticus describes how the Lord was to be worshiped—through the sacrificial system. Sacrifices were necessary because sin and impurity were inevitable. In order for the presence of God to be maintained, sin had to be taken away, and Israel had sinned. Even before the covenant stipulations had gone into effect and before the tabernacle had been erected, the Israelites had sinned against the Lord by worshiping a golden calf. How could the people be assured of the continuing presence of holy God in light of the reality of their sin? The worship regulations described in the book of Leviticus answer that question.

Title

The Hebrew title is vayyiqraʾ, which means and he called. That is the first word of the Hebrew text of the book. In rabbinical literature the title of the book is torat kohanim, which means instructions/laws of the priests. The title in the Greek Septuagint is Leuitikon, which is an adjective meaning levitical. This was surely not intended to refer to the Levites, since the Levites are referred to only once in the book of Leviticus. In Hellenistic times, during which the Septuagint was produced, Levites meant priests. So the title meant that the book pertains to priestly matters. The Latin translation of that Greek term is Leviticus, from which we get our English title.

Outline

The simplest and perhaps the most helpful outline of Leviticus breaks the book into two divisions, the first theological and the second practical. According to this conception of the book, Leviticus 1–16 pertains to the maintenance of holiness by means of the cult (system of worship), and Leviticus 17–27 pertains to the demonstration of holiness by the people. Expressed another way, chapters 1–16 describe the way of access to God, and chapters 17–27 address the way of living for God (Rooker, Leviticus, 42). That partitioning is not unlike the way some of Paul’s letters may be divided. For example, Romans 1–11 addresses doctrine, and Romans 12–16 addresses application. Ephesians 1–3 is primarily doctrine, and Ephesians 4–6 is primarily application.

A more detailed outline based on the themes of the book is as follows:

Chapters 1–7—Explanations of the rituals of sacrifice (the priestly code)

Chapters 8–10—Consecration of the priests

Chapters 11–16—Instructions regarding the maintenance of purity

Chapters 17–27—Exhortations to holiness (the Holiness Code)

James Luther Mays provides an outline that helps to explain the contents of the book by means of a series of theological questions and answers. It is as follows:

Question: How do sinful and defiled people offer worship to the holy God and maintain fellowship with Him?

Answer: The rituals of the sacrifices (Leviticus 1–7)

Question: How will their sacrifices reach God in worship, and how will God reach them?

Answer: The consecrated mediatorial priesthood (Leviticus 8–10)

Question: How will the holiness of God dominate and sanctify profane life?

Answer: The manual of purification (Leviticus 11–16)

Question: How will people obey God so that holiness becomes a way of life?

Answer: The laws of holiness (Leviticus 17–27)

The Importance of Leviticus

Perhaps this is the most basic question to answer regarding the book of Leviticus. Many Christians have had the experience of committing themselves to read through the Bible, so they begin with the dramatic narratives of Genesis and continue with the spectacular miracles of Exodus. They read along swimmingly until they arrive in Leviticus where they begin to bog down in molasses. They read about sacrifices that are no longer offered, a priesthood that no longer exists, and laws we are no longer obligated to obey. Leviticus describes all of that and more in tedious detail, so some people ask, Why is all this in the Bible, and what does it mean for contemporary Christians? Leviticus is challenging, but what if the result of studying Leviticus is that in future years every time we read Leviticus we see powerful truths about God and ourselves that will profoundly affect the way we think and live? What if we see how Jesus is exalted in Leviticus? Such outcomes are possible, and they are the goals of this book. Allen P. Ross writes, Leviticus was and is one of the most important books of the Old Testament (Holiness to the Lord, 15). Why would he write that? Leviticus is important for at least five reasons:

Leviticus describes the entire religious system of ancient Israel. If we hope to understand how religion worked in Israel, we must understand the book of Leviticus.

Leviticus provides the theological foundation for the atoning work of Christ. The idea of a substitutionary sacrifice receives its fullest explication in the book of Leviticus.

Leviticus demonstrates how important holiness is to God. Holiness is the main theme of Leviticus—God’s holiness and the holiness God expects from His people. Holiness is still important to God, and God reminds His people of that crucial fact in the book of Leviticus.

Leviticus is a record of the words of God in direct speech with His servant Moses. The book opens with the statement, The Lord summoned Moses and spoke to him (1:1). The book states 38 times that the Lord spoke to Moses and/or Aaron. Also, 18 times the book records that the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron, and the people. Leviticus is important because it contains the very words of God in direct speech.

The New Testament frequently alludes to the contents of Leviticus. At numerous points New Testament writers seem to have assumed knowledge of Leviticus, and readers of the New Testament need this knowledge to understand what the writer was describing. For example, none of the following practices are explained by the New Testament writers: purification after childbirth, washing after the healing of a leper, journeys to the festivals in Jerusalem, and separation from the Gentiles in eating. All these find their origin in the book of Leviticus, and these practices were so ingrained in the thinking of first-

century Jews that they needed no explanation. If modern people are to understand such practices, they should be familiar with the contents of the book of Leviticus.

The book of Leviticus has had more impact on Judaism than any other book in the Old Testament. Over half the commentary of the Talmud, the document that is the basis for rabbinic law, is concerned with the book of Leviticus. This influence of Leviticus on Judaism continued even after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (Rooker, Leviticus, 22). That is remarkable in light of the fact that Leviticus primarily concerns the execution of worship in the tabernacle and the temple. For centuries the rabbis taught the Hebrew language to their students by having their students memorize much of the book of Leviticus in Hebrew, perhaps concurrently learning how to translate it (Alexander, How Did the Rabbis Learn Hebrew?, 80). Why wouldn’t contemporary Christians be highly interested in a book so influential in the ancient world and so much a part of the foundations of our faith?

Authorship

Leviticus nowhere contains a claim of authorship. However, the book consists of God’s personal revelations to Moses, which strongly implies that Moses wrote the book. Elsewhere, the Old Testament refers to Moses’ authorship of the Law, which includes Leviticus (e.g., 1 Chr 15:15; 22:13; 2 Chr 23:18; Ezra 3:2; Neh 1:7; Mal 4:4). All four of the Gospel writers refer to Moses’ authorship of the Old Testament Law (e.g., Matt 8:4; Mark 12:26; Luke 24:27; John 1:17). The Gospel of Luke refers specifically to a passage in Leviticus and states that it is from Moses (Luke 2:22). The apostle Paul quoted Leviticus 18:5 and wrote that it was from Moses (Rom 10:5). All four of the Gospels record that Jesus Himself referred to Moses’ authorship of the Law (Matt 19:7-8; Mark 10:3,5; Luke 24:44; John 5:46-47; 7:19), and Jesus specifically referred to laws in Leviticus as from Moses (Matt 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14). Since Jesus is omniscient and spoke infallibly, for followers of Jesus the identity of the author of Leviticus is settled: Moses wrote the book.

Interpreting and Applying Old Testament Law

One challenge in applying the book of Leviticus in practical ways is that we do not know how to interpret it well. A brief description of a Christian method of interpreting Old Testament law could be helpful. Many Christians divide the laws in the Old Testament into three categories: ceremonial laws, civil laws, and moral laws. Ceremonial laws have to do with rituals regarding worship, leadership of worship, and preparation for worship. Jesus made the Old Testament ceremonial system obsolete when He became our high priest and the final sacrifice for sin (Heb 8:13; 9:11–10:18). Also, the civil laws no longer apply to us in the new covenant age, since their purpose was to govern the society of Israel during the period of the old covenant. It is clear, however, that the moral laws of the Old Testament still apply to us, since most or all of them are repeated in the New Testament.

Thus, such a division of Old Testament laws into three categories can be helpful. However, we must admit that such categories are extraneous to the Bible. Furthermore, even though new covenant believers are not required to obey old covenant ceremonial and civil laws, can’t such laws teach us something about God? God gave the laws, after all. He gave them to His people in a specific place for a specific time, but they are in the Bible and the whole Bible is important. So what do they mean to us today? The following is a simple seven-step method that I have found helpful for interpreting and applying the law.

First, affirm inspiration and helpfulness. Second Timothy 3:16 says,

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.

All Scripture is inspired by God. When the apostle Paul wrote that, the New Testament did not exist. He was writing about the Old Testament Scripture that includes Leviticus, and he wrote, All Scripture is inspired by God. "All Scripture, including the books of law like Leviticus. So we affirm inspiration—God breathed out, inspired, Leviticus. Also we affirm its helpfulness. What does 2 Timothy 3:16 state next? All Scripture is . . . profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness." So all Scripture is not only inspired; all of it is also helpful, profitable. In the new covenant period the Old Testament ceremonial and civil laws are not law for us; our disobedience to individual laws is not punished as was the case in ancient Israel. However, they are profitable in that they teach us about God, His will, and how to live for Him in today’s world (Guthrie, Read the Bible for Life, 95–108).

Second, affirm fulfillment in Jesus. The whole Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus, even the legal sections like Leviticus. After the resurrection of Jesus, He met a few of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. He told them that His life, death, and resurrection were prophesied in the Old Testament. He said in Luke 24:44,

Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

"Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses. The law of Moses, including Leviticus, is somehow about Jesus. Jesus said, Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matt 5:17). Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law. How does Jesus fulfill the Law? We’ll see that as we go through Leviticus, but for now let’s affirm Jesus’ statement that He fulfills it.

Third, determine what the law/text meant in its original context. We study what originally happened. What does the Bible say about how a particular sacrifice was offered, or how the Day of Atonement was observed? The contemporary meaning is based on the original meaning; the contemporary application is based on the original application. It’s often been said that a text in the Bible cannot mean what it never meant. How would this passage have been understood and applied in its original setting? We base our interpretation on that.

Fourth, note the similarities with today’s context. For example, Leviticus 11:7 directs God’s people to refrain from eating pork. I like pork. Barbequed pork is so common in North Carolina that if I did not eat it I would likely be breaking some state law. However, I would not be breaking any law in the new covenant. Evidently some people were pressuring Christians in Colossae to follow the dietary regulations of the old covenant. The apostle Paul wrote to them: Don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink. . . . These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah (Col 2:16-17). So the Old Testament dietary laws no longer apply in the age of the new covenant; faith in Jesus the Messiah makes them obsolete and supersedes them.

But what did the command against eating pork mean in its original context? The pagan peoples around Israel ate pork. In commanding His people not to eat pork God was creating a distinction between His people and other peoples. God’s people were to observe that distinction; they were to be different, separate. What is the similarity with today’s context? People still do things God forbids, and God’s people are to be different. That’s the connection to today’s context.

Fifth, identify principles that apply to both ancient and modern contexts. With respect to refraining from eating pork, what’s the principle? God still doesn’t want His people to be exactly like the people around them. That principle applies today, so we’ve identified a principle that applies to both ancient and modern contexts. Walter Kaiser refers to this as principlization (Toward an Exegetical Theology, 150–63). What is the underlying principle(s) communicated by this law? Answering that question is fundamental in the task of interpreting and applying old covenant laws.

Sixth, consider what the New Testament teaches about each principle. Does the New Testament teach anything, for example, about the separation of God’s people from those who don’t know and love God? It does. Did Jesus say anything about that? He did, and He fulfills that part of the Law because He lived separate from the sin of the world, He empowers His followers to be different, and He is the difference between His followers and those who don’t know and love God.

Seventh, apply the principle to your life. The principle is that God wants us to be different from those who don’t know Him. I apply that principle by rejecting the sinful practices of the world and separating myself from them and to Jesus.

A Gospel Invitation

Leviticus 1:1-17

Main Idea: God’s holiness requires atonement for sin before we can be in His presence, and He graciously provides the means for atonement.

I. God Speaks His Truth to Us.

II. God Invites Us to Meet with Him.

III. Our Sin Requires Atonement.

IV. God Provides the Means of Atonement.

V. Jesus Is the Final and Perfect Means of Atonement.

Every Friday afternoon for years, an older man made his way down to a pier on a beach in Florida. Every Friday afternoon he went through the same ritual. At about sunset, he carried a bucket of shrimp to the beach. The shrimp were not for him or for the fish; they were for the seagulls. When the gulls saw him on the pier with his bucket, they would come to him one by one until they surrounded him while screeching, begging, and flapping their wings. He would take the shrimp out of the bucket and throw a few at a time to the hungry birds. Then he would make his way home. Why did he go through that ritual every Friday afternoon? That man was Eddie Rickenbacker, an Air Force captain in World War II. He and seven other men were flying a B-17 across the Pacific to deliver a message to Gen. Douglas MacArthur when the crew became lost, the fuel ran out, and the plane went down. Miraculously, they all made it out of the plane alive and on to a life raft. On that raft, day after day, they fought the sun and the sharks, and when their rations ran out they fought hunger. On the eighth day they had no food and no water. That afternoon they had a devotional time, prayed together for a miracle, and then tried to rest. Rickenbacker was dozing with his hat over his eyes, and something landed on his head. It was a sea gull. He knew that if he could catch it, that sea gull meant their survival. Amazingly he did catch it, the eight men shared the meat, and they used the intestines for fish bait. Rickenbacker knew God had rescued them with that sea gull, and he never forgot that miracle. Every Friday afternoon until he died, he would observe the same ritual; he would go down to that pier with a bucket full of shrimp and feed the gulls as a way of saying, Thank You, God, for saving my life (Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, 221–26).

People often describe rituals as empty, meaningless. Not all of them are. Eddie Rickenbacker’s ritual wasn’t meaningless. The real meaning of a ritual is what is in a person’s heart when he observes it. When God gave the sacrificial system to His people, He was not giving them empty rituals to observe. The rituals had meaning. What did they mean?

God delivered His people Israel from slavery in Egypt with miraculous plagues. Once His people were out of Egypt, God parted the Red Sea to deliver them again from Pharaoh’s army. Then God met with His people at Mount Sinai. He spoke to Moses and said that He was making a covenant with His people whom He had delivered from Egypt. He said,

Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation. (Exod 19:5-6)

God saved His people, He made a covenant with them, He gave them His Ten Commandments, and then He gave additional laws recorded in Exodus that are together called the book of the covenant. The laws God gave to His people were the stipulations of His covenant. When He gave those stipulations to His people, three times they said, We will do all that the Lord has spoken (Exod 19:8; 24:3,7). The people promised to be obedient to all the laws God gave them.

God knew they would not be obedient. Moses came down from the mountain and gave them the Ten Commandments God had spoken. God gave him more commands, Moses brought them to the people, and they promised to obey them. Then Moses went