Ten Commandments
On their journey (Exodus) out of slavery to the Promised Land, the Israelites camped at the foot of Mt Sinai. Moses left the camp, and walked up the mountain. There, God revealed Ten Commandments that the Israelites were to follow. This is an important aspect of thinking of God as a law-giver.
The Ten Commandments form part of a covenant between God and the whole of the Israelites (later to become the Jewish people). This is known as the Mosaic Covenant.
The Jews promised to obey God's laws (mitzvot), and in return for their obedience, God promised to care for and protect the Jews as his special and holy people.
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, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19)
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. (Deuteronomy 28)
As can be seen in these two passages, there are different ways of thinking about how God would see the Jews:
as God's treasured possession
a kingdom of priests
a holy nation
as above all other nations
A conditional agreement
Each passage above starts with the word 'If ...'. This shows that the covenant is conditional - God will look after the Jewish people, but only if they obey his laws (follow his commands). In this way, the Mosaic covenant is different from the unconditional Abrahamic covenant.
If the Israelites were to break the Mosaic covenant by disobeying God's laws, then they would be 'cursed':
But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. (Leviticus 26)
This is an important aspect of thinking of God as judge.
Influence of the Mosaic covenant on Jews
This covenant might influence Jews in different ways:
Believing that God promised to protect the Jewish people as long as they obeyed the mitzvot might encourage Jews to follow the Torah - for example keeping the food laws (kashrut).
Believing that God gave the comandments in the Torah might encourage Jews to study the Torah in order to understand the mitzvot.
📚 Key Terms:
A binding promise/agreement; God's agreement to look after his chosen people.
Part of the understanding of the nature of God; the belief that God is fair. God’s justice incorporates both forgiveness and mercy.
Part of the understanding of the nature of God; refers to God’s giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Mitzvot (singular is ‘mitzvah’) are the 613 Jewish commandments/rules found in the Tenakh.
The person through whom God set the Israelites free from slavery in Egypt, gave the Ten Commandments and made a covenant with Israel.
The mountain where Moses received the Law and where the covenant between God and Israel was made.
Source of authority; religious and moral rules that were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
This is how Jesus is described in John’s Gospel.
🔗 Related Resources:
Level: GCSE