Message Notes

YOUTH WORSHIP SERVICE 15 June 2024
Text: Exodus 24:1-8

Title: “The Book of the Covenant”

1 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”
3 So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6 And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”

Exodus 24:1-8

WHAT A COVENANT IS

1. What a covenant is

a. A formal and solemn agreement; a treaty

b. It is essentially a conditional promise

c. Made between two parties with clearly set terms and conditions

i. The basis on which the covenant formed

ii. How the covenant is meant to be kept

iii. Promises if the covenant is kept

iv. Penalties if the covenant is broken

2. The use of covenants in Biblical times

a. It was often made between nations

b. For example, between a greater nation and a smaller nation (Cf. Joshua 9)

i. The smaller nation would pledge a tribute or payment of some sort to the greater nation

ii. The greater nation would agree to not attack the smaller nation, or even protect it from other invaders

iii. Both parties are bound to the covenant and to each other through it

GOD’S COVENANT WITH MAN

When God makes a Covenant with Man, there are various aspects involved

1. Relationship
Of God with man

2. Revelation
Of God towards man

3. Redemption
Of God for man

AN OVERVIEW OF GOD’S COVENANTS LEADING UP TO THE TIME OF THE EXODUS

1. Noahic Covenant Genesis 9:8-17

11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Genesis 9:11

a. God’s Covenant with the entire world

b. It contained His promise to not bring a flood to destroy the world ever again

c. The sign of the Noahic Covenant – the rainbow

d. The significance of the Noahic Covenant
The grace of God is clearly demonstrated

i. That while we are deserving of destruction because of our sin

ii. God continues to preserve the earth and provide for the world

2. Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 12:1-3, 15:4-5, 15:19-21, 17:4-11

4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:4-8

10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

Genesis 17:10-11

a. God’s Covenant with Abraham and his descendants

b. His promise to Abraham

i. He will have many descendants and will be made into a great nation

ii. He and his descendants would inherit the land that God has allotted for them

iii. He will be thoroughly blessed

c. The sign of the Abrahamic Covenant – the Circumcision

d. The significance of the Abrahamic Covenant

i. God is choosing for Himself His own special people

ii. He will bring blessing upon His people

iii. The earth will also be blessed through God’s special people

3. Mosaic Covenant Exodus 19-24

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Exodus 19:5-6

a. God’s Covenant with the nation of Israel

b. A progression from the Abrahamic Covenant (Cf. Exodus 6:4-8)

c. The condition: obedience to the laws which God gave to Israel through Moses (Exodus 20-23)

i. If God’s laws are kept
He will reward with His Presence, Protection, Provision
(Exodus 23:20-33)

ii. If God’s laws are forsaken
There will be a reversal of the blessings; curses

d. The significance of the Mosaic Covenant

i. Israel is established as God’s special people

ii. They were to be His special treasure, His kingdom of priests, and His holy nation

THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT

1. A reference to the Mosaic Covenant

The words and judgments that God had given to Moses when he drew near to where God was

a. These were told to the people of Israel by Moses

b. They agreed to do the words of the Lord

2. Moses then wrote down all the words of the Lord, which would become known as the Book of the Covenant

3. After he had finished the writing of the Book, Moses read it again in the hearing of the people

4. Once again, the people agreed to what Moses wrote and said that they will be obedient

5. Finally, Moses took the blood from the sacrifices and sprinkled it on the people to seal the Covenant

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS

1. God was now establishing a covenant with the entire nation of Israel
There were now many people involved

2. The terms of the Covenant (the laws of God) had to be set out very clearly

a. No one ought to claim that they did not know

b. Or that they misunderstood

3. The words of the Lord were told to the people, recorded, then read out again
All were in agreement!

4. The use of blood

a. Blood represented life

b. God and the lives of His people are now interlinked

c. It also meant that if the covenant was broken, blood would have to be spilled

Such was the solemnity of a covenant made with God!

5. The Book of the Covenant

a. This would be eventually placed beside the Ark of the Covenant, as a witness to the nation Deuteronomy 31:26

b. It was also for posterity’s sake

i. Not only for the people who were present during Moses’ word to the people of Israel

ii. But for future generations

c. The example of King Josiah 2 Kings 22-23

The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 23:2

i. Israel (Judah) had gone far from the Lord

ii. King Josiah used the Book of the Covenant to guide Judah to return to God

OUR APPLICATION

1. To seek a Concrete knowledge of the words of God

2. To be Committed to obey God