In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abraham, to give his descendants the land of Canaan. Today the word covenant is seldom used. The most common uses today are restrictive real estate covenants restricting what kinds of structures or yards may be installed in a housing development, or a church covenant specifying how church members are to behave. Technically, a covenant is nothing more than a contract between two or more parties. To be valid, a contract must specify each parties responsibilities, as well as what they receive for fulfilling their responsibility.
In that original contract, God agreed to give Israel the land of Canaan, some four hundred years in the future in exchange for the exclusive right to be their God, as demonstrated by their circumcising every male child. In Exodus, he offers Israel a second contract. Paul was very specific that they are separate contracts in Galatians 3:15-17. “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. The second contract does not change the original one.
In making a contract to construct a building, the architect or designer prepares a 3-D drawing and a series of elevation drawings to enable both the future owner and the builder to visualize what is to be built. If these drawings are approved, they are usually incorporated very in the set of plans to be readily available to every contractor as needed, but they do not show all the details of what is needed.
Individual plans define layout of interior walls, fixtures and appliances. Details illustrate acceptable means of accomplishing certain requirements. Specifications sheets prescribe what types of materials are to be used, and how they are to be installed. The contract specifies that these plans are to be followed as drawn. It also specifies a total amount to be paid, and a schedule of payments to be made as each part is completed. Before work commences, both parties must agree to the entire contract.
In Exodus 19:5-6, God specified what he was offering for Israel’s obedience. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Their obedience would produce specific results for them.
Exodus 15:26 promioses, “…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” One tangible benefit of keeping Gods commands would be freedom from disease. A careful examination of the law reveals that many points were in fact health related, with some being used in modern medicine. Those laws included dietary practices, sanitation and sterilization practices, and quarantines. Other laws forbid certain behavior, limiting exposure to certain diseases. Still others provided guidelines limiting the hours one could be forced to work and ensuring he had necessary food.
Exodus 23:22-23 describes a second tangible benefit of obedience. “But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.” God himself would protect them from their enemies. These are just a sample of what God promised.
In Exodus 20:1-17, God gave the ten commandments. They are like the three dimensional drawing and the elevations of the building, providing an understanding of what God expects for his payment. Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that the ten commandments are not the whole set of plans, but only a drawing showing what the outward appearance should be.
The actual plans are contained in the other laws found in the rest of Exodus and Leviticus, which are equivalent to the foundation plan, the floor plan and roof plans, and so forth. Numbers and Deuteronomy provide necessary details and specifications. The owner is not required to pay for construction that does not meet the standards set by the plans. It would be difficult to meet the terms of the contract using only the elevation views, and it would be nearly impossible to please God using only the ten commandments.
