Bible Knowledge

form 1
Chapter 4
THE COVENANT

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 THE COVENANT

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
1. define a covenant
2. explain the importance of the Covenant at Mount Sinai
3. discuss the death of Moses

CONTENTS
• Meaning of the term covenant
• The ten commandments
• Importance of the covenant at Mount Sinai
• Death of Moses
o Discuss the death of Moses
o Transition of leadership after the Death of Moses

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The massage of the term covenant
A covenant is a strong binding agreement between two or more people
who were separated before. It usually consists of a promise a sign and a
ceremony.
For example, Abraham was promised to be given many descendants. To
show to the descendants belong to God he was asked to they have all
males circumcised as a sign that they belong to God.
The covenant at mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-24.)
From Rephidim the Israelites camped at the foot of mount Sinai and Moses
was invited by God so Moses went up the mount to communicate with
God. God wanted to renew his covenant with his people whom he
identified the descendants of Jacob. God presented the term of the
covenant to Moses so that he should present them to the people.
Israelite were as land to obey God and keep his covenant. only them
would they be Gods people the chosen people.
The Israelites will serve God as priests: a priest has access to God and
acts an intermediary between the and God this implies that the Israelites
will know the will of God and have, they were to enlighten the worth
concerning God.
Israel would be a holly nation. Then
Moses went down and explained what God said to the leaders of the
people, who then explained it to the people. The Israelites unanimously
accepted God’s terms which demanded obedience and total consecration:
“we will do everything that the Lord has said” Exodus 19:8.
God wanted the Israelites to trust Moses as God’s instrument. So God
planned to appear to Moses before them all. He asked Moses to tell the
people to purify themselves for two days before worship. They were asked

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to purify themselves by washing their clothes, refraining from sexual
intercourse and by not crossing the boundary to see God face to face.
These actions (washing themselves and refraining from sexual
intercourse) symbolized the attitude of their heart and total consecration
to God.
On the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud
appeared and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. All these signified the
presence of God. All the people in the camp trembled with fear. When
Moses spoke to God, He answered with thunder. Moses and Aaron were
allowed to go on the mountain while the people were not to cross the
boundary as God spoke to the people.
The ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1 – 17)
God is addressing all the Israelites since they accepted to be God’s people
and obey Him. In His speech, God began with a reminder of the historical
link between Him and the Israelites: “I am the Lord your God who brought
you out of Egypt, where you were slaves”.
Then God gave them laws to help them live as a Holy nation. The main
laws which God gave Moses are known as the Ten Commandments. The
Greek name for them is the Decalogue. The ten commandments were
written on a stone tablet and are grouped into two. The first group of the
ten commandments set out man’s duty towards God. The second group
of commandments deal with man’s duty towards his fellow men. In
between these two groups of commandments is a commandment dealing
with man’s duty to his parents.
A. Relationship between a person and God; the first four
commandments
1. You shall have no other gods except me/ Worship no god but
only the true God.
2. Do not make images of anything in heaven or on earth or in water
and worship them
3. Do not misuse God’s name
4. Observe the Sabbath and keep it Holy

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 B. Relationship between a person and his / her immediate
family; the fifth commandment
5. Respect your father and mother
C. Relationship between a person and the society
6. Do not commit murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not accuse anyone falsely
10. Do not covet; this commandment emphasizes on not coveting
or craving what belongs to another
Death of Moses and Leadership Transition (Deuteronomy 34: 1 -
12)
Background
When old people are about to die, they give their last wishes and concerns
which should be respected. otherwise an impending calamity would occur.
Towards the end of his leadership, Moses gave a very important sermon.
(Refer to Deuteronomy 30: 15 – 20). The Israelites were asked to make
a good choice between life and death. The way of life resulted from
obedience to God while death resulted from disobedience to God
Moses died soon after this sermon. God took him from the plains of Moab
to Mount Nebo where the Lord showed him the Promised Land. The Lord
told him that he would not enter the Promised land because he had sinned
against God. So Moses died in the land of Moab. Deuteronomy 34: 6. Tells
us that God Himself buried Moses in the valley of Moab. So nobody knows
the exact burial place
Moses was 120 years old when he died. The Israelites mourned for Moses
for 30 days in the plain of Moab.
Transition of Power from Moses to Joshua
Joshua, son of Nun was filled with wisdom, because Moses had appointed
him be his successor

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Before died the people of Israel obeyed Joshua and kept the common that
the Lord had given them through Moses. There was a smooth transition
of power from Moses to Joshua.
Note that when a leader dies, there is need to have a smooth transition
of power from one person to another. Does this happen in our political
life today?
Joshua Succeeds Moses (Joshua: 1 – 24)
After Moses died, God told Joshua that he would lead the Israelites across
the River Jordan into the Promised Land of Canaan. He assured Joshua
that he would be with him. God would not let any man stand against
Joshua. He told Joshua to be strong and determined for it was through
him that the Israelites would inherit the Promised Land. He was also
required to be faithful to the covenant to enable God to work through him.
Joshua Sends Spies into Jericho (Joshua 2:1 – 24)
The Israelites camped at Acacia and from there Joshua sent two
spies to go and explore the land of Canaan especially the city of Jericho.
A prostitute named Rahab accommodated the two spies in Canaan. When
the king of Jericho learnt about it, he was not happy. He sent a word to
Rahab asking her to bring the men before the king because they were
spies. “The men in your house have come to spy out the whole country!
Bring them out!” Rahab lied to the king that the two men visited her but
she didn’t know where they came from. They left her house before sunset.
This was just a lie because Rahab had taken the two spies up on the roof
of the house and hidden them under some stalk of flax.
Agreement Between Rahab and the Two Spies from Joshua
Rahab knew that the Lord had given Canaan into the hands of the
Israelites since everyone was afraid of them. So she asked the spies to do
her a favour of not killing her together with her family when they would
be destroying Canaan. The two spies promised to spare Rahab and her
family on the condition that Rahab would not tell anyone about them.
Rahab was staying in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men
down from the window by a rope and let them go as the men guarded

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the gates. The men asked her to tie the red cord to the window she let
them down so that they should identify her house easily when they would
be invading the city. She was asked to invite her family members to stay
there so that they would be spared.
The spies went back to Joshua and told him everything that had
happened. They said that they were sure that the Lord had given them
the Country of Canaan because all people there were terrified of them.
Unit Review Questions
1. What is the meaning of the Covenant?
2. Discuss the importance of the Covenant at Mount Sinai to the
Israelites
3. List down the ten commandments

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