Covenant at Mt Sinai

photo credit- https://www.ravkooktorah.org/YITRO63.htm

    The Exodus is arguably the single most important events in Israel's history.  Without it, the previous covenants and the people themselves would have been a forgotten race.  Yahweh chooses to be remembered as the God of the Exodus.  The people of God would continually look back on this event with deep remembrance of who God was and did for them.  

    God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be innumerable (Gen 15:5, 22:7) had now become a reality, "for the land was filled with them." (Ex 1:7). Even in slavery and oppression God was working out His redemptive plan and promise.  

    However, this is the only covenant that does not have an eternal promise woven into it.  Unlike Abraham and David, Sinai does not have the language of eternal or forever.  These promises were to reveal the character of Yahweh to a people who had been under Egyptian rule for centuries and they needed tangible and practical application of the One God's character and attributes.  The covenant entails relationship with God on the one hand and relationship with the world on the other hand.  Israel will model to the world what it means to have a relationship with God, what is means to treat each other in a human way and what it means to be good stewards of the earth's resources.  They are now a kingdom of priests, who will mediate the blessings oof God to the world.

    Here Yahweh(suzerain) offers Israel (vassel) a covenant, and upon the acceptance the aggregate of kinsman, Israel is transformed into a nation.  

"3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, 'This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:

"4 You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles'wings1 and brought you to myself. 5 Now 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, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.'" (Exodus 19:3-6)

Exodus 19-32 

    "The law creates and structures the nation.  The calendar organizes their time.  The tabernacle enthrones the suzerain in their midst."   

    The people are now dwelling with the presence of God and are now on their way to claim the place of God.  The presence of God makes with people of God.  

    "The Christian life, from one angle, is the long journey of letting out natural assumption about who God is, over many decades, fall away, being slowly replaced with God's own insistence on who He is.  This is hard work.  It takes a lot of sermons [and meditation on Scripture] and a lot of suffering to believe that God's deepest heart is 'merciful and gracious and slow to anger.'" (Dane Ortlund)

    This is what God is teaching His people now after the Exodus.  He is showing them who He really is and unteaching them all of their pre-held ideas about what He might be.