1. THE COVENANT AT SINAI

2. TYPES OF ANE COVENANTS Parity – between equal parties
Suzerainty – between a suzerain (sovereign) and a vassal
The Sinai covenant is most like a suzerain-vassal covenant

3. THE LAW The law as covenant The covenant as agreement (19.4-6)
Ratified and accepted (24.1-8)

4. THE LAW AS TEACHING (TORAH)
The law based on what God had done – instructions on how to live within a relationship that already existed
How to live in the presence of God as a redeemed people
How to live in community as a redeemed people
Sought to heal broken relationships
Two basic type of laws – apodictic (declarative laws) and casuistic (case law)

5. THE LAW AS SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM
Designed to put limits on greed and exploitation
Taught a complete dependence on God’s provision

6. THE LAW AS A JUDICIAL-POLITICAL SYSTEM
It is not clear what type of ‘government’ was established at Sinai
A hierarchal system of ‘elders’ was set up (Ex.18)
The legal system functioned to establish justice (See Ex )

7. THE LAW AS A RELIGIOUS SYSTEM
Contained instructions for worship
Led by a ‘priestly clan’ and a central worship location, the tabernacle

8. HEBREW LAW IN ANE CONTEXT

9. CODE OF HAMMURABI Hammurabi – king of Babylon (1792-1750 BCE)
Famous for the Code of Hammurabi
A compilation of laws and precedents collected before his death
Craved into a black piece of stone (diorite)
Found in Persia in 1901 by a French archeologist
Housed today in the Louvre in Paris

11. HAMMURABI
If any one steal cattle or sheep, or an ass, or a pig or a goat, if it belong to a god or to the court, the thief shall pay thirtyfold (8)
If any one place his property with another for safe keeping, and there, either through thieves or robbers, his property and the property of the other man be lost, the owner of the house, through whose neglect the loss took place, shall compensate the owner for all that was given to him in charge. (125)
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off. (195)
If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. If he break another man's bone, his bone shall be broken. (196, 197)
MOSAIC LAW
If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. (Ex.22:1)
If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man's house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor's goods. (Ex.22:7,8)
And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. (Ex.21:15)
But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Ex.21:23-25)

12. THE TABERNACLE Symbol of God’s presence among the people
‘Meeting point’ between God and the people
Two primary parts:
The ‘courtyard’ – area surrounded by a fence of curtains containing a large bronze basin and the altar
The ‘Tent of Meeting’ – A fabric-covered tent divided into two sections: 1) the ‘holy place’ containing a table for bread and a lamp stand and 2) the ‘holy of holies’ containing the ark of the covenant

18. TABERNACLE REPLICA

22. THE LEVITICAL LAW

23. THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS
Purpose – to detail the various regulations regarding sacrifices, priestly functions, liturgical calendar, purity and health matters, dietary restrictions, and sundry moral and social laws
Divisions of the book:
Sacrifices (1-7)
Priests and worship (8-10)
Purity (11-15)
The Day of Atonement (16)
The holiness code (17-26)
Oaths and gifts (27)

24. SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM Consecratory Expiatory Communal
Served to dedicate a person or thing to God.
Often accompanied by cereal and/or drink offerings
Expiatory
For the removal of the guilt of sin
Included both guilt and sin offerings
The person offering put his hand on the animal
Communal
Expressed gratitude to God
Included peace, votive, and freewill offerings

25. THE PRIESTHOOD From the tribe of Levi
Separated from the rest by anointing
Represented God before the people and the people before God; served as intermediaries
Duties included:
Receiving offerings and sacrifices
Instructed the people on the proper way to present themselves before God for the purpose of worship
Blessing the people and reading God’s word to them

26. THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR
The Passover - commemorates the Exodus with a communal meal
Unleavened bread - after Passover when no yeast was to be found in households for seven days
Firstfruits – thanksgiving for God’s provision at the beginning of the harvest
Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) - the end of the grain harvest
Trumpets - the end of the agricultural year and the beginning of the new (Rosh Hashanah?)
Atonement – when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifice for Israel’s sins
Tabernacles (Booths) – five days after the Day of Atonement to commemorate the time spent in the desert
Two additional post-OT festivals:
Purim – commemorating the victory of the Jews over their enemies during the time of Esther
Hanukkah – the festival of lights commemorating the rededication of the Temple during the time of the Maccabees

27. THE FESTIVALS TODAY

28. THE SEDER PASSOVER MEAL
The Seder Plate
Haroset – a mixture of fruit and nuts symbolizing the mortar used in Egypt
A boiled egg – meaning spring and sacrifice
Roasted bone – Passover animal sacrifice
2 Bitter herbs – a remembrance of slavery
Green vegetable – dipped in salt water to remember the tears of slavery

29. MATZO AND WINE
Matzo – a dry cracker made without yeast or symbolizing the haste of the Hebrew departure from Egypt
Four wine glasses – symbolize the four expressions used by God in Ex.6:6,7
“I will bring out”
“I will deliver”
“I will redeem”
“I will take”

30. YOM KIPPUR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
First observed during the Exodus (Leviticus 16)
The most holy day of Judaism today
A day of fasting and abstaining from physical pleasures to devote oneself to prayer

31. THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES
A time of remembering the 40 years in the desert during the exodus
A celebration of the last harvest
Giving thanks for God’s provision
Observed by constructing “booths” that serve as temporary dwellings

32. THE JOURNEY TO CANAAN

34. THE BOOK OF NUMBERS Taking stock – the two census (Nu.1; 26)
Served to count and organizes the people
1st census yielded 603,550 men twenty years old and older
The journey to Canaan
The people stayed at Sinai for a year
The reconnaissance of the land of Canaan (13; 14)
Twelve spies sent in; 10 brought back negative reports
Only Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people in spite of the reports
Because of their desire to return to Egypt, God decided that the all the people would die in the wilderness
An abortive attempt was made to enter the land
As a result the people spent 40 year in the desert near Kadesh
Murmurings, complaints and rebellion (11; 12; 16; 20)
Leaving the desert
Moses prohibited from entering the land

35. MOVING INTO THE TRANSJORDAN
Bypassing Edom (20:14-21)
The death of Aaron and the bronze serpent
Opposition (21-24)
Balak and Balaam
Apostasy and idolatry (25)
Enticed by the Moabites
Sacrificed to an idol (Baal of Peor)
Preparing to enter Canaan
Second census (26)
Joshua commissioned as Moses’ successor
Land given on the east side of the Jordan
Boundaries of the new land

36. THE LAND OF EDOM

37. PLAIN OF EDOM

38. MOAB

39. THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
Preparations to enter Canaan
Reiteration of the law for a new land
Three discourses by Moses:
A historical review (1:1-4:49)
Covenant laws (5: )
Reiterations of the Ten Commandments
Appeal to faithfulness
Right worship
Guidelines for living
Renewal of the Covenant (27-34)
Blessings and curses
Leadership succession
The death of Moses

40. MOUNT NEBO LOOKING NORTHWEST