1. How Did God Shape the Hebrew Culture?

2. LEARNING GOAL
Have an understanding of the key events in the Exodus story
Who was Moses?
What condition were his people living in?
What did God call him to do?
What is a covenant and what does it look like? (Example of Marriage)

3. The LORD (YHWH) creates a people (Exodus 19.1-20.21)
When the Lord descended on Mount Sinai, the mountain trembled, thunder pealed and lightning flashed; smoke enveloped the mountain and it was full of fire
The Lord doesn’t want to be at a distance though, so he asked Moses to come to the top of the mountain.
Moses took 70 elders (symbolic # representing all nations on earth) of the people with him.
On the top of the mountain, the Lord made a covenant with Israel, giving them the “Ten Words” or “Ten Commandments”
Here is a summary!

4. What Is A Covenant?
A covenant is like a treaty or an alliance It is an agreement between two parties, in which both parties agree to serve the other party. A covenant has conditions Most have conditions attached to it. A covenant is sealed with a ceremony In the ceremony, the covenant is recited A covenant is celebrated with both parties present There is always a celebration where both parties are present

5. What Is A Covenant? Marriage
A covenant is like a treaty or an alliance
In a marriage, both the man and woman agree to serve one another
A covenant has conditions
In the marriage ceremony, both the man and woman agree to conditions such as: for better or worse, in sickness and in health
A covenant is sealed with a ceremony
Catholic weddings have a ceremony attached to them. The couple is married in a church
A covenant is celebrated with both parties present
Both the man and woman's family and friends come together to celebrate the joining of two lives.

6. What Does A Covenant Look Like?
Changes that the covenant brought about: 
1. The Israelites became a people of the covenant
The LORD became the heart of this new people. All decisions, all life, required guidance from and consultation with the LORD.
2. The Israelites received a code of the covenant
The covenant was not an agreement among the people like a law, as we understand it, but an agreement between the LORD and the people. They called this code the Law or Torah. If they kept it, they would be free. At the core of it are the Ten Commandments.

7. What Does A Covenant Look Like?
3. The Israelites had prophets as part of their leadership
They needed leaders who could mediate between the LORD and the people. These go-betweens or spokespersons for God are known as prophets.
4. The Israelites celebrated the actions and events of the LORD
Their central celebration was the Passover. Their main holidays were days on which they remembered what the LORD had done for them.