The Contract Process

Throughout my life, I have made a few major purchases. One of those purchases was my first home. I still remember sitting down with the home builder’s agent as she told us everything we should expect and be expected of before we received the deed and the keys. After a lengthy conversation that concluded with a verbal agreement, she reached for the printer and pulled out a large stack of papers. Those papers were the contract that my wife and I would have to sign in order to make the conversation official. In essence, everything that the agent told us was written in the contract and made official once we signed it.

The Contract Process between God and Israel

As I studied the Bible, I realized that just like the agent verbalized and printed the contract, God also verbalized the conditions of His Covenant with Israel and then He “printed” its words.

God Verbalizes the Contract

In Exodus 19:5-6, God verbalizes the contract when He says, “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.”

Israel Verbally Agrees to the Contract

After the Children of Israel heard what was expected of them, they verbally agree to the contract: “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.” Exodus 19:8

God “Prints” the Words of the Agreement.

Finally, God gives them a written version of the agreement: “And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” Exodus 34:28. Here, we see that God not only verbalized the ten commandments, but He wrote them on tables of stone with His own hands.

What is God’s reason for giving Israel the Ten Commandments?

• To be an example

“I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.” Isaiah 42:6.

Israel was supposed to be an example to all the other nations. The ten commandments would differentiate them from all the other countries that were worshipping idols, murdering, stealing, and lusting after each other’s wives. The heathens were supposed to see the blessings and favor of God upon Israel and have a desire to follow the true God.

• To be holy

“That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.” Numbers 15:40

Here, holiness means purity and freedom from defilement. God’s commandments were designed to expose sin. If the people could abstain from breaking the law, they would be holy (pure) in God’s eyes.

• To be righteous

“And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.” Deuteronomy 6:25

• To prolong their days on earth

“Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.” Deuteronomy 4:40

• To possess the land which God gave Israel

“All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.” Deuteronomy 8:1

• To be blessed

“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.” Deuteronomy 28:13

What happened if the Children of Israel did not keep the commandments?

“And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” Deuteronomy 11:28

Did the commandments exist before they were given at Mt. Sinai?

“And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?” Exodus 16:28

Notice that God asked why the Children of Israel refused to keep His commandments and laws before those commandments and laws were physically given to them. Those commandments must have existed before Israel received them at Mt Sinai. “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” Genesis 26:5.

The Bible is clear. The law of ten commandments existed long before Mt Sinai, even though the Bible never recorded God verbalizing its words to the Patriarchs. God’s commandments were given because He loved Israel. Not only did He come down to personally write and give this law to Abraham’s descendants, but He would send teachers and prophets to explain and demonstrate God’s commandments.

Unfortunately, the Children of Israel would end up doing the opposite of what God’s law required. They tried to keep the commandments in their own strength, not fully understanding that the ten principles of God’s law are based on love, and cover man’s whole duty to God, which is why the Bible says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13