Jacob, Abraham's grandson, had twelve sons of his own. Jacob showed preference for Joseph, which made the other sons so jealous that they faked his death and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Over time, Joseph rose to become the second ruler in Egypt under Pharaoh (Gen 37-41).

Warned by God that a great famine approached, Joseph mobilized the entire nation to store up grain for seven years. When the famine struck, people came from all over the region to buy food. When his brothers arrived, Joseph revealed himself and urged them to bring Jacob and the whole family to Egypt. In this way, God used Joseph to preserve the Jewish people and thus fulfil his covenant promise to Abraham (Gen 42-50). Joseph told his brothers,

Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because... God sent me ahead of you...to save your lives by a great deliverance. (Gen 45:4-7, NIV)

Over the next 400 years (see Gen 15:3), the Israelites multiplied so rapidly that the Egyptians feared they would take over the country. The Pharaohs therefore reduced the Israelites to slavery and even started murdering their male infants (Exod 1).

One Israelite named Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster and fled to the desert of Midian. There the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush and commanded him to deliver a message to Pharaoh: "Let my people go" (Exod 2-6).

When Pharaoh refused, God unleashed ten terrible plagues designed to change Pharaoh's mind and discredit Egypt's false gods. To illustrate: Egyptians worshipped the life-giving Nile River, so the Lord turned it to blood. Egypt worshipped the sun, so God blotted it out of the sky (Exod 7-11; see 12:12).

When the tenth plague killed every firstborn son in Egypt, Pharaoh surrendered and released the Israelites. A new nation was born as Moses led Israel's "Exodus" from slavery to freedom in about 1280 B.C. (Exod 12-18).

Israel headed toward Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham's descendants. Along the way, they stopped at Mount Sinai, where God established a covenant with the people using Moses as mediator (Exod 19, 24).

Under this "Mosaic Covenant," the Lord declared, "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God" (Exod 6:7). As Israel's God, the Lord promised to guide, protect, provide for the people, and, if necessary, discipline them.

But what did it mean to be God's "own people"? The Lord gave Israel 613 commandments, which spelled out in great detail His expectations for them.

The Ten Commandments, which formed the heart of the Mosaic Law, began with God's call to "have no other gods before me" (Exod 20:3). Other laws requiring circumcision, Sabbath rest, and a special diet set Jews apart from non-Jews ("Gentiles") as "holy" or "dedicated" to God.

These 613 laws appear in Exodus 20-40, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Contrary to popular belief, God did not give His Law to the entire human race, but only to a particular people (Jews, descendants of Abraham) under a particular covenant (the Mosaic Covenant). Accordingly, the Apostle Paul would later remind Gentiles that they were "not under the Law" (Rom 6:14-15). He also reminded them that the Law was never intended to bring salvation or eternal life. That blessing comes only "through faith in Jesus Christ" (Gal 3:21-25).

Christians call the first part of the Bible the "Old Testament" or "Old Covenant" because it focuses on Israel's experience with God under the Mosaic Covenant.

Reflect...

1. Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 or Deuteronomy 5:1-21. According to this Law, how did God want Israel to relate to Him? How did He want His people to treat one another?
   
   
2. For samples of Jewish life under the Mosaic Covenant, read the laws governing idols in Exodus 20:4-6, "clean" and "unclean" foods ( = "permitted" and "non-permitted" foods) in Leviticus 11, clothing in Numbers 15:37-41, and the Sabbath (Saturday) in Exodus 31:12-17. How would such laws set Jews apart from Gentiles, creating a distinct cultural identity?
   
   
3. Why did God create the nation of Israel? For answers, read Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:5-8; and Isaiah 49:3, 6.

Christopher A. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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