Western Civilization

of Israel and Judah were threatened by Assyrian and

Chaldean conquerors. These “men of God” went

through the land warning the Israelites that they had

failed to keep God’s commandments and would be pun-

ished for breaking the covenant: “I will punish you for

all your iniquities.” Amos prophesied the fall of the

northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria; twenty years

later, Isaiah said the kingdom of Judah too would fall

(see the box on p. 35).

Out of the words of the prophets came new con-

cepts that enriched the Jewish tradition and ultimately

Western civilization, including a notion of universalism

and a yearning for social justice. Although the Jews’ re-

ligious practices gave them a sense of separateness

The Covenant and the Law: The Book of Exodus

According to the biblical account, it was during the

Exodus from Egypt that the Israelites supposedly made

their covenant with Yahweh. They agreed to obey their

God and follow his law. In return, Yahweh promised to

take special care of his chosen people. These selections

from the Book of Exodus describe the making of the

covenant and God’s commandments to the Israelites.

Exodus 19:1–8

In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on

the very day—they came to the desert of Sinai. After

they set out from Rephidim, they entered the desert of

Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of

the mountain. 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: ‘You yourselves

have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you

on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 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, you will be for me a kingdom

of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you

are to speak to the Israelites.” So Moses went back and

summoned the elders of the people and set before

them all the words the Lord had commanded him to

speak. The people all responded together, “We will do

everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their

answer back to the Lord.

Exodus 20:1–17

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your

God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of

slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You

shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of

anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in

the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or

worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous

God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers

to the third and fourth generation of those who hate,

but showing love to a thousand generations of those

who love me and keep my commandments. You shall

not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the

Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuse his

name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the

seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it

you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son

or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor

your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in

six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the

sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the

seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath

day and made it holy. Honor your father and your

mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord

your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall

not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not

give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall

not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet

your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or

maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that

belongs to your neighbor.”

Q What was the nature of the covenant between

Yahweh and the Israelites? What was its moral

significance for the Israelites? How does it differ

from Hammurabi’s code, and how might you explain

those differences?

Source: Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International VersionVR. Copyrightª1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New

International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

The Hebrews: “The Children of Israel” 33

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