13. God's Covenant with Israel

What the Story Says

1. What did God say the Israelites would become if they kept his covenant with them?

   They would become his prized possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (#13-02).

2. What were the signs of God’s presence when he came down on the mountain?

   There was thunder, lightning, smoke, and sounds of loud trumpets (#13-03).

3. What was the first command that God gave to the people?

   God told them not to worship any other god (#13-04).

4. What were the Israelites supposed to do on the seventh day of the week?

   They were supposed to keep the Sabbath day holy by resting and remembering God (#13-05).

5. What would God do to the people if they did not obey his commandments?

   God would punish them is they did not obey him (#13-07).

6. Who was allowed to enter into the room in the Tent of Meeting where God was?

   Only the high priest was allowed to go into that room (#13-08).

7. What would the blood from an animal sacrifice do to the sin of the person who brought the animal?

   The blood of the animal would cover that person’s sin. He would become clean in God’s sight (#13-09).

8. Why did the people make an idol to worship?

   Moses remained on the mountain for a long time, and the people grew tired of waiting for him. Therefore, they asked Aaron to make an idol for them to worship (#13-11).

9. What did Moses do when he came down the mountain and saw the people worshiping the idol?

   He smashed the two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. He then destroyed the idol and made the people drink it in water (#13-13), (#13-14).

10. Why did God forgive the people?

    He forgave them because Moses prayed for them (#13-15).

What the Story Means to Us

1. Why did God bring the people to Mount Sinai?

   This was the place where God had spoken to Moses from the burning bush. He promised Moses that he would bring the people out of Egypt to worship him there. God kept that promise and led them to that same place.

2. Why did God say the Israelites would be a kingdom of priests?

   Priests help other people worship God. They also teach people what God has said. All the people of Israel would be able to do these things for the other nations if they would obey God.

3. Why did God write the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone?

   God wanted the people to always remember his commandments. Perhaps that is why he wrote them on hard stone tablets with his own hand, instead of on clay, wood, or paper.

4. Why did God tell the Israelites to make a tent where he could meet them?

   The Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land. They could not build a temple which would be in one place. Instead, God told them to make a special tent that they could move with them and set up when they stopped in a place.

5. Why do you think God said the blood of the sacrifice would cover a person’s sin?

   The sin of the person would still be there, but it would be covered. God would look at the blood instead of their sin, and would consider that person to be clean before him.

6. Why was it especially evil that the people made an idol to worship?

   The first and most important command God gave them was not to worship any other god.

7. What did God send on the people to punish them for worshiping the idol?

   God send a plague on them, which killed many of them. In Egypt, God sent plagues on the Egyptians. Now, God punished his own people with a plague because they sinned.

Summary

God brought the Israelites to Mount Sinai just as he had promised Moses. He came down on the mountain with powerful signs and gave them the Ten Commandments and other laws to obey. He told them how to sacrifice to him, and how to meet him in the Tent of Meeting. But while Moses was still on the mountain with God, the people made an idol to worship. God was very angry and wanted to destroy them. Moses was also so angry that he smashed the Ten Commandments. But Moses prayed for the people and God forgave them.