The Mosaic Covenant, also known as the Mosaic Law, can be viewed as having three sections: a) commandments that refer to moral laws (personal holiness), b) judgments that refer to social laws, and c) ordinances that refer to the Tabernacle and worship laws.

It is important to note that the Law of Moses is singular and refers to all 613 laws as one unit. Breaking just one of 613 laws was the same as breaking the whole Law.

The Mosaic Covenant was conditional - it promised blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience. All 613 commands (365 negative and 248 positive), elaborated on the Ten Commandments and directed how the Israelites were to live for the purpose of being holy, pleasing, and enjoying God's favor.

Exodus focuses on building the Tabernacle, a sanctuary where God may dwell among His people.

Leviticus focuses on the first 4 Commandments:

1) You shall have no other gods before me.

2) You shall not make yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.

3) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Deuteronomy focuses on the other 6 Commandments:

5) Honor your father and your mother.

6) You shall not murder.

7) You shall not commit adultery.

8) You shall not steal.

9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10) You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

1. What does the apostle Paul teach us about the Mosaic Law?

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." (Rom 7:7, NASB)

2. Sin is often understood as evil behavior; however, it is more than that and it begins with one's personal desires. Examine the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, and identify the desire behind each command.

3. Through moral and social laws, God taught what sin was and how to atone for it. With this legal framework, what does this reveal about God?

4. Another way of understanding God's statement, "be holy for I am holy," is "be set apart for I am set apart." Set apart for what?