Jesus interpreted and preached about the Ten Commandments when the Pharisees questioned why his disciples were picking some grain to eat on the Sabbath.

Jesus declared that the Sabbath was made for man but not man for the Sabbath. By this, he meant that it was good for man to benefit on the Sabbath day.

Jesus revealed himself as a Lord of Sabbath and challenged the Jews for questioning his authority.

Jesus revealed that he was the fulfillment of the law for he had not come to destroy the laws but rather to give it more meaning and make the teaching of the prophets come true.

Jesus said that his coming was because laws were imperfect as they had failed to put man right with God. Therefore, he had come to perfect to the laws.

To Jesus, disobeying the least important of the commandments meant disobeying all the others. Such person would be least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19).

In the same way, whoever obeys the laws and teaches others to do the same would be great in the heavenly kingdom. Therefore, Jesus up held the view that obedience to the laws was a gate way to the father's kingdom.

However, Jesus viewed that having faith is more important than the laws in doing 'what God requires for it is by one's faith that one joins the kingdom of God.

He went on to summarize the Ten Commandments into two as he explained the basic requirement in human relationship and while relating with God.

Jesus emphasized that greatest commandment is the love of God with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus seemed to suggest that love was the driving force for a person to worship only and respect his name as the law demanded.

Besides, the second most important commandment is to love one's neighbour as much as one loves himself (Mark 12: 28-31).

Jesus declared that looking at a woman with the desire to possess her makes a person guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).

In the same way, having an evil thought against someone is the same as the act of killing itself. Jesus urged every believer to desist from swearing in whatever the circumstance that a person may be. Instead, he called for the need of either saying yes or no (Matthew 5:33-37).

RELEVANCE OF THE DECALOGUE TO CHRISTIANS TODAY

• Christians should worship only one God

• Christians should respect the Sabbath day

• Christians should be holy in the service of God

• Christians should respect and preserve human life

• Christians should give respect to their parents

• Christians should be faithful in their marriages

• Christians should rest from their work

• Christians should praise and glorify God's name

• Christians should speak the truth

• Christians should maintain justice

• Christians should live in harmony with each other

• Christians should follow laws governing the society

• Christians should respect each other's property

FEATURES OF THE SINAI COVENANT

The Sinai covenant was initiated by God himself after the Israelites had camped at the foot of the mountain for He called Moses and gave him some instructions on how people were to prepare for the making of the covenant.

The Sinai covenant involved the use of a mediator. Moses played this role as he kept linking God and his people during the covenant.

The Sinai covenant involved two unequal parties. God was a superior being and the Israelites were the inferior beings.

It involved God's presence who revealed himself to the people of Israel through voice, thick cloud and thunder among others.

The Sinai covenant was characterized by God's holiness. Moses urged the Israelites to purify themselves by washing their clothes before meeting God.

It involved God identifying himself to the Israelites as being the God who delivered them from their Egyptian slavery.

The Sinai covenant involved conditions being given to the Israelites. They had to obey God and keep His covenant if they were to remain His people (Exodus 19:5).

The Sinai covenant involved purification. Moses urged the Israelites to wash their clothes before meeting the following day. This signified the holiness of God.

It involved the giving of laws. God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments which they were required to follow as a basis of their relationship with Him and among themselves.

The Sinai covenant involved the building of an altar. Moses built an altar using twelve stones each representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

It was also characterized by offering of sacrifices. The people of Israel presented burnt and fellowship offerings to God.

The Sinai covenant involved God's love for the people of Israel for He revealed that he would show His love for thousand generations.

The Sinai covenant was sealed using blood. Moses threw the blood in some bowls to show that they had sealed their covenant with God.

It involved responsibilities and obligations of the parties. Each party was required to play some roles in order to maintain and fulfill the conditions of the covenant.

Revision Questions

1. Examine the nature of the Sinai covenant

2. Discuss the characteristics of the covenant made at the foot Mount Sinai

OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SINAI COVENANT

Obligations and responsibilities as contained in the Sinai covenant were the conditions and tasks the parties involved had to fulfill or do if they were to maintain the relationship established.

The Israelites were required to obey God and serve Him loyally if they were to remain His people.

Besides, God urged the people of Israel to keep His covenant with them so that they could remain His own people.

The people of Israel were required to dedicate themselves to God alone and serve Him as His priests.

The Israelites were supposed to worship God only and were forbidden from bowing down to any idol or worship. God showed that He could not tolerate any rival. This meant that He was a jealous God.

Israelites were obliged to pass on the covenant faith to their children by teaching them about the relationship there in.

Israelites were required to make other nations know about the divine nature of their God.

They had to remain holy since they were serving a holy God. This meant that they were always to take precaution and avoid defiling their holiness.

The Israelites were required to live as God's chosen people. This echoed their dependence on God in all aspects of life.

The Israelites were required to follow and obey all the commands of God and make them the basis of their lives.

They had the obligation to keep their promises God particularly that of obedience to Him and doing everything expected from them.

The people of Israel were urged to love God if he they wanted Him to show his love to thousands of their generations.

The Israelites had to destroy the gods of the enemies and break down their sacred stone pillars. They were forbidden from adopting their religious practices.

God forbade the Israelites from making agreement with their enemies including the Amorites, the Hittites and the Jebusites among others. They were to drive them away from their land or else they sin against Him (Exodus 23:32-33).

Besides, the people of Israel were expected to show respect to one another as they continued to serve God faithfully.

The Israelites had to take care of the disadvantaged including the orphans, the widows and the foreigners. God reminded them of their experience as foreigners in Egypt (Exodus 23 :9).

Besides, they had to thank God for the great things He had done for them particularly His mighty act of rescuing from their slavery in Egypt.

On the other hand God had the responsibility of taking care of the people of Israel all the way through until they would reach the Promised Land.

He had to protect the people of Israel from their enemies by defeating and driving them away from their path until they reached the land He had promised them through their ancestor, Abraham (Exodus 23:20).

Besides, God had to fulfill His promise and give the Israelites the land he had prepared for them. God promised to bless people of Israel with food, better health, children and long lives in the land he had prepared for them.

He had to extend the borders of the land of Israel far and beyond the desert thus they would have enough space for themselves

God promised to give power to the Israelites over the inhabitants of the land He prepared for them for they would drive them out of it.

Revision Questions

1. Discuss the obligations and responsibilities of the Sinai covenant

2. Examine God's promises to the people of Israel during the Sinai covenant

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SINAI COVENANT TO THE ISRAELITES

Israel became a great and special nation as God had promised their ancestor, Abraham. Therefore, it was a fulfillment of the promises that God had made to their ancestor.

The Israelites received a code of conduct from God for He gave them the Ten Commandments to safe guard their relationship with Him and among themselves.

It marked a new relationship between Israel and God for the covenant brought to their awareness that they were God's chosen people through their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Sinai covenant signified God's holiness as the people were instructed to purify themselves before meeting him the following day.

Besides, it signified monotheism in Israel for the people were obliged worship God only God if they were to remain his people.

It confirmed Israel as' theocratic nation. God showed them how He had been active- in their history and was still willing to continue being with them.

It confirmed God's love for the people of Israel. Because of His love, .He rescued them from their slavery in Egypt, protected them and went on to promise to show His love for thousands of generations.

The Sinai covenant confirmed Moses' leadership over the Israelites for it was him who struggled for the liberation from the bondage in Egypt and continued to be active from then on.

The Israelites were given responsibilities and obligations during the Sinai covenant which became part of their lives like worshipping God only.

It signified the divine election of Israel as God constantly reminded them that they were His chosen and special people.

It united the people of Israel as they came to realize that they all belonged to their ancestor, Abraham chosen by God himself.

It proved God as the initiator of all events in the lives of the Israelites. He had initiated their liberation from Egypt and still it was Him who initiated their covenant with him.

It proved the omnipotence of God to the people of Israel as He promised to defeat all their enemies.

It raised the status of Israel to that of a priestly house for God required them to serve Him as His priests.

It signified the omnipresence of God to the Israelites who experienced His presence and promised to continue being with them in the land He had prepared for them.

The Sinai covenant revealed the character of God to the Israelites as one who could not tolerate His rival. Therefore, He desired to be worshipped alone.

Revision Questions

1. Discuss the significance of the Sinai covenant to the people of Israel

2. Examine the importance of the covenant that God made with the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai

3. What is the relevance of the Sinai covenant to modern Christians?

4. Account for the making of the Sinai covenant