### Summary

Today, we gathered to reflect on the interconnected narratives of Scripture, focusing on the historical and spiritual significance of the Old Testament. We began by acknowledging the importance of prayer and community, especially in light of our nation's recent Independence Day celebrations. We thanked God for the freedoms we enjoy and remembered the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces.

We then delved into the historical context of the Old Testament, specifically the Fertile Crescent, and how understanding the geography and timeline of biblical events can deepen our comprehension of Scripture. We revisited the five key figures—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David—and their movements, which help us organize the biblical narrative.

The sermon highlighted the patriarchal structure of ancient Israel and how it influenced their laws and governance. We explored the concept of covenants, particularly the suzerain-vassal relationship, and how God used this familiar framework to communicate His promises to Israel. The covenant at Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments, was a prime example of this. God, as the suzerain, granted land and protection to Israel, the vassal, in return for their obedience and worship.

We also discussed the grace inherent in God's actions, noting that He liberated Israel from Egypt before they accepted His covenant, much like the grace offered through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This grace underscores that our obedience to God stems from His love for us, not from a place of fear or obligation.

As we transitioned to the communion table, we reflected on the new covenant established by Jesus, which simplifies the laws to loving God and our neighbors. This act of communion serves as a reminder of the grace and redemption we receive through Christ, encouraging us to live in unity and love.

### Key Takeaways

1. **The Importance of Historical Context**: Understanding the geographical and historical settings of the Bible, such as the Fertile Crescent and the timeline of key figures, enriches our comprehension of Scripture. This context helps us see the Bible as a cohesive narrative rather than isolated stories. [19:28]

2. **Covenants and God's Promises**: The suzerain-vassal covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai illustrates how God uses familiar structures to communicate His promises. God, as the suzerain, grants land and protection, while Israel, the vassal, is called to obedience and worship. This covenant is foundational to understanding God's relationship with His people. [26:12]

3. **Grace Before Obedience**: God's liberation of Israel from Egypt before they accepted His covenant is a powerful example of grace. This mirrors the New Testament grace where Jesus' sacrifice precedes our acceptance. It teaches us that our obedience to God is a response to His love and grace, not a prerequisite for it. [29:42]

4. **The Role of Remembrance**: Regularly revisiting God's covenant, as instructed in Deuteronomy, ensures that each generation understands and remembers their commitments. This practice of remembrance is crucial for maintaining a faithful relationship with God and understanding the blessings and curses associated with obedience and disobedience. [34:17]

5. **The New Covenant in Christ**: The communion table symbolizes the new covenant established by Jesus, which simplifies the laws to loving God and our neighbors. This act of communion reminds us of the grace and redemption we receive through Christ, encouraging us to live in unity and love, continually confessing our shortcomings and striving to do better. [40:57]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[13:06] - Prayer and Thanksgiving
[19:28] - The Fertile Crescent and Biblical Context
[20:11] - Key Figures and Movements
[21:46] - Patriarchal Structure and Governance
[22:53] - Covenants and Their Significance
[24:25] - The Exodus and Mount Sinai
[26:12] - Suzerain-Vassal Covenant
[27:58] - The Ten Commandments
[29:42] - Grace Before Obedience
[34:17] - The Role of Remembrance
[35:58] - Witnesses and Consequences
[40:57] - The New Covenant in Christ
[44:36] - Communion Instructions
[54:35] - Closing Remarks and Prayer
[55:09] - Bible in a Year Meeting
[55:34] - Final Blessing

### Bible Reading
1. **Exodus 20:1-17** (The Ten Commandments)
2. **Deuteronomy 31:9-13** (Reading the Law Every Seven Years)
3. **Matthew 22:37-40** (The Greatest Commandment)

### Observation Questions
1. What is the significance of the Fertile Crescent in the biblical narrative? ([19:28])
2. Who are the five key figures mentioned in the sermon, and what are their movements? ([20:11])
3. How does the suzerain-vassal covenant structure explain God's relationship with Israel? ([26:12])
4. What unique aspect of God's covenant with Israel is highlighted in Exodus 20:2? ([29:42])

### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding the historical and geographical context of the Old Testament enhance our comprehension of Scripture? ([19:28])
2. In what ways does the suzerain-vassal covenant reflect God's grace and expectations for Israel? ([26:12])
3. How does the concept of "grace before obedience" in the Old Testament compare to the grace offered through Jesus Christ in the New Testament? ([29:42])
4. Why is the practice of regularly revisiting God's covenant important for maintaining a faithful relationship with Him? ([34:17])

### Application Questions
1. How can you incorporate the practice of understanding the historical context of the Bible into your personal study? ([19:28])
2. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's grace before you felt obligated to obey Him. How did that impact your relationship with God? ([29:42])
3. The sermon mentioned the importance of remembering God's covenant. What are some practical ways you can regularly remind yourself of God's promises and your commitments to Him? ([34:17])
4. How does the new covenant established by Jesus simplify the laws to loving God and our neighbors? How can you apply this in your daily life? ([40:57])
5. During communion, we are reminded of the grace and redemption we receive through Christ. How can this act of remembrance encourage you to live in unity and love with others? ([40:57])
6. The sermon discussed the patriarchal structure of ancient Israel and its influence on their laws and governance. How can understanding these structures help you better interpret Old Testament laws and narratives? ([21:46])
7. Think about the concept of "grace before obedience." How can you extend grace to others in your community before expecting anything in return? ([29:42])

Day 1: The Importance of Historical Context
Understanding the geographical and historical settings of the Bible, such as the Fertile Crescent and the timeline of key figures, enriches our comprehension of Scripture. This context helps us see the Bible as a cohesive narrative rather than isolated stories. By delving into the historical context, we can better appreciate the interconnectedness of biblical events and the overarching story of God's relationship with humanity. This deeper understanding can transform our reading of Scripture from a series of disjointed tales to a unified, divine narrative.

The Fertile Crescent, often referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization," is a region that played a significant role in the development of early human societies and the events recorded in the Old Testament. By studying the movements of key figures like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David within this geographical context, we gain insights into the cultural and historical backdrop of their lives. This knowledge not only enhances our understanding of their stories but also helps us see how God's plan unfolded through different generations and locations. [19:28]

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV): "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"

Reflection: How does understanding the historical and geographical context of a biblical story change your perspective on its message? Can you think of a specific story where this deeper context might provide new insights?


Day 2: Covenants and God's Promises
The suzerain-vassal covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai illustrates how God uses familiar structures to communicate His promises. God, as the suzerain, grants land and protection, while Israel, the vassal, is called to obedience and worship. This covenant is foundational to understanding God's relationship with His people. The concept of covenants in the Bible is crucial because it reveals the nature of God's commitments and expectations. By using a familiar framework, God made His promises and requirements clear to the Israelites, ensuring they understood the gravity and significance of their relationship with Him.

The covenant at Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments, is a prime example of this suzerain-vassal relationship. God, as the sovereign ruler, provided the Israelites with laws to guide their lives and promised to protect and bless them if they remained faithful. This covenant not only established a legal and moral framework for the Israelites but also underscored the importance of obedience and worship in maintaining their relationship with God. Understanding this covenant helps us appreciate the depth of God's commitment to His people and the responsibilities that come with being in a covenant relationship with Him. [26:12]

Exodus 19:5-6 (ESV): "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Reflection: Reflect on a promise or commitment you have made to God. How does understanding the concept of a suzerain-vassal covenant help you see the importance of keeping that promise?


Day 3: Grace Before Obedience
God's liberation of Israel from Egypt before they accepted His covenant is a powerful example of grace. This mirrors the New Testament grace where Jesus' sacrifice precedes our acceptance. It teaches us that our obedience to God is a response to His love and grace, not a prerequisite for it. The story of the Exodus highlights God's initiative in rescuing His people and offering them a covenant relationship. This act of grace demonstrates that God's love and mercy are not contingent on our actions but are freely given.

In the New Testament, we see a similar pattern with Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Jesus offered Himself for our sins before we could do anything to earn or deserve it. This grace invites us into a relationship with God, where our obedience is a response to His love rather than a means to earn it. Understanding this principle helps us approach our faith with gratitude and humility, recognizing that everything we do is a response to the grace we have already received. [29:42]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: Think about a time when you felt God's grace in your life. How did that experience influence your desire to obey and follow Him?


Day 4: The Role of Remembrance
Regularly revisiting God's covenant, as instructed in Deuteronomy, ensures that each generation understands and remembers their commitments. This practice of remembrance is crucial for maintaining a faithful relationship with God and understanding the blessings and curses associated with obedience and disobedience. The act of remembering God's covenant and His past actions helps us stay grounded in our faith and aware of our responsibilities as His people.

In Deuteronomy, Moses repeatedly emphasizes the importance of remembering God's laws and the events of the Exodus. This practice was meant to keep the Israelites focused on their relationship with God and the consequences of their actions. By regularly recalling God's faithfulness and their own commitments, the Israelites could maintain a strong and vibrant faith. This principle applies to us today as well. By continually reflecting on God's promises and our own spiritual journey, we can stay connected to Him and live out our faith more fully. [34:17]

Deuteronomy 6:12 (ESV): "Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

Reflection: What are some practical ways you can incorporate the practice of remembrance into your daily life? How can this help you stay faithful to your commitments to God?


Day 5: The New Covenant in Christ
The communion table symbolizes the new covenant established by Jesus, which simplifies the laws to loving God and our neighbors. This act of communion reminds us of the grace and redemption we receive through Christ, encouraging us to live in unity and love, continually confessing our shortcomings and striving to do better. The new covenant, established through Jesus' sacrifice, shifts the focus from a complex set of laws to the core principles of love and grace.

When we partake in communion, we are reminded of Jesus' ultimate act of love and the new covenant He established. This new covenant calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. By embracing these principles, we can live out our faith in a way that reflects the grace and redemption we have received. Communion serves as a regular reminder of this commitment, helping us stay focused on what truly matters in our spiritual journey. [40:57]

Hebrews 8:10 (ESV): "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Reflection: How does participating in communion help you remember and live out the new covenant established by Jesus? What steps can you take to better love God and your neighbors in your daily life?

### Quotes for outreach

1. "Our founding fathers gave us the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to gather and so those freedoms give us this ability so we're thankful for that but we're also thankful for the men and women who continue to fight to keep us in those freedoms so let's join together as we ask God to continue to bless our worship but also thank him for all those who have given us these liberties." [13:06] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "The truth of redemptive history is that we obey because we have been loved. Think about that for a second. How many of you have heard or read or thought that the Old Testament God is a God of wrath and not loving and there's no grace in the Old Testament? Anybody? It's okay. You can say it. You've read the Old Testament and gone, man, that is such a different God than the New Testament. That God has no love and grace and forgiveness." [30:38] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "He sets them free without any requirements. That's grace without question. So then he goes on with the stipulations and the obligations. He is going to ask something in return. He is the suzerain. He wants the vassal to honor the suzerain. And you could go in. I'm not going to read all of this because there is a lot into the obligations. We have the Ten Commandments, which is 20, the rest of chapter 20." [31:43] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "He is our Savior and Lord. He accepts all people. And he gave the grace before we ever knew we needed it. His rules and regulations. That we love him. We try to do our best. And we say I didn't do as well today Jesus as I could have. Could we try again? To love our neighbor as ourself. And to love our Lord our God with our heart, mind, soul and strength. Those are his rules." [40:57] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "The only requirement God has of us. When we come here and partake in the covenant of Jesus. Is that we do confess our sins. The table is for people of all places and all times and all languages. But we just have to approach this. Bread and this cup. With an open heart and an open mind. So that we can receive him with all that we are." [41:50] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for members

1. "So, we have been talking about the narratives of Scripture and how they're all interconnected. And then also unpacking things of this time period that we may not understand. So, I'm going to remind us what we've been learning. The first thing was that everything happened in a real place. And that real place of these stories was called, the Fertile Crescent. Y'all remember the Fertile Crescent, right? We called it the Fertile Crescent because it is shaped like a? Crescent. And the land is? Fertile." [19:28] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "The suzerain gives the land. As long as the vassal honors and obeys. And if the vassal stops honoring the covenant. The suzerain takes it back. That wasn't new or unique or different. That's how all of them worked. All suzerains and vassals. They all said that. They also all said you only get one suzerain. So when God said you only get one God. That was how every suzerain agreement was." [37:23] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "But there's grace friends. Because he continues to liberate them. And redeem them. And come back to them. No matter how many times they break the covenant. There's a lot of rules in it. But he kept saving them. He kept returning to help them. The whole Old Testament. Is built upon this foundation. God is trying to live within this system that was already in place. That he used to communicate with Israel. But they struggled with honoring him." [38:41] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "It makes me wonder. Do we struggle with those things today? In different ways. Are there things that we hold back from God? Are there things that he has given to us. That we're supposed to set free. That we haven't given to him yet? Is he asking for more deeper worship. And we haven't given the worship to him? Is he asking for us to give something that we haven't given? Is he wanting an homage that we haven't given that homage?" [39:29] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "As we come to the table. This communion table is our image of covenant. I know there was a lot of big pieces of information in today. But if we think about how Jesus made a covenant with us. He is our Savior and Lord. He accepts all people. And he gave the grace before we ever knew we needed it. His rules and regulations. That we love him. We try to do our best. And we say I didn't do as well today Jesus as I could have. Could we try again?" [40:57] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Friends, as we prepare to go to the Lord in prayer this morning, just a reminder that we want to be in prayer for all the needs that you have in your personal life. We would love to join you in whatever the prayer needs are.

So you can drop prayer requests in the offering baskets, which are up here by the kneeling rails. You can email them to us at the church office. You can also hand them on a slip of paper. You can also send them to us at the church office. You can also send them over to Val, who is currently in her office and will be back in the room at the end of service.

The only request that I have is you do not only tell them to me in person, so that we make sure we get them on the prayer list, because we want to be in community and prayer and those things.

We also, one of our traditions here is that the plate is not passed. We have the baskets here in the front at the time of communion. If you would like to put something in that basket, you may do so, or you have other ways if you'd like to give contributions to the church.

Because we did just celebrate the birthday of our nation, I want to take time to pray over our country and also thank God that we have certain freedoms that allow us to be gathered in this place today. Amen.

Our founding fathers gave us the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom to gather. And so those freedoms give us this ability, so we're thankful for that. But we're also thankful for the men and women who continue to fight to keep us in those freedoms.

So let's join together as we ask God to continue to bless our worship, but also thank Him for all those who have given us these liberties. Would you join me?

Almighty God, many of us in this past week might have reflected on those that we have loved that are no longer with us on the Independence Day of our nation. Being in a military community, this holiday has even more weight for us. There are many men and women that currently serve in the armed forces that didn't get to come home, and we remember the weight of separation.

We remember the sacrifices made now and over the many years of our nation's existence. We thank you. We thank you for the liberties we were founded upon and the wisdom given to those founding fathers. We may be in this place today to worship freely, to speak freely, and to gather in this space which you have made sacred this day by the gathering of your children.

So continue to multiply your spirit among us, to guide us deeper into worship, to bring us into the study of your word. As we transition from giving you our voice to receiving your voice to us, we ask the blessing over our children as they're in their space this morning as well, studying your word and the adults leading them.

Give us all something that we can walk away with today, hearing from you. We pray this in your holy and powerful name. Amen.

It is the first Sunday, so our preteens are staying in the room with us this morning. I invite our elementary kids. You got a new series this week. Have fun.

Alright. As a reminder, if you would like to see these comic strips close up, or other images and quotes I'll use today, you can find that inside the sermon notes, which are on the website and inside the church app.

So, we have been talking about the narratives of Scripture and how they're all interconnected. And then also unpacking things of this time period that we may not understand.

So, I'm going to remind us what we've been learning. The first thing was that everything happened in a real place. And that real place of these stories was called the Fertile Crescent.

Y'all remember the Fertile Crescent, right? We called it the Fertile Crescent because it is shaped like a crescent. And the land is fertile. Alright. Very creative of the historians to call it that.

And it's made fertile because it's got four rivers that feed it and make the soil nice and green when the land around it is very desert-like. So, everything is happening in this space in the biblical narrative.

Now, it also is all happening in real time. Almost every story can be dated. The very, very early parts of Genesis are before we can date. But beyond that, we can date almost everything. And we can organize this real time around five major stories or five people.

And we said that was Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, right? We introduced those five names last week. And if you learn these five names, you can put the whole biblical narrative in order.

Now, Adam and Noah, we don't have time periods for their stories. But beyond Adam and Noah, we can put everybody in time. And in addition to the time of these five people, we can track the movements of these five people.

Because Adam was in Mesopotamia. Noah was also in Mesopotamia. Abraham moved into Canaan. Canaan. I have to remember. I don't have a map in front of me. I got it in my head.

So, Abraham went into Canaan. Then Moses was into Egypt and back out. And David was back into Canaan. So, we have the time of the five stories and the movement of the five stories.

Does this sound familiar? Alright. So, y'all are becoming Old Testament scholars. And you did. You don't even know it. You're not going to teach this to anybody.

Alright. Now, we also learned the structure of the Old Testament, which is what we call the patriarchal government, or how they arranged and made their laws. And this was around the family structure.

That the head of the house, the male head of the house, was the one who enforced everything. And the male head of the clan was the ruler of all. And this was a government until they got a king. And then they just took that same structure and put it on top of the king.

The king was the head of the entire family. The king was the ruler of the nation. So, then we think about this, how God put the law in place for Israel.

We learned last week that this carries over to this interaction with other nations. So, when we have family connections, we have this idea of a redeemer. And the redeemer was the person who was required by law of the family to go save another person.

And the closer you were related to a person, the more requirement you had to redeem someone. So, if you were a brother or a parent or a child, you had to redeem that person. And the farther you got in the circles, the more distant relative, the less responsibility you had to redeem someone.

Then we moved past this idea of the family and said, well, nations have to work with other nations. Otherwise, they can't live in this Fertile Crescent together. And that's where we looked at the formation.

The formation of covenants. Because a covenant is an agreement between one nation to another who are not related. Because the family doesn't need covenants. They have their own ways that they handle things.

So, how do we work outside the family? So, we had two types of covenants. We had a parity and a suzerain vassal. Those words sound a little familiar?

Okay. So, the parity meant they were two equal nations that joined together to fight a bigger nation or have a trade agreement. Suzerainty vassal means you had a bigger and a smaller.

And we used family language to talk about them. Brother to brother and father to son. So, we're trying to create the family structure with people we're not related to.

Now, that also defined who was legally required to redeem someone. Because when you had a brother to brother, each nation was required to go redeem the other. When you had a father to son, the father nation was required to go redeem the son nation.

Alright. We're all summed up on the same page? You're like, oh, no. Remember, you can find notes on these in the sermon notes if you want to find the info. Okay?

Alright. So, now we've got everything summed up from the past. Let's look at where we are in this story. Because we've just jumped into Moses. And we had been for many weeks in what we call the patriarchal period.

So, where are we in this crescent with Moses? Well, Moses in the timeline is what we call the Exodus. We call it that because they exited Egypt. Very creative, right?

The Exodus is when they left Egypt and they were waiting to get into the promised land. We put that about 1,200 years, 275. That's years before Christ. Alright? So, there's your time.

And their location is what we call Mount Sinai. And Mount Sinai is this little deserty place. It's a peninsula that's below Egypt. If you all can see on that map there.

So, they've left Egypt and they've gone down to this little peninsula. And they're hanging out on Mount Sinai. We think they stayed there about a year before they entered into the desert.

So, they're hanging out, talking to God. They're figuring out what they're supposed to do and how God wants them to live. So, this is our time and this is our location.

Remember, real time, real place, real people. Alright. Why does all of this matter? Well, this story is one of the best examples we have in Scripture of God and a covenant when it comes to a stereotypical covenant between a suzerain and a vassal.

And I want you to think about this for a second. This is from the book, Epic of Eden. And it says this: God is the suzerain. The suzerain of the universe is making Israel a nation by making a treaty with them.

By the means of association with Him, Him is a suzerain God. Israel becomes a nation, the vassal. Now, if you remember from last week, we said that a suzerain could grant land to a vassal.

A suzerain would gift that by saying, I am your protector. I am the one that has the power and authority. I am the one that has conquered this land, but I am gifting it to you.

So in this story, we're about to unpack these scriptures. But what it is, is God is the suzerain, the creator of all things, the one who has the ultimate power.

And He is saying to the people of Israel, I am making you not just a tribe who has been enslaved by Egypt. And I have not just freed you. I am making you an actual nation.

I'm giving you land. And you are receiving this land by my authority. And I'm going to make this promise to you.

Now, He did so not just by saying that, but by putting in this covenant in the exact way that they always did it. Alright. So just like a contract today, there are details and parts and things that have to be in there.

Now, I've told you all that I don't speak contract language. But I'm going to unpack this very specific language that was in covenants of this day.

And I tell you this is the way it was because they have uncovered, archaeologists, covenants from nations all over the Middle East of Egypt and Mesopotamia and Syria. And they all have these similar parts.

That's kind of cool, isn't it? I think it is. I'm kind of nerdy that way. I think that's really fascinating that they can pull out these things and find similar formats in the same way that we have that in our lease agreements and all that stuff today.

So these are the parts and how we look at our scriptures of how God laid out His promise as the suzerain to Israel. Let's dive in.

Exodus chapter 20. You all probably have read for those who grew up in the church or been in Sunday school. This is the passage of the Ten Commandments. And it's probably marked in your Bible as the Ten Commandments.

And you've probably read over it so many times you don't think about it anymore. So I hope this gives you a little insight. But this very first part of 20 verse 2 says this: I am the Lord your God.

That probably doesn't mean very much to us. But go back one slide for me. The I am the Lord your God is what we call the preamble. Every covenant would have had a preamble.

The title of the person making the contract. The title of the suzerain. And in another nation, it may be I am Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and give what the Pharaoh's name was.

So God is stating I am the one making this agreement. I am the Lord your God. He doesn't need to describe Himself any more than that, does He? That's all He has to say.

Same thing He said to Moses in the burning bush, right? I am who I am. I am the Lord your God. Woo! Slippery.

Okay. But then this next part of verse 2 is not in all covenants. It's unique. And when it's here, the historic prologue, when it exists, it's important for us to know.

And this part is where God is saying remember the importance. Because He says I am the Lord your God who rescued you from the land of Egypt and the place of your slavery.

God's saying remember I'm not just the Lord. I am the Lord who freed you. I am the Lord who redeemed you. Who liberated you. Who set you out of your place of suffering.

If you think about this, God hasn't made His covenant yet. He freed Israel from Egypt before making the covenant with them.

Does it sound a little bit like the New Testament grace to you? That Jesus died before we accepted the death and resurrection? God saved Israel before they accepted the guidelines of the covenant.

And He's saying that here. I am your God who has rescued you and given you freedom. Because of that, and then we get on to three.

Because I have done this. But before we go to three, I want to read you one more quote of this. The truth of redemptive history is that we obey because we have been loved.

The stipulations is what follows next. Think about that for a second. How many of you have heard or read or thought that the Old Testament God is a God of wrath and not loving and there's no grace in the Old Testament?

Anybody? It's okay. You can say it. You've read the Old Testament and gone, man, that is such a different God than the New Testament. That God has no love and grace and forgiveness.

But think about what happened right here in this time of Exodus. He rescued Israel. He put away their oppressors. He overcame those trying to kill them.

Set them free to the extreme level of all the things He did in Egypt. And He's saying, I am your Lord who rescued you. And He hasn't even given them any rules yet.

He sets them free without any requirements. That's grace without question. So then He goes on with the stipulations and the obligations.

He is going to ask something in return. He is the suzerain. He wants the vassal to honor the suzerain. And you could go in. I'm not going to read all of this because there is a lot into the obligations.

We have the Ten Commandments, which is 20, the rest of chapter 20. That's, you know, obviously we've heard the Ten Commandments. But there's so much more into the Ten Commandments.

Because the book of Deuteronomy is a retelling of everything of Moses and the law. Y'all know the two stone tablets? Yeah, there was a whole lot more than the Ten Commandments on those two stone tablets.

They didn't write really big. They wrote small. And there was so much on there. That's why there were two. And the tablet, if it was big, it's because everything that was on it was a lot.

And they would have gone to both sides. So if you go into Deuteronomy, you see the details of that. We're going to look in a little bit more.

But the basics of everything was to reinforce the family authority system through language of God and Israel. Because they already understood the family authority system.

We've been talking about that, haven't we? And reinforcing the laws through the language of the family system. I want to read you a passage out of the book of Deuteronomy.

This is Deuteronomy 31. And this has to do with the next piece. Because after the contract gave the stipulations, it would then say how often it had to be read publicly to the community.

Meaning that you had to take it out and read it every now and then so everybody remembered what was in it. And so they state that in Deuteronomy chapter 31.

So Moses wrote the entire book of instructions, meaning the covenant, in a book and gave it to the priests who carry the ark of the Lord's covenant. Right? That's the box that carried the covenant.

To the elders of Israel. Then Moses gave them this command. At the end of every seventh year, the year released during the festival of shelters, you must read the book of instruction to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the Lord your God at the place He chooses.

Every seven years, they had to read the entire book of Deuteronomy to the community. So they all re-heard the agreement they made together. That was a normal piece.

They always had that in a covenant. How often is it repeated? Some covenants in ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia somewhere in the crescent. Sometimes they were read twice a year. Only every seven years.

That's probably kind. It's a big covenant. But this was so that every generation and every group of people could always re-hear it and not forget what is present within it.

Now after they read them periodically, they were supposed to then remember that they had things that were good and things that were bad. If we look back into Deuteronomy 4, we see that they have what we call first the list of witnesses.

And so they're saying, these are the people that witness this agreement. In God's case, He's using creation as His witness. So there's no places you could go that the witnesses of the covenant would not be.

And they say, if you do not do these things, then you will be cursed. And if you do these things, you will be blessed.

Now that sounds a little harsh, doesn't it? Who wants to sign a contract that says if you fail the contract, you'll be cursed? Anybody? Nobody. Nobody's with me.

Okay. So if you go into chapter 27 and 28 of Deuteronomy, all that is is nothing but curses and blessings. But the intention of chapter 27 and 28 is just basically this: if you disobey, you're going to lose your land.

And if you obey, you're going to keep it. And if you think back to last week, that's the whole basis of the suzerain vassal covenant. The suzerain gives the land as long as the vassal honors and obeys.

And if the vassal stops honoring the covenant, the suzerain takes it back. That wasn't new or unique or different. That's how all of them worked.

All suzerains and vassals, they all said that. They also all said you only get one suzerain. So when God said you only get one God, that was how every suzerain agreement was.

What was different is that monotheism was very rare. Nobody practiced monotheism. So Israel was really thrown off when God said you may not worship anyone else.

That was as rare of a concept. I can't even think of an example for us that would be like us trying to say the coffee is toxic. You know, we're trying to walk around and tell everybody in the world the coffee is toxic.

When there's like research to show it's good for the liver and all this other stuff. And we're trying to convince the whole world it's toxic. That would be a hard sell, right?

That's like the equivalent in this world where they had this mentality that if you're in Egypt, you worship your gods and the Egyptian gods so that you don't insult the local deities.

They don't understand. But God's saying I am your suzerain. You have no other Lord but me. And if you fail this, I will take your land away.

But there's grace, friends. Because He continues to liberate them and redeem them and come back to them no matter how many times they break the covenant.

There's a lot of rules in it. But He kept saving them. He kept returning to help them. The whole Old Testament is built upon this foundation.

God is trying to live within this system that was already in place that He used to communicate with Israel. But they struggled with honoring Him, paying Him the homage He deserved, and the worship He deserved.

And all the things because He did set them free. And it makes me wonder, do we struggle with those things today in different ways?

Are there things that we hold back from God? Are there things that He has given to us that we're supposed to set free that we haven't given to Him yet?

Is He asking for more deeper worship and we haven't given the worship to Him? Is He asking for us to give something that we haven't given?

Is He wanting an homage that we haven't given that homage? I think it's a lot to say that all of our land has been given by God.

I'm not going there. We don't live in a world where our land is given by God anymore. But you might say that God helps us with finding our financial resources and giving us knowledge and giving us our health and all these other things.

If we work along with God, then our resources are still gifts from God. There's always parallels to find.

As we think about this concept, these pieces that are within these covenants, I'd love for you to reflect on how they intertwine into your life.

As we come to the table, this communion table is our image of covenant. I know there was a lot of big pieces of information in today.

But if we think about how Jesus made a covenant with us, He is our Savior and Lord. He accepts all people. And He gave the grace before we ever knew we needed it.

His rules and regulations that we love Him, we try to do our best. And we say I didn't do as well today, Jesus, as I could have. Could we try again?

To love our neighbor as ourselves and to love our Lord our God with our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Those are His rules. Thank goodness it's not the entire book of Deuteronomy.

We've gotten a lot smaller. We could read it every day. But that's why we come to this table. To confess that we've fallen short of doing these things.

And the only requirement God has of us when we come here and partake in the covenant of Jesus is that we do confess our sins.

The table is for people of all places and all times and all languages. But we just have to approach this bread and this cup with an open heart and an open mind.

So that we can receive Him with all that we are. So if you would join me in this confession as we come and prepare to receive at the Lord's cup this morning.

Most merciful God, forgive us. We imagine that we can live without you when you give us the very breath.

We seek control over others rather than strive to live in unity. We allow fear to overtake us, even though our lives are in your hands.

Draw us back into your steadfast love and shape us into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

As Jesus' disciples remembered the covenant of Abraham and of Moses, He broke the bread and He said, this is my body, which has been given for you. Eat in remembrance of me.

He also took the cup and He said, this is the blood of the new covenant, shed for the sins of all people of all time. Drink just as you eat in remembrance of me.

I invite you now to take a moment, lift anything you need to lift in your heart, to confess to God before we come back together in prayer.

Almighty God, here are our confessions. And thank you for receiving them. And that Christ has already paid the price for their stains upon our souls and has washed them clean.

All we had to do was ask. We pray, Lord, that you send your spirit upon this bread and this juice to transform it to be Christ's body and blood, broken and shed for us.

Upon us in this room that we may be transformed into your redeemed children, filled with your spirit to go into the world, loving others as you ask us to love.

We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I'd like to ask those who are going to help me with communion to come forward. As they come, just a word of instruction. You'll receive a small piece of bread.

And you can dip that into the cup of juice. If you like pre-packaged communion or your communion not to, or gluten-free bread, you can find that here in the center.

After I serve my helpers, I'll invite everyone forward. The Lord's table is all ready and all are invited to come.

I'll invite you to come up the center and out the outsides. And everybody is welcome. You do not have to be a part of our church to partake.

You may come now. Friends, I hope you have a fantastic week. And if there's something that we can do for you, please let me or Val know after service.

We'll be glad to be in prayer for you or anything like that. But it's my prayer that as we go deeper into our faith, understanding the Old Testament, we'll have a better understanding of the New Testament.

So if you have questions, please let me know that too so I can help answer those for you. And then just one quick little thing. If you're doing the Bible in a year with us, we are meeting today.

I know our schedule's been a little funky. So hear this prayer as we leave.

Almighty God, thank you for all that you do for us and your promises, which are unchanging. Send us from this place, seeing signs of your promise in our life everywhere that we go.

And that we may say, blessed be our King, who is alive in not only our life but in the world today. We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son.