Basics 20: Literary Genre-Law and Covenants

Background

Before we can understand how the Law and Covenants of the OT impact us in our daily lives, we need to understand some of the five W’s and an H. Most of this information is from the seminary class I’ve listened to by Dr. Robert Stein (listened to it at least 10 times in the last 8 years, actually) and also his textbook, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules.

Some of the questions I have about Law and Covenant are like these. Why did God give his people the Law? They were going along without those stone tablets for a very long time. Or who is under the Law? Who is the giver of the Law? What is their relationship? Did it change to precipitate the need for covenant? In the history of the Near East, what is the context of the Law? How does it relate to the political and geographical neighbors the Hebrews found themselves in the midst of?

Without answering some of these kinds of questions, this student (ME!) in North America in the 21st century will have a skewed foundation of understanding. I touched a few of these questions in my preparation for the study of Amos. So I’ll share what I’ve learned with you.

Types of Covenants

In order to understand what was offered to the Israelites in the Law, knowing there are two basic types of covenant helps me. The types are differentiated based on the originator of the covenant.

One type is if the two parties are equals. If equals create an agreement, the covenant is a parity covenant. In this type of agreement, both parties have rules or stipulations that they will follow.

In the other form, the parties are not equals. Have you ever come across the word suzerain? You know how I love a good vocabulary word. A suzerain is a feudal lord which is why the second form is called a suzerainty covenant. Within this type of treaty, the greater unilaterally decides the rules for the lesser which the latter can then either decline or come under.

Elements of Ancient Suzerain Covenant

Not every covenant contained all of these components that follow, but every covenant contained some of these.

• Preamble: initiator of the covenant declares who they are.
• Historical prologue: aspects include
  • Conditions of pre-existing relationship.
  • Description of suzerain’s previous dealings with the lesser party.
  • Context for why the following stipulations are necessary.
• Stipulations:
  • Outlined obligations/responsibility of lesser party including
    • prohibition of forming alliances or treaties with other nations.
    • support for suzerain.
    • non-support of any kind for suzerain’s enemies.
    • any other prohibitions/commands.
  • These are not qualifiers to be in covenant but how to be true to it.
  • Most important is loyalty to suzerain.
• Provision for continual reading:
  • Insures familiarity for generations.
• List of witnesses:
  • Appeal by the author to other entities (gods, nature, or people) to “notarize” the covenant, to witness the document.
• Blessings/Curses:
  • The lesser party, if it agrees to the law, decides based on their alignment with the stipulations to receive the stated blessings or the curses.
• Ratification ceremony:
  • Sacrifice/oath and a shared meal.

Elements in OT Covenants

In Stein’s book I mentioned earlier, he has a series of examples from the OT. If you would like to see more examples, you can find his digital book at Logos or a print copy at Amazon. However, after glancing at the examples Stein gives, I chose to dissect for myself what I think is the most familiar example of the giving of the Mosaic Law at Sinai. As an exercise to promote my own understanding, I found the parts as I poked around in the scripture rather than just bringing Dr. Stein’s work over here. It helps me see how God condescends by entering into the cultures of man to reveal himself to his people.

Elements in Mosiac Covenant

God used the format societies in the ancient Near East would use to institute their laws. Check out what I observed.

• Preamble: I am the LORD your God… (Exodus 20:2)
• Historical prologue: …who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:2)
• Stipulations:
  • You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)
  • If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. (Exodus 20:25)
  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 21:17)
  • These are a few examples. Many more to be found in Exodus 20-23.
• Provision for continual reading: Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of all the people. (Exodus 24:7)
• List of witnesses: And all the people answered with one voice… (Exodus 24:3)
• Blessings/curses:
  • You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)
  • Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:17)
  • Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed. (Exodus 23:12)
  • Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him…But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. (Exodus 23:20-22)
• Ratification ceremony:
  • And Moses took the blood (from the sacrifices of oxen in Exodus 24:5-6) and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:7-8)
  • …they beheld God, and ate and drank. (Exodus 24:11)

There is the gracious format of the giving of the Law which God employed. It wasn’t something from out of the blue but was familiar to them.

Wrap Up

As I continue on the path of knowing God better as a student of the Word, one question has been prominent in my mind lately.

What is God's purpose and intent in ____?

Now I apply this question to the new understanding I have of this genre of literature. What was God’s purpose and intent in communicating with the Hebrews through law and covenants? One key aspect, I think, is in the historical prologue the cultures of the Near East employed.

What previous gracious dealings did the suzerain have with the population?

If You Read OT

When my middle son was an infant (so 25 years ago), my beloved and I went to a “Walk through the Bible” seminar. Have you ever experienced one of those? I don’t even know if they still exist. It was one of those watershed days. After a few years and our babies had matured a bit, I used the curriculum to give the kids a foundation of what the OT story has to say. There was a lot of time spent reading OT that year while we learned all the hand motions. Do you have any idea how many times God reminds his people that he is the LORD who brought them out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery throughout the OT?

What was God’s purpose and intent in speaking to his chosen in this way? Yes, they were familiar with the style which I’m sure was helpful. However, within the culture, God was able to identify himself and have his miraculous and gracious dealings with them rehearsed. One of the elements of the covenant is the provision for the continual reading. Rehearsal, wouldn’t you say?

Intent and Purpose

What is God’s intent? That his chosen would remember his character and nature in day-to-day life.

What is God’s purpose? That his chosen would behave in a manner that is good for them and good for the whole world.

In all of this, God gets glory and honor.

What do I take with me in my day from this study? God’s dealings historically and presently are gracious and beneficent. This knowledge as a filter through which everything passes changes my perception of everything.

Thanks for studying with me today! If you’ve found anything helpful here, please like and subscribe. And if you know of other students of the Word, would you please share so we can all study and encourage each other with what we’re learning?