The old covenant was an agreement made between God and Israel. If Israel would agree to keep His commandments, statutes and judgments. He would be their God and bless them with land, physical well-being, abundant crops, and protection from their enemies, He would give them special status among the nations.A covenant is a deal, a formal agreement. It can take the form of a treaty, an alliance, a marriage, or a will of inheritance. What is commonly called the old covenant is a deal that God made with the people of Israel. The old covenant has elements of treaty, alliance, marriage, and inheritance. The form in which it is first presented has many characteristics of a treaty between a conquering king and his newly subject people.YHWH the Conquering KingIn the first 15 chapters of the book of Exodus the great creator God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, goes to war with the Pharaoh. The king of Egypt vs. the King of Creation.The great I AM lays claim to the people of Israel, whom the king of Egypt [pharaoh] sees as his property. The Pharaoh does not intend to give up without a fight. So, a series of battles follows.In each of these battles the great creator goes up against various Egyptian gods [which are really just figments of the Egyptian imagination]. In each case: the river god, the frog god, the sky god, the sun god… YHWH the creator demonstrates His power, superiority, and authority over these elements of nature the Egyptians have chosen to worship.The Egyptian Pharaoh will not admit defeat and there is a decisive showdown where YHWH has to strike down the firstborn of every Egyptian family. This as you know is the night of the Passover. When the destroying angel passes over the homes of the Israelites who are protected by the blood of a slain lamb smeared over the tops of their doorposts.Sometime in the dark of that horrible night Pharaoh agrees to let the people of Israel go.God lines the people of Israel up, marches them out of Egypt to the shores of the Red sea. Pharaoh changes his mind and sends the Egyptian army to recapture them and bring them back. In one last mighty battle the God of creation destroys the entire Egyptian army by luring them into the path He makes through the waters of the sea and then allowing the waters to crash back in on the Egyptians and drown them.It is a final and decisive victory. The conquering King now has a new nation of subjects.God Presents the Deal to IsraelGod marches Israel out of Egyptian territory into the desert. He brings them to the foot of a mountain so that He can address them all. Exodus 19:1-6 After a short reminder of His awesome power He tells them he wants to set up an agreement with them, a treaty, an understanding. If you obey Me I will take good care of you.Exodus 19:7-8 the people hear the offer and say let’s do this thingExodus 18:9-10 I want them to see me talking to you so they know that you are my spokesperson.God gives some instructions to Moses about how he wants the people to come before Him. Come in nice washed clothes, do not attempt to climb up the mountain, stay behind the barricades etc.God covers Himself in cloud and smoke and speaks to the people of Israel. From the mountain He presents to them the with 10 commandments. Exodus 20:1-17.Exodus 20:18-20 The people are overwhelmed and ask if God will speak to them through Moses because the experience of having Him talk directly to them is too intense. Moses tells them God did it his way so you would see the intense power that is behind this and be afraid to break the agreement. After this Moses will go before God to get the remaining instructions, bring them back and present them to the people. Moses goes up to get some additional statutes and judgments. Theses are expansions of what the 10 commandments are about, how the commands are to play out in a social setting, as well as some additional details.Elaboration on personal injury – extension of do not murder [respect for human life]Elaboration on leg