The Sinaitic Covenant. At the foot of Sinai and in the midst of
grandly impressive manifestations of Jehovah, Israel entered into
solemn covenant relations with Him. It was a covenant of blood and
was the most sacred and inviolable ceremony known to the ancient
peoples. Half of the blood was sprinkled on the alter and half upon
the people, thus signifying that all had consented to the terms of the
covenant. In this covenant Israel is obligated to loyalty, service and
worship, while Jehovah is to continue to protect and deliver them.
This covenant is commonly called "The Law of Moses." All the rest of
the Old Testament is a development of this fundamental law and shows
the application of it in the experience of Israel.

The Purpose of the Mosaic Law. It should be observed that the rewards
and punishments of this law were mainly confined to this life. Instead
of leading them to believe that outward obedience to it would bring
personal salvation and, therefore, instead of superseding the plan of
salvation through a redeemer, that had been announced to Adam and Eve,
and confirmed in the covenant with Abraham, it pointed to the Savior.
The sacrifices foreshadowed the substitution of the Lamb of God as a
means of their deliverance for sin and its punishment.

There are probably two purposes in promulgating this law. (1) To
preserve the Israelites as a separate and peculiar people. To the weld
the scattered fugitives from Egypt into a nation, distinct from other
nations, required laws that would make them different in customs,
religion and government. (2) A second purpose was to provide
additional spiritual light, that they might know the way of salvation
more perfectly.