"So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the
land of the Philestines, as far as the border of Egypt" (1 Kings 4:21).
The covenant by which ancient Israel would become "the people of God" (Judges 20:2) was made at Mount Sinai shortly after the Israelites were freed from
Egyptian slavery. God's covenant with the nation was based on His promises
to and covenant with Abraham (Exodus 2:23-24; 33:1). In it God defined
the relationship He wanted with Jacob's descendants, now the fledgling
nation of Israel en route to the Promised Land.
God offered this covenant to Israel as a unilateral declaration of the
opportunities He was offering Abraham's descendants and an unambiguous
explanation of the Israelites' obligations to Him. Their part in making
the covenant was only that of accepting or rejecting God's offer and then,
after accepting it, performing the commitment they had made.
God provided them the same opportunity to agree to walk before Him blamelessly
that He had given to Abraham. He consistently reminded them: "For I am
the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You
shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45). The
effectiveness of the relationship depended on their continued attention
to living and behaving as a holy-set-apart-people.
