Thank you for the biblical question on the Book of Covenant, “Does the Book of Covenant mentioned in the book of Exodus 24:7 include the Ten Commandments?”
As one reads Exodus 19–24, there is the verbal declaration of the Book of Covenant by God, the written Book of the Covenant by Moses, and the Ten Commandments from God. The Book of the Covenant includes the Ten Commandments.
Here are some thoughts for one’s consideration:
A. God declares to Moses the condition for the Israelite to become his treasured possession. a kingdom of priest and a holy nation and the Israelites agreed to God’s conditions.
Exodus 19 says this, “3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD” (NIV). Citation are in the NIV).
Moses ascends to the Mount Sinai . God gives the conditions that if the Israelites obey God and keep God’s covenant, they will become his treasured possession and become a nation of holy priests . At this point, God has not given the condition to the Israelites, but makes an offer to the Israelites. Moses descends down the mountain states the offer to Israelites. They agree and Moses returns up the mountain to give the Israelites reply.
B. God calls Moses and Aaron to come to the mountain top while the people remained at the based of the mountain.
Exodus 19 says this, “17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain…19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.[c] 20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.” 23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” 24 The LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.”
God appears before the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Moses speaks to the Lord at the based of the mountain and the voice of God answers him. The Israelites hear God calling him to the top of the mountain and instructs him to bring Aaron with him up to the mountain while the people remain at the base of the mountain. Moses returns to people and declares that they are not to ascend the mountain.
D. God declares the Covenant of the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 20 says this, “And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me…”
It is important to note that God spoke all these words. The question becomes this, “Did God speak those words only to Moses before he descended the mountain or did God speak those words to Moses and the Israelites after he arrived at the base of the mountain?” It is somewhat unclear when God declared the Covenant to Moses or to the Israelites.
It appears to me, and I may be wrong, that God declared the Covenant to the Israelites with Moses and the people at the base of the mountain. The response of the Israelites is that they don’t want to hear anymore of the voice of God!
It is upon seeing the sight of the smoking mountain and hearing God’s voice that the Israelites asked Moses to continue to speak to God in their behalf. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”
Deuteronomy 5 says this, “Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: 6 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 7 “You shall have no other gods before[b] me….22 These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.”
Moses recounts to the next generation that at Mount Sinai the people heard the Ten Commandments of God directly. Verses 4–6 states that God spoke to them, not that Moses delivered the Decalogue to them. They heard the voice of God and his commandments to them.
E. Moses ascends the mountain to receive the Decrees and Laws of God.
After Moses and the people hear the Decalogue, Moses return to the mountain. It doesn’t appear that Aaron went with him.
Exodus 20 says this, “20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.” 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven…”
Verse 20 says that Moses said to people after they heard the voice of God. The people responded with dread and remained away from the mountain. Moses approaches the mountain and it is here that God gives the specific decrees and laws to Moses (Exodus 21–23). At this juncture, the Ten Commandment on the two stone tablets is not given to Moses.
F. Moses writes the Book of Covenant and the covenant is established between God and Israel.
In Exodus 24, Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu with the 70 Elders fellowship with God on the mountain. verses3–8 describes the establishment of the Book of Covenant.
The text says this, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.” 3 When Moses went and told the people all the LORDS’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words” (NIV).
It is important to note that Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said and that he read what he wrote down before the Israelites. The splattering of the blood on the people and on the Book of the Covenant symbolizes their entry into a conditional covenant.
It is my understanding that at this juncture the Decalogue with the Decrees and Laws were written down by Moses and read to the Bible. Minimally, it contained the Decrees and the Laws.
G. God declares that he will give Moses the stone tablets with the law and commands.
Exodus 24 says this, “12 The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
Moses stays up on the mountain to receive further instructions regarding the Tabernacle. He comes down the mountain with the two stones tablets. Exodus 31 says this, “18 When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”
As one reads the sequence of events on Mount Sinai, Charles Heston in the Ten Commandments fails to depict the Biblical text. It’s a movie so there is some artistic liberty. Moses went up to the top of the mountain five times, if I am not mistaken. It is on the last trip that Moses bring down the Ten Commandments on the Stone Tablets.
Summary: The Book of the Covenant had the verbal commands and decrees written on it.
-Kingston