Covenant Love, Lesson 4.5

Covenant Love: Introducing the Biblical Worldview

Lesson Four: The First-Born Son of God

Lesson Objectives

  1. To read the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with understanding.
  2. To understand God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai and to see how this covenant looks forward to and is fulfilled in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.
  3. To appreciate the key figures and events - Moses, the Passover, and the vocation of Israel as “a kingdom of priests” - as they are interpreted in the Church’s tradition.

V. Study Questions

1. What are some of the parallels between the life of Moses and the life of Christ.

2. What covenant is God being "mindful" of in delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt?

3. How is God portrayed in Exodus as a loving Father of His first-born son, Israel?

4. Why is the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus called "the Lord's Passover"? Why is Lord's Passover like the Passover of Israel in Exodus?

For prayer and reflection:

Read Our Lord's discourse on the Bread of Life (see John 6:27-59) and then reread the Exodus story of the manna (see Exodus 16:1-5; 9-15). Ask in your prayer to understand more fully the meaning of our Lord's words: "Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this Bread will live forever."

Begin Lesson 5

Lesson Outline

  1. Review and Overview
    1. One Down, 72 to Go!
    2. The Story So Far
  2. Out of Egypt, My Son
    1. Moses and Jesus
    2. God's First-Born Son
    3. Plaguing Pharaoh
    4. The Passover and 'Our Paschal Lamb'
  3. The Making of the Old Covenant
    1. Images of the New Exodus
    2. Testing in the Wilderness
    3. "A Kingdom of Priests, a Holy Nation"
    4. The Golden Calf Affair
  4. After the Golden Calf
    1. Reading Leviticus
    2. Numbering the Second Generation
    3. A "Second" Law
  5. Study Questions

Other Lessons

  • Lesson One: The Master Key that Unlocks the Bible
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To learn the "big-picture" overview of the Bible - the story that the Bible tells.
    2. To understand the concept of "covenant" and its importance for reading and interpreting the Bible.
    3. To learn in general detail the six major covenants in the Bible.

    Begin Lesson One

  • Lesson Two: From Sabbath to Flood
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read Genesis 1-12 with understanding.
    2. To learn the meaning of the first two covenants of salvation history - the Sabbath, and the covenant made with Noah.
    3. To begin to understand the "patterns" of biblical history.

    Begin Lesson Two

  • Lesson Three: Our Father, Abraham
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read Genesis 12-50 with understanding.
    2. To understand God’s covenant with Abraham and to see how that covenant is fulfilled in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.
    3. To appreciate key figures and elements in the Abraham story - Melchizedek, circumcision, the sacrifice of Isaac - as they are interpreted in the Church’s tradition.

    Begin Lesson Three

  • Lesson Five: A Throne For All Generations
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To finish reading the Old Testament (from Joshua to Malachi) and to read with understanding.
    2. To understand the broad outlines of the history of Israel in light of God’s covenant with Abraham.
    3. To appreciate the crucial importance of God’s everlasting covenant with David.

    Begin Lesson Five

  • Lesson Six: The New and Everlasting Covenant
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read the New Testament with understanding.
    2. To understand how the New Testament depicts Jesus as the fulfillment of the covenants of the Old Testament.
    3. To appreciate, especially, the importance of God’s everlasting covenant with David for understanding the mission of Jesus and the Church as it is presented in the New Testament.

    Begin Lesson Six