Exodus -- God's Wrath and Mercy

Exodus #9The Ten Commandments were not given in a vacuum; The commandments were given within a theological, liturgical, and moral context that form the key to a correct understanding of the law. The Ten Commandments are a covenant. A covenant has blessings and curses. This explains the "Thou shall not," reminiscent of the law (singular) God gave Adam and Eve: "You may not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day you shall eat of it, you shall surely die." What is the nature of this covenant? What does it mean to you and me? Is it still biding or is it a part of Scripture that fell in desuetude once the New Covenant was promulgated? We know the Ten Commandments are still binding but how should we read the preparation Moses and the Israelites went through to receive the ten commandments? What of the meal with the elders, what about the 40 days fast Moses endured? More importantly, why did God give Moses the 10 commandments right before the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle? How are these two events related? We shall endeavor to show that the Ten Commandments are best understood in a liturgical context the Lord instituted; a foreshadowing of Holy Thursday, the institution of the Eucharist, and the Mass.