In the most simplest of terms, a covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties, but in the Old Testament, the term covenant is most closely allied with the prophet Abraham and his covenant with God (i.e., Jehovah). Generally speaking, the covenant of the Israelites included God's blessings for honoring it and the consequences for ignoring it, and when the covenant was accepted by the Israelites, "God and Israel entered into a covenant relationship, a binding commitment to honor and fulfill their respective roles" as members of this special relationship with God ("Chapter 1," 2008, Internet).
             According to Julia Mitchell Corbett, writing in Religion in America, this special relationship with God was to be embodied in everything the Israelites did or thought and is very closely linked to the Ten Commandments as found in the story of Moses and the exodus of Israelite slaves from the clutches of Rameses II of ancient Egypt. Some of these commandments, much like the conditions laid out in a covenant, "deal with people's actions with respect to God," such as having "no other gods" (monotheism), keeping the Sabbath day holy and not taking God's name in vain." Other conditions are related to how the Israelites behave toward one another, such as not murdering, stealing nor lying and "not wanting what is not one's own" (i.e., coveting). However, it is also taken into account that most members of a covenant will fail to adhere to all or some of the conditions which creates sin. But if a member is truly sorry and is committed to doing better and wholeheartedly seeks God's forgiveness, then God will forgive these backsliders, thus making them once again solid members of the covenant (Corbett, 1991, 95).
             As previously mentioned, the covenant between the ancient Israelites and God is most closely associated with the prophet Abraham, known as the "...