What was Israel's responsibility regarding God's covenant?
Israel's responsibility was to obey God's voice and keep His covenant, as stated conditionally in Exodus 19:5. Their obedience was the condition set before them, and faith and obedience were virtually synonymous. Though under a sovereign God, Israel retained free will and was to prepare for the covenant's fulfillment.
Les explains that Exodus 19:5 contains the conditional word "if," showing that God left Israel with a free will even though they were under a sovereign God. Their responsibility was to obey His voice and keep His covenant. Les points out that faith and obedience become almost synonymous. The covenant was the one master covenant God made with Abraham, repeated to Isaac and Jacob: Israel would become a great nation, dwell in their own land, and one day God would be their king and government. Israel was to be aware of this covenant and be obedient in preparing for its fulfillment and to be used of God as originally intended. Les also notes God deals with the Jew on two levels: national and personal.
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
More Questions
Why did Israel need to obey God after receiving the covenant?
Israel's responsibility was to be aware of that covenant and to be obedient, both in preparing for its fulfillment and in being used by God according to the covenant's original intent.