Final answer:
The blessings of the Mosaic covenant promised prosperity in the promised land for adhering to the Ten Commandments, while the sanctions included severe consequences, such as leprosy and death, for disobedience to Yahweh's laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blessings and Sanctions in the Mosaic Covenant
The covenant with Moses includes both blessings and sanctions as part of the conditionality of the agreement between Yahweh and the Hebrews. According to the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Moses was pivotal in leading the Hebrews out of Egypt and into a new covenant with Yahweh.
The blessings of this covenant included the promise that if the Hebrews abided by the Ten Commandments and other laws given by Yahweh, they would prosper in the promised land of Canaan.
The sanctions of not following the covenant were also clear. The Old Testament describes instances where those who violated the commandments faced severe consequences.
For example, Acts of idolatry, such as the worshipping of a golden calf, led Moses to break the original stone tablets of the covenant in anger.
In another instance, NU 12:1-10, Miriam was made a leper because she spoke against Moses. Moreover, NU 15:32-36 recounts the story of a man stoned to death for breaking the Sabbath by gathering sticks for fire.
The covenant demanded an exclusive worship of Yahweh and adherence to his laws, which, if upheld, would grant the Hebrews kingship, prophecy among them, and a favored position among all creation as stated by Moses in the scriptures.
However, disobedience to the covenant's terms was met with divine punishment, reinforcing the importance of maintaining the covenant's stipulations for the welfare of the Hebrew people.