“Lesson 48: Exodus 19—‘A Peculiar Treasure unto Me,’” Old Testament Seminary Student Manual (2026)
Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34: Lesson 48
Exodus 19
“A Peculiar Treasure unto Me”
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and want a covenant relationship with each of us. Learning how Jesus Christ felt about the Israelites can help us understand how He feels about us. After leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, the Lord brought them to Mount Sinai to make covenants with Him. This lesson can help you feel God’s wish to have a covenant relationship with you.
Study the Scriptures
Think about someone meaningful in your life. It might be a family member, mentor, or friend. Ponder what makes your relationship with that person meaningful. Compare that relationship to the one you have with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Record in your notebook your answers to the following questions:
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What efforts have you already made to have a meaningful relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? How have those efforts affected your relationship with Them?
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In what ways do you think your life might change as you continually strengthen your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
During the lesson, seek guidance from the Spirit to understand how you can strengthen your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
After the children of Israel departed Egypt, the Lord led them to Mount Sinai (sometimes the scriptures refer to Mt. Sinai as Mt. Horeb; see Exodus 3:1), as He had promised (see Exodus 3:7–12; 19:1–4). For Moses and the children of Israel, Mount Sinai was like a temple: a place where they would make covenants with God.
Read Exodus 19:3–6. Mark words and phrases that teach about the kind of relationship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want to have with you.
This passage has an “if-then” statement. Mark the “if-then” statement in verses 5–6. Then create a note next to these verses with the following principle: If I obey the Lord and keep my covenants with Him, I become a part of His covenant people.
President Russell M. Nelson explained what it means to be God’s “peculiar treasure” (verse 5):
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is segullah, which means “valued property,” or “treasure.” …
Thus, we see that the scriptural term peculiar signifies “valued treasure,” “made” or “selected by God.” For us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order. (“Children of the Covenant,” Ensign, May 1995, 34)
Review the following study options. Complete one or more.
Option A
Why does God want a covenant relationship with me?
Read the following scripture passages. As you read, look for words or phrases that show that God wants a covenant relationship with you, and tag them as “covenant.” You might want to link these verses with Exodus 19:5–6.
President Russell M. Nelson taught about the covenant relationship we can have with God:
Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us. (“The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 6)
Record your thoughts on the following questions in your notebook:
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How does knowing that God wants a close covenant relationship with you affect your wish to come closer to Him?
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What words or phrases from the verses helped you see that God wants a relationship with you?
Send a message to or talk with the person you thought of at the beginning of the lesson. Share with them one of the verses you found, and explain what it means to you.
Option B
How does making and keeping covenants influence the way I live?
The Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai can symbolize leaving temporal things behind to make covenants with God. Being “a peculiar treasure” (Exodus 19:5) and “an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6) made the children of Israel different from the surrounding nations. As you make and keep covenants with God, you become different from other people.
Sister Becky Craven, formerly of the Young Women General Presidency, taught about the Lord’s expectation for us as His “peculiar treasure”:
As a covenant people, we are not meant to blend in with the rest of the world. We have been called “a peculiar people” [1 Peter 2:9]—what a compliment! As the influences of the world increasingly embrace the evil, we must strive with all diligence to stay firmly on the path that leads us safely to our Savior, widening the distance between our covenant living and worldly influences. (“Careful versus Casual,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 10)
With a family member or friend, discuss what else it can mean to be “peculiar.” Use the following questions to guide your discussion. If a discussion isn’t possible, record your thoughts in your notebook.
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How does keeping our covenants with God help us be different from other people?
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How can we be different from other people without isolating ourselves from them?
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What effect can a young person who keeps their covenants have on people around them?
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you feel God’s wish to have a covenant relationship with you.
Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:
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What you learned or felt from Exodus 19 that helps you want to make and keep covenants with God.
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How the idea of being “a peculiar treasure” affects your wish to make covenants with Heavenly Father.
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Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.
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Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?