A study of Exodus: Birth of a Nation

#15 The Preamble to Israel’s Constitution  Exodus 19

 

Introduction

The 19th chapter of Exodus serves as a preamble to the commandments given by God to Israel through Moses in the following chapter. It informs us as to the purpose of the commandments, as well as to the perspective we should have toward them. There are many opinions as to how the Christian of today should relate to these commandments. Some would suggest that the Law is really a curse, and not a source of blessing. Some would tell us that the Law has absolutely no relevance or application to the Christian, since we are “not under Law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

 

I suggest to you that our text in Exodus chapter 19 strongly implies that the commandments which are about to be given through Moses are to be taken seriously by every believer, in every age.

 

This chapter divides into three major sections. In verses 1‑6 we have the preface to the chapter, highlighted by the words of God to Israel, spoken to Moses in verses 4‑6. Verses 7‑15 constitute the second division, which pertains to the preparations required of the Israelites before God’s appearance to them on Mt. Sinai. The third section is made up of verses 16‑25, which describe the appearance of God in splendor and majesty on Mt. Sinai. All of this is to set the scene for the deliverance of the Ten Commandments in chapter 20.

 

I am convinced that we will not appreciate the significance of the commandments in chapter 20 apart from a careful consideration of the “preamble” which is recorded in chapter 19. Our application of the Law will directly flow from our attitude toward the Law, and the purpose of chapter 19 is to shape our attitude toward the laws which follow.

 

(19:1-25) DIVISION OVERVIEW— Law, The— Covenant, Mosaic: the Bible now begins to cover the law of God, the great Mosaic Covenant. The law of God lays the groundwork for all that follows in the Old Testament. For this reason, the law needs to be looked at as a whole before it is studied in detail. The following discussion gives an overall view of this most important subject: The Law of God, the Great Mosaic Covenant. However before beginning, note that the following overview covers the entire Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-24). The Mosaic Covenant is being split into three Divisions because of the importance of the Ten Commandments and the need to handle them in a separate division. The three Divisions are:

VI.     THE LAW AND THE PROMISES OF GOD (THE MOSAIC COVENANT) (PART 1): GOD’S GREAT CALL—THE CALL TO TOTAL COMMITMENT, 19:1-25

VII.    THE LAW AND THE PROMISES OF GOD (THE MOSAIC COVENANT) (PART 2): THE TEN COMMANDMENTS—NECESSARY LAWS TO GOVERN MAN AND SOCIETY, 20:1-26

VIII.  THE LAW AND THE PROMISES OF GOD (THE MOSAIC COVENANT) (PART 3): THE CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LAWS OF ISRAEL—HELPFUL PRINCIPLES TO GOVERN MAN AND SOCIETY, 21:1-24:18

 

     1.   The Mosaic covenant is sometimes called “the law,” “the law of God,” or “the law of Moses.” In addition, the covenant is sometimes divided into three different systems or types of laws:

Þ  The moral law: referring to the ten commandments.

Þ  The ceremonial law: referring to the commandments governing the religious and sacrificial system.

Þ  The civil law: referring to the laws governing the daily lives of people (the Israelites).

     2.   The covenant of the law spells out the duty of God’s people: obedience. God has always demanded only one thing of believers: obedience. Both Old and New Testament believers are given the same charge: obey God. Norman L. Geisler says this:

     “Duty follows deliverance. Complete redemption involved more than getting Israel out of Egypt. It also involved getting ‘Egypt’ (i.e., the world) out of them. Not unlike believers of today, the Israelites often lusted for the things of Egypt (Exodus 16:3) instead of fulfilling their duty. Their duty was to follow God’s law in order to receive God’s blessing.” ²

 

     3.   The covenant was conditional (Exodus 19:5-6). The Israelites had to obey God in order to receive the blessings and promises of the covenant. What was to be Israel’s response in the coming centuries? Failure. The rest of the Old Testament is primarily...

·    a record of Israel’s gross disobedience to God.

·    a record of the prophets’ denunciation of Israel’s sin.

·    a record of the warning of coming judgment upon all the disobedient of this earth, upon both the Jew and the Gentile.

·    a record of a people failing to become what God wanted them to become.

·    a record of a people failing to do what God wanted them to do.

     4.   Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us why God gave the law. There were at least nine purposes.

a.  The law was given to mark believers, to mark them as the true followers of God, as being God’s holy and treasured people.

      “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: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6).

      “He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:19-20).

      “My brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:3b-5).

 

b.  The law was given to mark believers as the priests, the true witnesses and servants of God upon earth.

      “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: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6).

      “But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves” (Isaiah 61:6).

 

c.  The law was given to show man that he is sinful, that he is far short of God’s glory, that he is not perfect.

      “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).

      “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7).

 

d.  The law was given to show man that he can never be justified by the law, never be perfected by the law, never keep the law perfectly. In fact, he comes ever so short of keeping the law, ever so short of perfection.

      “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

 

e.  The law was given to show man that he needs a Savior, a Savior who can deliver him from the curse and penalty of the law.

      “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:10-13).

      “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:4-6; cp. Galatians 1:4).

 

f.  The law was given to show man that he needs a mediator to approach God. God appointed Moses to be the mediator between Himself and Israel, but Moses was only a type of the promised Mediator and Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ...

·    who was to be raised up by God Himself

·    who was to be the very Prophet of God Himself

·    who was to be the Savior and Messiah of the world

·    who was to be the High Priest of God Himself

 

g.  The law was given to be a guide (a schoolmaster or guardian), a guide who would lead people to Christ.

      “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).

 

h.  The law was given to arouse people to seek both life and the promised land.

      “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:1-2).

      “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess” (Deut. 5:32-33).

 

i.   The law was given to show man how to live a peaceful and productive life upon earth, how to be at peace with God and man and to live a life that overflows with the blessings of God. Note the commandments, how each...

·    leads either to peace with God or peace with man

·    leads to a productive and fruitful life upon earth

Commandment 1: Never believe in false gods.

Commandment 2: Never make nor worship false gods.

Commandment 3: Never misuse God’s name; never use vulgarity.

Commandment 4: Keep the Sabbath day holy.

Commandment 5: Honor your father and mother.

Commandment 6: Never kill.

Commandment 7: Never commit adultery or immorality.

Commandment 8: Never steal.

Commandment 9: Never lie or speak falsely against anyone.

Commandment 10: Never covet anything that belongs to a neighbor—his house, wife, servant, workers, animals, or anything else.

     5.   Scripture tells us seven things that the law (the Mosaic covenant) cannot and does not do.

a.  The law does not replace nor void the great promises of God, the great promises of the Abrahamic covenant...

·    the promise of the promised land (heaven)

·    the promise of the promised seed, meaning both the promise of a great nation of believers and the promise of the Savior and Messiah of the world.

     Note how clearly this is stated by Scripture: the law does not replace nor void the great promises given to Abraham and his seed (believers of all generations):

      “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:13-16).

      “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14).

 

b.  The law could not be a permanent covenant; it was only a temporary covenant until Christ came.

      “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator” (Galatians 3:19).

      “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” (Galatians 3:22).

 

c.  The law cannot save a person because no person can keep the law.

      “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

      “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

 

d.  The law cannot make a person perfect.

      “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:19, cp. Hebrews 7:11-18).

 

e.  The law cannot justify a person from sin.

      “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39).

 

f.  The law cannot make us righteous, cannot impute righteousness to man.

      “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:20-22).

      “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

     

g.  The law cannot give life to man.

      “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Galatians 3:21).

 

     6.   The law is compared to several things throughout Scripture.

a.  The law is compared to a mirror because it reveals a person’s sins.

      “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:22-25).

 

b.  The law is compared to a yoke, to the bondage of a yoke, because a person cannot keep the law, not perfectly.

      “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).

      “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

 

c.  The law is compared to a school guardian because it leads us to Christ, leads us to see our great need for a Savior.

      “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 3:23-4:7).

 

d.  The law is compared to letters written on stones in contrast to the law of love written on our hearts by God’s Spirit.

      “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away” (2 Cor. 3:7).

 

e.  The law is compared to a shadow in contrast to the reality and fulfillment we have in Christ.

      “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect” (Hebrews 10:1).

      “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Col. 2:14-17).

 

     7.   The relationship of Jesus Christ to the law is of critical importance.

a.  Jesus Christ obeyed the law; He never transgressed the law, not even once. He was without sin.

      “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10

      “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

      “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).

      “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

 

b.  Jesus Christ declared that He came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it.

      “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).

 

     Christ said He was neither contradicting nor destroying the law nor standing against it. He was fulfilling and completing the law, embracing, keeping, and obeying the commandments with all His heart and life. There are several ways in which Jesus Christ fulfilled the law.

Þ  Before Christ, the law described how God wanted man to live. The law was the ideal, the words that told man what he was to do. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law; that is, God gave man more than just mere words to describe how He wants man to live. He gave man the Life, the Person who perfectly pictures and demonstrates the law before the world’s very eyes. Jesus Christ is the Picture, the Living Example, the Pattern, the Demonstration of life as it is to be lived. He is the Perfect Picture of God’s Will and Word, the Ideal Man, the Representative Man, the Pattern for all men.

Þ  Before Christ, the law was only words and rules. It could only inject the idea of behavior into the mind of a person. It had no spirit, no life, no power to enable a person to do the law. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law. He was Spirit and Life, so He was able to put spirit and life to the words and rules of the law. He was able to live the life described by the words and rules. As such, He was able to inject both the idea and the power to behave into a person’s mind and life. It is now His life that sets the standard and the rule for the believer; it is His Spirit and life that gives the believer power to obey.

Þ  Before Christ, the law stated only the rule and the principle of behavior. It did not explain the rule nor the spirit behind the rule. Neither did the law give the full meaning of the rule. The law always had to have an interpreter. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law. He explained the rule and the spirit behind the rule. He interpreted the law. He gave the law its real and full meaning.

Þ  Before Christ, the law demanded perfect righteousness; it demanded a perfect life. But man failed at certain points. Man just could not obey the law perfectly; he fell short of perfect righteousness. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law. He kept the law in every detail. He secured the perfect righteousness demanded by the law. He fulfilled all the requirements, all the types, and all the ceremonies of the law—perfectly. As such, He became the Perfect Man, the Ideal Man, the Representative Man for all men. As the Ideal Man, He simply embraced all men; He embodied the righteousness that man must now have.

 

Þ  Before Christ, the law demanded punishment for disobedience. If a man broke the law, he was to be punished. But Christ fulfilled and completed the law. In fact, He went to the farthest point possible in fulfilling the law. He paid the maximum price and showed the ultimate love. He bore the punishment of the law for every man’s disobedience; He took the punishment of the law upon Himself. As the Ideal Man, He not only embodies the righteousness that must cover all men, He also frees all men from the penalty of the law. And He makes them sons of God. (Cp. Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 3:13-14; Galatians 4:1-7.)

 

THE LAW AND THE PROMISES OF GOD (THE MOSAIC COVENANT) (PART 1): GOD’S GREAT CALL—THE CALL TO TOTAL COMMITMENT, 19:1-25

 (19:1-25) Introduction: picture the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai, over three million people camped at the foot of the mountain. Remember, it had been only three months since the miraculous deliverance from Egypt, only three months since God had delivered His people from four hundred years of Egyptian slavery. In the minds of the Israelites, the Promised Land was only a few more days away. Once they arrived, they could then get on with their lives.

     But in the words of Norman Geisler:

     “Duty follows deliverance. Complete redemption involved more than getting Israel out of Egypt. It also involved getting ‘Egypt’ (i.e., the world) out of them.” ⁴

 

     How was God going to get “Egypt” (the spirit of the world) out of His people? Two things were necessary. First, God had to give them His law. God had to...

·    describe how they were to live

·    tell them what to do and what not to do

·    spell out exactly how life was meant to be lived

     Second, God had to give them His very own presence—a special manifestation—to help them obey His commandments, to guide them as they journeyed throughout life to the promised land of God.

     Simply stated, God had to issue a call to His people, a call to enter a covenant with Him. That covenant was the law of God, the great commandments of God that are known as the Mosaic Covenant. F.B. Huey says this:

 

     “Chapters 19-24 of Exodus (along with Genesis 3) have frequently been called the most important chapters of the Old Testament. In these chapters is found the account of the covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai. The covenant was conditioned upon Israel’s obedience to laws which were given to the people at Sinai. The rest of the Old Testament contains the story of how Israel responded to the demands of this covenant relationship. Unfortunately, it is largely a story of disobedience, unheeded warnings of the prophets, and punishment. The history of Israel in Old Testament times has been called a ‘history of failure’—failure to be the people that God wanted them to be.” ⁵

 

     Believers must know this one fact: the call of God is demanding. God’s call is...

·    to a life of obedience

·    to a life of trust

·    to a life of self-denial

·    to a life of faith and assurance

·    to a life of commitment

     This is the great lesson of this passage of Scripture. It is the lesson of: The Law and the Promises of God (The Mosaic Covenant) (Part 1): God’s Great Call—A Call to Total Commitment, Exodus 19:1-25.

     1.  The setting and basis for the covenant (v.1-4).

     2.  The call to obedience (v.5-9).

     3.  The call to sanctification (v.10).

     4.  The call to reverence and to fear God’s holy presence (v.11-15).

     5.  The call to approach God only through His appointed mediator (v.16-25).

 

(19:1-4) Law, The— Covenant— Israel: there was the setting for the covenant. Note these facts about the setting.

     1.   The covenant was given in the third month after Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 19:1). It was given three months after the very day of their deliverance. This means that the covenant with God was made just seven weeks or about fifty days after God had delivered them from the world of Egyptian slavery to serve Him.

     2.   The place where Israel set up camp was at the base of Mount Sinai, the mountain that is called the mountain of God. The Israelites actually camped at Mt. Sinai for almost a year. All the events from this point on through Numbers 10:10 took place before Israel left Mt. Sinai and continued their march to the promised land (Numbers 10:11-13).

     3.   The persons involved in the covenant or agreement were threefold (Exodus 19:3).

Þ  There was the LORD. The LORD gave the covenant to His people through Moses, His appointed mediator.

Þ  There was Moses. Moses was God’s appointed spokesman, God’s appointed mediator between Himself and the people.

Þ  There were the people. The people were to hear the message of God and approach God through His appointed mediator, Moses, and they were to agree to the covenant.

     Note how God referred to the people: He called them “the house of Jacob,” reminding them of their low, humble beginnings, and then He called them the “children of Israel.” Why this sudden switch in titles? Remember Jacob’s all night wrestling experience with God? Jacob had wrestled in prayer with God all night, until finally, sometime in the early morning hours, he surrendered and made a permanent commitment to serve God with all his heart. It was at that time that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means he who strives and prevails with God. God was no doubt arousing His people to think of this great event in Jacob’s life. God was challenging His people to be the “children of Israel,” the nation of people who would surrender and commit themselves to serve God with all their hearts, the people who would truly strive and prevail with God.

     4.   The basis for the covenant was God’s great deliverance of His people. God had delivered His people from enslavement, gloriously saved and redeemed them from the evil world of the Egyptians. And God was now leading them to the promised land.

     Note the graphic picture describing God’s glorious deliverance: He had freed and led His people as though He had carried them on eagles’ wings. It is said that eagles do carry their young on their wings. This is explained by Scripture itself:

      “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him [Israel], and there was no strange god with him” (Deut. 32:11-12).

 

     The picture being painted is that of an eagle soaring upon the currents of the wind, bearing its young upon its wings, the picture of...

·    protection and security

·    speed and swiftness

·    provision and supply

·    care and affection

     God had done all this and so much more for His dear people, all since He had delivered them from their enslavement. He had saved them time and again...

·    by forcing the Egyptians to free them from their enslavement.

·    by miraculously leading them through the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army that was pursuing them.

·    by leading them with the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

·    by providing water for them out in the middle of the desert.

·    by supplying their need for food day by day through the manna and the quails.

·    by protecting them from the Amalekites who viciously attacked them, seeking to wipe them from the face of the earth.

     God’s people lacked nothing as they journeyed through the wilderness of the desert. The LORD was guiding and meeting all their needs day by day. It was as though they were being carried along on the wings of an eagle.

     The point is this: it had been fifty days since God had saved and redeemed Israel from the evil world of Egypt. For fifty long days God had been guiding and delivering His people through trial after trial. Now, it was time for God’s people to make a commitment to Him...

·    a life-long agreement

·    a life-long covenant

     This is, as stated above, the great subject of this portion of Scripture...

·    the great covenant which God wanted signed and sealed with His people.

·    the great covenant under which God wanted His people to live.

·    the great covenant that was to establish Israel as a nation ruled by God.

 

God’s Purpose for the Decalogue (19:1‑6)

Verses 4‑6 are the heart of the section, and some would go so far as to say they are the heart of the Old Testament revelation of God pertaining to His covenant with Israel. The first three verses set the stage for the pronouncement which God is about to make. Perhaps it is the third month “to the very day” (v. 1, cf. Exod. 12:41) that Israel is said to have arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. It may be that the Holy Spirit is reminding us by these words that Israel was right on schedule. They were precisely where God wanted them, when God wanted them there. It was here that the reunion of Moses’ family took place (Exodus 18:5). It was here that Israel would remain for 11 months (cf. Numbers 10:11).

 

Apparently it was not necessary for God to summon Moses. Verse three implies that Moses went up the mountain without any overt prompting from God. This may very well be due to the fact that it was here, on Mt. Horeb (which seems to by synonymous with Mt. Sinai) that Moses first encountered God (cf. Exodus 3 and 4). At the burning bush, God promised Moses that the nation would come to worship Him “at this mountain” (Exodus 3:12). Thus, Moses seemed to know that he was to ascend the mountain to speak with God.

 

From the mountain, God spoke some of the most significant words found in the Old Testament,[1] words which Moses was to proclaim to the Israelites (vss. 3, 6b): “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6a).

 

These words convey several important truths:

(1) Israel’s history is proof of God’s faithfulness to His covenant, for He distinguished the Israelites from the Egyptians, delivering them and making them the special object of His care. In verse 4 God reminds the Israelites of the contrast between their fate at God’s hand at the exodus and that of the Egyptians. God brought about Israel’s deliverance, while at the same time He destroyed the Egyptians.

 

God uses a beautiful image here, that of the eagle’s care for its offspring. In the Book of Deuteronomy Moses explains the image more fully: “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions” (Deuteronomy 32:11). While there were times when God seemed (to the Israelites) to have abandoned His people, in reality, God, like the mother eagle, was simply stirring up the nest, forcing the Israelites to “try their wings.” When Israel thought she was about to perish, God swooped beneath her, bearing her up. What a beautiful picture of the loving and compassionate care of God for His people. Israel’s past proved that God had dealt graciously with her, while at the same time He destroyed the Egyptians.

 

(2) Israel’s deliverance was for the purpose of being brought to God, so that the nation

could be His prized possession and to serve Him as a priestly nation. In the Abrahamic Covenant, God promised Abraham that Israel would become great as a nation, the special object of His blessing. The blessing of Israel was also meant to be a source of blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:2). While this would ultimately be fulfilled by the coming of Messiah, there was also a more immediate application. God purposed to bless the nations by establishing Israel, His Servant, as a mediatorial people, who would be a “light to the Gentiles,” sharing with the nations the way of entering into fellowship with God.

 

(3) In order to maintain this privileged status, Israel must keep God’s covenant (as defined by the Law). Israel’s calling was to a position of both privilege and of responsibility. To whom much is given, much is required. Thus, in order to enjoy fellowship with God and to serve Him as His representative to the nations, Israel must reflect His holiness and purity. Israel was thus given the commandments, so that Israel would be distinct from the nations and God‑like, so that they could fulfill their priestly calling.

 

 (19:5-9) Obedience— Believers, Nature of— Rewards: there was the call to obedience. In one word, God told His people what He expected of them: obedience. He had saved and delivered them; now He expected them to follow Him, to keep His covenant, to obey His commandments.

     Note that God referred to the covenant as “My covenant” (Exodus 19:5). The covenant was not to be a covenant between equals. God and man were not to sit down together and work out an agreement between themselves. The covenant of law about to be given to man was God’s covenant, the covenant of the LORD God Himself. The laws of the covenant came from the mind and heart of God—not man. They were the laws that God knew man needed, the laws that would bless man and bless the relationship between God and man. Note two significant facts.

     1.   The covenant of law was conditional (Exodus 19:5-6). The covenant was just like the covenant of a king (a lord, a master) that was being given to his subjects for their benefit. If they kept the covenant, they would be greatly blessed; if they broke the covenant, they would be condemned.

     2.   God made three great promises to His people if they obeyed His covenant, His laws.

a.  God’s people would be special “treasures” (sequallah) to Him. The Hebrew means select, choice, prized, precious, something held dear. The person who obeys God, who keeps God’s commandment, is....

·    God’s personal possession

·    God’s precious treasure

·    God’s choice property

     Note that God was not to be the property of Israel, but Israel was to be the property of God. Israel was to be obedient to God, available for God to lead and direct as He knew best.

     Note another fact as well: all the earth is the Lord’s (Exodus 19:5). That is, He is the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the entire universe: He could have chosen any people to be His holy and treasured people, His priests and witnesses upon earth. But He chose Israel. Scripture tells us why:

      “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut. 7:7-8).

 

     Simply stated, God chose and delivered Israel from the world of Egyptian slavery...

·    because Israel was the fewest in number of all people: God could thereby more clearly demonstrate His sovereignty, power, and grace.

·    because He loved Israel.

·    because He was faithful to His oath, His promise to give the promised land and the promised seed to the forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

b.  God’s people would be a “kingdom of priests” to Him (Exodus 19:6). The idea is that of both kings and priests. The person who obeys God becomes both a king and priest to God.

     The promise is clear: the obedient person is victorious over all the enemies of life as he marches to the promised land. The obedient person stands as a priest before God; therefore, when he needs help, he has open access, an open door into God’s presence. He cries to God for help and God helps him. Moreover, as a priest, the obedient person is God’s witness (His missionary) to the unbelievers of the world.

c.  God’s people would be a “holy nation” of people (Exodus 19:6). The word “holy” means to be sanctified, separate, different, pure, righteous within and without, totally consecrated to God and His mission upon earth.

 

Think for a moment about what has just been studied: concentrate upon the great promises just made by God. If we obey God and keep His commandments, we become...

·    the “personal possession” of God ·    the “precious treasure” of God ·    the “choice property” of God

·    a king to God ·    a priest to God ·    a holy— sanctified, pure, righteous, consecrated— people to God

 

     3.   The response to God’s call was positive, a resounding commitment to obey God (Exodus 19:7-9). Note what happened.

a.  Moses called the elders together and shared all that the LORD had commanded (Exodus 19:7).

b.  The people—with deep conviction and sincerity of heart—committed themselves to God’s covenant, to obey Him and keep His commandments (Exodus 19:8). Note: they did not yet know the terms of the covenant. The laws of God had not yet been spelled out. Nevertheless, the people had learned that God loved and cared for them; therefore, they knew that His commandments would be holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). They were in essence committing themselves to God personally, declaring that they would trust and follow Him. They would go wherever He led, do whatever He commanded.

     Now, how do we know that this was what happened, that their commitment was made out of deep conviction and sincerity of heart? Because Scripture says so:

c.  Note the great assurance given by the LORD to His dear servant Moses. The LORD promised to give him a special manifestation of God’s presence. Why? So that people would believe Moses, both people who lived then and people of all time (Exodus 19:9). What was the special manifestation? Right there on Mt. Sinai, every time God spoke to Moses, an astounding cosmic spectacle took place:

Þ  A dense, pitch black cloud hung over the mountain

Þ  Thunder roared

Þ  Lightning flashed

Þ  God’s voice pierced and boomed forth from the cloud

     Again, God’s purpose was to stir the people to believe Moses, to believe his testimony that the Ten Commandments and laws had come from God. They were truly the commandments of God.

      “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:11).

      “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

      “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

      “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

 

DEEPER STUDY (19:5-6) Mosaic Covenant— Abrahamic Covenant— Believer, Life and Walk: the Mosaic covenant is a continuation of God’s covenant with His people, a continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. Remember, in ancient history the whole world had forsaken God. Few if any people were totally following God  . Thus God had chosen one man and given him the great promises of God. That man was Abraham. God called Abraham to forsake the world, to believe God, and to seek the great promises of God. If Abraham forsook the world and believed God, diligently seeking God’s promises, then God would fulfill the promises in the lives of Abraham’s descendents. There were three great promises given to Abraham:

Þ  the promise of the promised land, the land of Canaan (a symbol of heaven).

Þ  the promise that Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth, meaning that the Savior and Messiah of the world would come through his descendents and bless the whole world.

Þ  the promise of the promised seed, meaning both a multitude of descendents who would become a great nation of people and the promised seed of the Messiah (cp. Galatians 3:16).

     That great nation of people was Israel. There at Mt. Sinai, God was ready to expand and enlarge His covenant given to Abraham.

Þ  God called Abraham to believe Him and to seek the great promises of God.

Þ  God called Israel to obey Him and to become two things: the holy people of God and His witnesses to the world.

     Simply stated, the Mosaic covenant was simply a continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. The following chart shows both the connection and the additional items of the Mosaic covenant.

 

The call/challenge   Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 3:12; Galatians 3:6-8; Galatians 3:16)	The promises   Þ  God’s people would inherit the promised land Þ  God’s people would be a blessing to the entire world, meaning that the Messiah and Savior of the world would come through his descendents and bless the whole world Þ  God’s people would bear the promised seed, both a great nation of people and the Savior and Messiah
The call/challenge   Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5-6)	The promises   Þ  God’s people would become the special people of God Þ  God’s people would become a holy nation, marked as the true followers of the only living and true God, a nation set apart to follow God in all righteousness and godliness Þ  God’s people would become a kingdom of priests, the witnesses of God to the world

 

     Note this significant fact: the Abrahamic covenant pictures salvation and the Mosaic covenant pictures the believers’ life and walk.

     1.   The Abrahamic covenant pictures salvation: if a person forsakes the world, believes God, and diligently seeks the promises of God...

·    he inherits the promised land

·    he blesses the world by possessing Christ, by following Christ, and by offering Christ to the world

·    he bears seed, a number of spiritual descendents who become believers

     2.   The Mosaic covenant pictures the believer’s life and walk: if a person obeys God...

·    he becomes a special person, a valuable treasure to the Lord, a person marked as a follower of the only living and true God

·    he becomes a holy person, a member of the holy nation of God

·    he becomes a king and a priest to God, a witness for God to the whole world

     Another significant fact needs to be noted at this point: Scripture refers to the Mosaic Covenant as the “old” or “first” covenant. The “old covenant” is often contrasted with the “new covenant” established by Christ. Ronald Youngblood says this about the two covenants:

     “Our Bible is divided into two Testaments: Old and New. The word for ‘testament’ can also be translated ‘covenant,’ a term that implies significant and intimate relationship between two parties (whether collective or individual). Many Scripture passages compare and contrast the ‘old’ or ‘first’ covenant with the ‘new covenant’ (see, for example, Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 9:15-22). Although the Bible (particularly the Old Testament) describes many covenants in detail, the terms old covenant and first covenant always refer to the one we are about to study, the Mosaic (Sinaitic) covenant (see especially 2 Cor. 3:14-15; Hebrews 9:15-20), the most important of the older covenants. The Old Testament, then, is basically the story of redemption ratified by the ‘old covenant’ (the Mosaic covenant), and the New Testament is basically the story of redemption ratified by the ‘new covenant’ (instituted by Jesus during the Last Supper; see Luke 22:20). Both covenants become effective only through the shedding of blood (Exodus 24:8; Matthew 26:28).” ⁶

 

(19:10) Sanctification— Consecration— Set Apart— Separation— Purity: there was the call to sanctification. The word “sanctification” means to be consecrated, totally given over to God; to be separated from the pollutions of the world and committed to God and His service; to be pure, clean, righteous, holy before God.

     Note how the people were to sanctify and consecrate themselves: they were to wash their clothes. While washing and cleaning their clothes, they were to be meditating upon sanctification, upon asking God to cleanse them from the sins and pollutions of this world.

     The point is this: God was preparing His people to receive His covenant, preparing His people to make a total commitment to Him. One of the first steps to commitment is sanctification or consecration. Before God could give His covenant to His people, before the people could be totally committed to God, they had to be sanctified, consecrated: cleansed from all sin, from all the pollutions and contaminations of this world.

 

(19:11-15) Holiness, of God— Reverence— Fear, of God— Awe— Sex— Sanctification: there was the call to reverence and to fear God’s holy presence. God is holy; that is, God is totally different, separated and set apart from everything else. He is set apart in person, being, purity, righteousness, and perfection from the universe and from all that is in the universe. God is totally different and set apart. He is the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is or has ever been or ever will be. God is Light—pure Light—before whom no person or thing could ever stand apart from His will, not without being consumed. Note how God called His people to reverence and to fear His holy presence.

     1.   God demanded that the people be ready to meet Him. Why? His holy presence was to descend down upon Mt. Sinai on the third day in the sight of all the people (Exodus 19:11).

     2.   God demanded that His holy presence be acknowledged and respected (Exodus 19:12-13). How?

Þ  Boundaries were to be set around the mountain, and the people were not to cross the boundaries (Exodus 19:12). The boundary pictured the great distance between God and man, the great gulf that separates God and man. Any person who crossed the boundary—any person who violated and did not reverence and fear God’s holy presence—was to be executed, put to death (Exodus 19:13).

     3.   God had demanded that the people sanctify and consecrate themselves. Note that they followed through with His demand: they washed their clothes, obviously asking God to cleanse their hearts while they washed their clothes (Exodus 19:14).

     4.   God demanded that the people focus totally upon Him. Note how He secured their full attention: they had to abstain from sexual relations during the three days of preparation for God’s descent from the mountain (Exodus 19:15).

 

God is holy. Consequently, one of the great duties of man is that we reverence and fear His holiness. Any person who curses and denies God is going to face a holy and just God some day. But in addition, any person who shows disrespect and irreverence—who does not fear God in all His majestic being and holiness—will also face a holy, just God in the day of judgment.

 

God is so high above man that we cannot even conceive the distance that separates us. Our understanding of God—even with the revelation of Scripture and of the Lord Jesus Christ—amounts to no more than a thimble full of water compared to the seas of the earth. Think about the universe—how vast and enormous—yet God’s presence and power extend out beyond the universe.

 

Man must reverence and fear God. If not, we can expect nothing but the terrifying wrath of the holy, just God. God is love, yes; Jesus Christ showed us that God is love. But the cross, where Jesus Christ bore the sins of the world because of God’s holiness and justice, shows us that God dwells in perfect holiness and perfect justice. If God’s holiness judged His very own Son for the sins of the world, then no person must ever think that God’s holiness will not judge him.

 

Preparations for the Appearance of God (19:7‑15)

Moses conveyed the words which God had spoken to him on the mountain to the people (v. 7).[2] Unanimously, the people responded, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” (v. 8) It is noteworthy that the Israelites agreed to do all that God commanded in principle, rather than in particular. That is, the Law has not yet been given. To this point, God has only indicated that the people must keep their covenant by obeying the laws which He is about to set down. This indicates to us the eagerness with which the Israelites anticipated the Law, as well as the implicit trust they had in the character of God, so that they could commit themselves to obedience without knowing what it is that they would obey.

 

Moses returned to the top of the mountain to convey the words of the people to God.[3] Before he was able to speak, however, God revealed to Moses that He would appear to Moses in a thick cloud. The purpose for this appearance is not what we would have expected: “Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe in you forever” (v. 9). God was going to speak with Moses as Israel watched and listened, so that his leadership would be evident to the people. In light of later (not to mention earlier) events, when Moses’ authority would be challenged, God purposes to clearly establish Moses’ position and authority publicly. His appearance to Moses will accomplish this purpose.

Verses 10‑15 outline the steps which the Israelites must take in order to purify and prepare themselves for the appearance of God on the third day. During the two day interval, a number of things were to be done:

 

(1) Boundaries were to be set, barring both man and beast from coming in contact with the mountain (vss. 12‑14). Any man or beast which touched the mountain was to die. Death was not to come from the hand of God, but from the hand of the Israelites (vss. 12‑13). Execution must occur in such a way that no one would touch the executed person (v. 13).

 

(2) The people were to consecrate themselves by washing their garments (vss. 10, 14).

 

(3) The people were to abstain from sexual intimacy prior to God’s visitation on Mt. Sinai (v. 15). There was, of course, nothing evil or defiling about normal marital sexual relations, but, as the Law would later spell out, there was a ceremonial uncleanness. Thus, until God’s visitation sexual abstinence was required.

 

What is it that makes violating the boundaries God has set such a serious matter? Why would God demand that anyone who touches the mountain be put to death? Usually we think of “capital punishment” as the penalty for a grievous sin, such as murder or adultery. Why would execution be required here, however? Is this not unduly severe? And why would God require the person to be killed by the Israelites? Why would he not be stricken dead by God?

 

The text does not provide us with the answers to these questions directly, but I would like to make several suggestions, which would help to explain the severity of this offense of overstepping the barriers which were set up at the base of the mountain.

(1) We must acknowledge that the offense of violating the boundaries is an offense of the highest order, and thus worthy of the same punishment as a murderer would receive. The severity of the penalty is our clue to the seriousness of the violation. The violation here is one that must be most serious, if not in our eyes, it is at least so to God.

 

(2) The sin which is punishable by death appears to be that of irreverence. The barriers which were constructed at the foot of the mountain made it impossible for one to inadvertently wander onto the mountain. The reason stated for pressing past these barriers is that of gazing (v. 21)—we would say “gawking.” In other words, it was curiosity which would have motivated people to draw too close to the mountain.

 

To press past the barriers which were constructed to satisfy one’s curiosity would be to demonstrate an attitude of irreverence. It is this irreverence which God finds such a serious sin. If you are not inclined to agree with me as to the seriousness of irreverence, let me remind you that it was irreverence which resulted in Uzzah being struck dead, even though his intentions (to keep the ark from falling from the ox cart) were well‑meaning (2 Samuel 6:6-7). It was also Moses’ irreverence (in the striking of the rock) which kept him from entering into the promised land (Numbers 20:12).

 

But why was it irreverent to touch the mountain? The answer to this question is clearly given in our text. The mountain was to be constituted a “holy mountain” due to the fact that God would manifest Himself to Moses and to the Israelites there. Thus, just as the ground around the burning bush was holy (Exod. 3:5), so the mountain was holy as well. This is the reason why the mountain was to be “consecrated” by placing boundaries around it (v. 23).

 

If irreverence is such a serious sin, it is surely one about which we should be most sensitive. And yet, I find few (including myself) who are conscious of this evil, let alone sensitive to it in their own personal relationship with God, or in their worship.

 

(3) Irreverence is the byproduct of an inadequate sense of the holiness of God. The Israelites did not, as yet, have an adequate grasp of the holiness of God. The manifestation of God on Mt. Sinai was a spectacular demonstration of God’s power and majesty. His coming necessitated preparatory consecration, and it also motivated continual consecration, as men could see themselves in the light of His glory and grace. The purpose of this passage is intended, I believe, to serve as an antidote to irreverence. Let us therefore consider the final section of the chapter, which highlights the majesty and holiness of God.

 

(19:16-25) Mediator— Gulf, Between God and Man— Nature: there was the call to approach God only through His appointed mediator. The memorable day now happened; the appointed day for the glory of God’s presence to descend upon the mountain now arrived.

     1.   The glory of God’s presence descended upon Mt. Sinai. The people trembled before God: they stood in awe, reverence, and fear, astounded at the spectacle they were witnessing (Exodus 19:16). It all happened in the morning, probably early morning. Apparently, the most spectacular storm imaginable was taking place upon the mountain. The storm was filled with the loudest roar and rumble of thunder imaginable and the brightest flashes of lightning ever seen. Most of the people had probably been awakened by the rumble of thunder and the bright flashes of lightning. Scripture describes the scene best: in the morning there was...

·    thunder and lightning	·    the loud blast of a trumpet
·    a thick cloud upon the mountain	·    all the people trembling

     The storm was so ferocious that no person dared approach the mountain. Everyone was stricken with a deep sense of awe: a cosmic event was taking place; a spectacular stormy cloud was descending upon the mountain. Standing there witnessing what Moses had been telling them—that God was going to descend upon the mountain in three days—everyone was stricken not only with awe and reverence, but with a dreadful sense of fear.

     2.   This points to the need for a mediator between God and man. A mediator was an absolute essential (Exodus 19:17). The Israelites would not approach the mountain, not without Moses, not with sharp lightning flashing every second and thunder roaring so loudly that the earth itself shook under its rumblings. People who live in areas where thunderstorms are a common happening know how dangerous such storms are. Just imagine the most spectacular thunderstorm ever to occur upon earth: it took place when the glory of God’s holy presence descended upon Mt. Sinai.

     The point is this: there was a great gulf between God’s holy presence and man. The laser-like brightness of God’s holiness would have consumed any person who dared to approach God. God was clearly demonstrating the truth of His holiness and the utter necessity for man to approach Him through a mediator. The only way any Israelite could approach God was through His appointed mediator, Moses. A mediator between God and man is an absolute essential.

     3.   Note that six reasons are given why man must approach God through His appointed mediator (Exodus 19:18-25).

a.  A mediator is necessary because of God’s holy presence (Exodus 19:18). Note that a volcanic eruption and an earthquake are being described. Both heaven and earth were involved in the spectacular display of God’s holy presence descending upon Mt. Sinai. Again, picture the scene as the people drew near and stood at the foot of the mountain. There was the most violent storm ever seen raging around the mountain:

Þ  the deep roar and rumbling of constant thunder (Exodus 19:16).

Þ  the brightest, sharpest, and most spectacular flashes of lightning, no doubt flashing every second or two in a continuous display of light (Exodus 19:16).

Þ  a dense, pitch black cloud hung over the mountain (Exodus 19:16). Fire and smoke blazed up out of the mountain as though blazing out of a huge fiery furnace (Exodus 19:18).

Þ  the whole mountain was shaking and trembling violently (Exodus 19:18).

Þ  the continuous blast of the trumpet was growing louder and louder (Exodus 19:19).

     The people were just as we would be if faced with the most violent thunderstorms, life-threatening earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions: they were trembling and stricken with a terrifying fear. But the experience was teaching them a valuable lesson: God is holy and righteous as well as good and loving.

Þ  God expects His law, His commandments, to be kept.

Þ  God has the power to judge and punish men if man does not obey Him and keep His commandments.

Þ  God can never be approached unless God allows man to approach Him.

b.  A mediator is necessary because God speaks only through His appointed mediator (Exodus 19:20). Note that Moses alone was called by God to come up the mountain.

c.  A mediator is necessary because the holy presence of God must be reverenced (Exodus 19:21). When the people saw Moses walk up the mountain into the raging storm, some of them apparently became so exited over the possibility of experiencing the glory of God that they were about to rush up the mountain behind Moses. Note what would have happened: they would have been stricken dead. God’s presence and holiness are to be reverenced and respected. The only person who can enter God’s presence—the mediator—is the person appointed by Him.

d.  A mediator is necessary because even the priests were unclean and worthy of judgment (Exodus 19:22). Unless they were sanctified or consecrated, they too would be stricken dead. No person, not even priests, must ever approach God by any means other than through the mediator God has appointed.

e.  A mediator is necessary because the very earth itself was unclean (Exodus 19:23). Note that the mountain itself had to be set apart as holy unto God. A boundary had to be set around the mountain and the land given over totally to God. No person was to cross the boundary, no person except God’s appointed mediator.

f.  A mediator is necessary because everyone must approach God through His appointed mediator (Exodus 19:24). Note that God told Moses to bring Aaron up the mountain with him. Why? God was soon to set Aaron and his tribe apart as the priests of Israel. Calling him up to the mountain with Moses would set him apart in the eyes of the people. Note that anyone other than God’s appointed mediator would be killed if they violated God’s holy presence.

 

God calls every person to approach Him through His appointed mediator. For Israel, that mediator was Moses. For us, the mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself. Since the coming of the promised seed—the Savior and Messiah of the world, the Son of God Himself—no person can approach God except through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The Manifestation of God on the Mountain (19:16‑25)

Some view chapter 19 something like a wedding ceremony. First, there is the engagement, the announcement of the purpose of a man and woman to be married and to enter into a new and wonderful relationship. Then, before the wedding ceremony, there is a period both of preparation (making plans, perhaps making the wedding dress, showers, etc.) and of anticipation. Traditionally, the groom does not see the bride before the ceremony, heightening the sense of expectation. Then, there is the ceremony, a time of beauty and joyous celebration.

 

The first section (vss. 1‑6) contains God’s announcement: His purpose to have a unique relationship with Israel, set apart from every other nation. The second section (vss. 7‑15) describes the preparations which were required for the appearance of God to come. And now, in this final section, we are overwhelmed with the splendor and the majesty of God as He manifests Himself to Israel on the mountain. Here is the grand finale, the manifestation of God in all of His majesty, purity, and power.

 

The sights and sounds are impossible to fully comprehend, and not easily brought to our conscious minds as we read the chapter. But let us use our imaginations for a moment and try to recreate in our minds what it must have been like to have been standing at the base of that mountain as God descended upon it.

 

On the morning of the third day, you are already tingling with the sense of expectation your two days of preparations have produced. While still in your tent, thunder and lightning commence (v. 16). A thick cloud encompasses the mountain. Then, the piercing blast of a trumpet fills the air. Along with all the other Israelites, you begin to tremble, with excitement, but mainly with fear.

 

At the command of Moses, you gather with the whole congregation of the Israelites at the base of the mountain (v. 17). As you look on, the Lord descends upon the mountain in fire, with smoke billowing from the mountain (v. 18). Suddenly, the whole mountain quakes violently. The trumpet begins to sound again, each time getting louder and louder (v. 19). Moses speaks and God responds with thunder. It would seem that all of the forces of nature have been summoned to salute their Creator, as He manifests Himself to His people on Mt. Sinai.[4] If the sight of the burning bush was awesome to Moses, what impact must this scene have had on the Israelites? Other portions of Scripture[5] signal the fact that this made a great impression on the people of God.

 

Moses alone was summoned to the top of the mountain to meet God (v. 20). He was told to go back down to the people and to warn them not to draw too near to the mountain to gaze at the spectacular scene which was taking place (v. 21). The priests,[6] too, were to consecrate themselves, lest they be smitten of God (v. 22). When Moses descended this time, he was to return with Aaron (v. 24). Their leadership was thereby confirmed.

 

Let me suggest some of the specific ways which the Law applied to the individual saint:

(1) The Law was seen as a source of personal edification, through which God spoke personally to the individual saint: Restoring his soul (19:7); Making the simple wise (19:7); Rejoicing his heart (19:8); Enlightening his eyes (19:8); Providing guidance (119:105); Reviving him (119:154); Convicting him of sin (119:80, 126, 133; Ps. 19:11‑14).

 

(2) The Law was a revelation of God’s character (Ps. 119:138, 156).

 

(3) The Law was a promise of future salvation (Ps. 119:166, 174). The psalmists never view the Law as the standard they must keep in order to be saved. In fact, they viewed salvation as something which the Law anticipated, but did not produce itself. Thus, the psalms look forward to a future salvation, one which the Law itself will not bring about.

 

(4) The Law was a consolation to the sufferer, but it was not viewed as a means by which one could earn blessings or avoid adversity (cf. Ps. 119:67, 71, 75). Rather than seeing the Law as the means to keep him from suffering, the psalmist saw suffering as God’s means of bringing him to the Law.

 

(5) From the Law the psalmist learned that he could neither understand nor apply this revelation, apart from God’s grace (Ps. 119:68, 73, 124‑125, 144, 169). The psalmist understood that the Law required God’s grace to understand and to apply.

 

(6) The Law was simple, yet profound. It would not be grasped quickly and easily, but only through study, prayer, and meditation (Ps. 119:114, 123, 147).

 

New Testament Perspectives of the Law

There is great continuity between the New Testament and the Old in terms of their perspectives of the Law. We will focus our attention on two dimensions of the New Testament perspective of the Law: that of our Lord, and that of the apostles (primarily Paul).

 

Our Lord and the Law. Some think that our Lord disdained and disregarded the Law, based upon a misunderstanding of two events. When our Lord was confronted with the self‑righteously indignant scribes and Pharisees, who demanded that Jesus stone the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:2‑11), Jesus refused to do so. This is taken by some to mean that He refused to comply with the Old Testament Law. Note, however, that Jesus did not forbid them from stoning her, only that those who were without sin should do so (thus exposing their hypocrisy). But our Lord was without sin, why then did He not stone her? The reason is not that Jesus came to set aside the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). This He would do by living up to all of its demands, which proved Him to be sinless and also qualified Him to die for the sins of men, thus bearing the penalty which the Law pronounces on all men. This woman who was guilty of adultery would not be stoned by our Lord because He had come to die in her place. The requirement of the Law for her sin (and that of all men) would soon be met on the cross of Calvary.

 

The second source of misunderstanding is the misconception of our Lord’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. The frequent expression, “You have heard … but I say” is not our Lord’s overturning of the Law. He did not mean, “The Law formerly taught … but I now teach.” Instead, He is correcting the wrong interpretation of the Law, as believed and proclaimed by the scribes and Pharisees. “You have heard” therefore refers to the pharisaic interpretation of the Law. “But I say” indicates our Lord’s interpretation of the Law, indeed, that interpretation which God had always intended men to understand.

 

When you compare the Lord’s interpretation of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount with that of the

Old Testament prophets, you find them to be virtually identical. Both the prophets of old and the Lord focused upon the essence of the Law, both in motivation and application, while the legalistic scribes and Pharisees “majored on the minors,” the details of the Law.

 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self‑indulgence” (Matthew 23:23‑25).

One need only compare these words with Micah 6:6‑8, and then to note how Jesus reiterated the words of Hosea 6:6 (Matthew 9:13; 12:7) to see that there was no discrepancy between His interpretation of the Law and that of the Old Testament prophets.

 

Most importantly, however, our Lord’s coming to earth and His sacrificial death on Calvary was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise of a new covenant. Thus, our Lord instituted the “Lord’s table” as a commemoration of the “new covenant” which was accomplished through His shed blood: “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood’” (Luke 22:20; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:25). Our Lord did not disdain the Law, but He affirmed it, affirming its demands, fulfilling them completely, and then dying on behalf of all those who could not meet its requirements. If the Law were evil our Lord would not have complied with it, taught it, and died in accordance with its demands.

 

The apostles’ attitude toward the Law. No apostle is more outspoken about the Law than Paul. Because of his negative statements about the Law, we often fail to overlook his favorable comments. It is Paul who spoke of the glory with which the Law was first given: “But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?” (2 Corinthians 3:7‑8).

 

Paul also defended the Law as that which was “Holy,” “righteous,” “good,” and “spiritual” (Romans 7:12, 14). At the first reading of 1 Timothy chapter 1, one might conclude that the Law was good, but only with regard to those who are evil (cf. 1 Timothy 1:8‑10). A more careful reading informs us that Paul not only included himself as one of those “evil” people who needed the Law in the past (v. 13), but that he still considered himself as “chief of sinners” (v. 15). Thus, Paul saw the Law as applicable to himself, even as a saint.

 

What, then, are we to say of those texts which seem to condemn the Law as something which is evil (at worst) and worthless (at best)? First, we must see that Paul speaks demeaningly of the Law (the old covenant) only in contrast[7] to the new covenant which was implemented by the death of our Lord. Thus, in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 Paul contrasts the glory attending the giving of the Law with the greater glory associated with the ministry of the Spirit. This is not a contrast between what is evil and what is good, but rather between what was good and that which is far better. The Law is therefore viewed by the apostles as that which was prophetic—it foreshadowed the better things to come (Colossians 2:16‑17; Hebrews 10:1), and that which was provisional and preparatory (Galatians 3 and 4).

 

When Paul speaks absolutely disparagingly of “the Law” it is not of the Law as given by God and properly interpreted and applied, but the Law as interpreted and applied by the Judaizers, who sought to pervert the Law into a system of works‑oriented righteousness. It is vitally important to approach each passage which deals with the Law in the light of its context. In Romans chapter 7, for example, the context is living the Christian life. Paul is showing that the flesh is incapable of resisting the power of sin and thus of producing righteousness. The problem is not the Law, for it is “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12).

 

The problem is the flesh, which is weak (vss. 18‑24). The solution to the problem is not to do away with the requirements of the Law, but to fulfill the Law by walking in the Spirit. Those who walk in the Spirit fulfill the requirement of the Law (Romans 8:4).

 

In the Book of Galatians, Paul is fighting the false doctrine of the Judaizers, who insist that men are saved by submitting themselves to the Mosaic covenant, as signified by circumcision. This is nothing less than heresy, and must be adamantly rejected. The “Law” to which Paul refers in Galatians is thus the “Law” as interpreted and applied by the legalizers. Thus, Paul can write, “And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by Law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:3‑4). In this context “Law” refers to the legalistic doctrine of the Judaizers.

 

In order to refute the false teaching of the Judaizers concerning the Law, Paul finds it necessary to teach the proper perspective of the Law. When Paul interprets the Old Testament Law, he does so in a way that is completely consistent with the Old Testament prophets and our Lord. The Law, writes Paul, was provisional and preparatory, and was superseded by the new covenant. The Law (as given by God) was not bad, it was good—but the new covenant is far better. With this conclusion the writer to the Hebrews agrees (Hebrews 8:1‑13; 10:1‑18). The verdict of Christ and of the apostles is unanimous, and consistent with the viewpoint of Moses and the prophets.

 

Conclusion

We can say with conviction that the giving of the Law as described in the Book of Exodus was a glorious occasion. The Law was a gracious provision of God for the nation Israel, albeit a temporary one. The new covenant would be far better, but the old covenant was a necessary prerequisite and preparation. What, then, are the practical outworkings of our text? These can best be seen in the light of the differences between the old covenant and the new.

 

The old covenant was introduced in a blaze of glory. All Israel beheld the manifestation of the glory and power of God as He descended upon the mountain. There was an immediate sense of the holiness of God which gripped the entire congregation of Israel. It was not so difficult for the Israelites to appreciate the distance which God kept between Himself and the people. Indeed, the people urged Moses to intercede and to mediate between them and God, fearing to be near Him (cf. Exodus 20:18‑20; Deuteronomy 5:22‑27). Whether due to the boundaries established at God’s orders, or to the fear of the Israelites of God, the people kept their distance.

 

The new covenant was introduced quite differently. The old covenant was commenced with a public appearance of God to Israel, displaying to all His majesty and might. A select few enjoyed intimate contact with God (namely Moses, Aaron, and the elders, cf. Exodus 24:9‑18). The new covenant was introduced by the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel. His coming was quite the opposite. He came as the child of poor parents, who could not even find suitable housing, so that the child was born in a cattle trough. His glory was manifested to a very few. At His birth and in His early life, a few humble people were given a glimpse of His majesty and power. Later, at His baptism and transfiguration, only a select few were privileged to witness His glory. Rather than the barriers which kept men away from God, on threat of death, the multitudes pressed upon on the Lord and touched Him.

 

Thus, in the first covenant God’s majesty and might were manifested to all, but a select few could draw near. In the new covenant, all who wished could draw near, but only a few beheld His majesty. The first manifestation of God on Mount Sinai portrayed the marvelous truth of the holiness of God, and the separation which that demands. The second manifestation of our Lord (on Mount Calvary) revealed the marvelous grace of God, by which He drew near to men and by which we may draw near to Him. How careful we must be to keep both the holiness and the grace of God in perspective.

 

There are some that stress the grace of God to the point of diminishing the truth of His holiness, and of our need for purity. There are others (not many) who so emphasize the holiness of God that men despair of ever having intimate fellowship with Him. The coming of our Lord makes it possible for men to have intimate fellowship with the same God who was manifested on Mt. Sinai.

 

The message of the gospel is evident in what we see here. The barriers which were, of necessity, constructed to keep men from God at the giving of the old covenant have all been taken away by the institution of the new covenant. The veil which kept men from the presence of God has been severed. The barrier of our sins has been torn down. This is because the holiness which the Law requires has been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ, just as the penalty of death which the Law pronounces on every sinner has been born by the same Savior, on the cross of Calvary.

 

Let all those who would point to the gentle Jesus, who refused to cast the first stone at the woman caught in adultery, comforted by His refusal to condemn her, be reminded that He is the same God who was so holy that men dreaded even to approach Him, let alone offend Him on Mt. Sinai. Let them also be warned that this same Lord will, one final time, manifest Himself to men on a mountain, in the same splendor and awesome power that God appeared on Mt. Sinai:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! (Zechariah 14:4‑5).

 

In that day, those who have trusted in God will rejoice in the presence of God, but His enemies will flee. The God who has drawn near in Jesus Christ will return in splendor and glory, to reward the righteous and to render judgment on the wicked. Let us rejoice in the holiness and in the grace of God. Let us look forward to His appearance because we belong to Him. And let us, like Israel, prepare for His appearance by the purification which He requires, and which His Spirit accomplishes.

 

A final word on the application of the Law to the lives of Christians today. Surely we can see that the standard of the Law is still valid, as indicated in Romans 8:4. Also, we should be cautioned about trying to apply those aspects of the Law which have been done away with by the new covenant. We should not attempt to apply the Law to our nation and our government (as a covenant and a constitution) in the way Israel was commanded to do. Nevertheless, we are now the kingdom of priests, having been given that holy task which Israel was given and failed to fulfill. We should therefore understand that the standards for God’s kingdom of priests would be the same. The means of reaching this standard is not that of human effort at Law‑keeping. It never was, and it never will be. We can never fully meet this standard, but in Christ it has been met. We can never achieve it in this life, but since Christ lives in us, we can expect evidences of righteousness because He is at work in us to will and to do His good pleasure.

 

The personal application of the Law, as seen in Psalms 19 and 119 is still valid and necessary for the Christian today. We should therefore come to a love of God’s Law and a delight in it that approaches that of the saints of old. Let us learn to love God’s Law and to see its beauty, because it is holy, righteous, and good, and because it has been fulfilled in Christ.