Read Exodus 19:1-20:21.

Introduction⤒🔗

Before committing yourself to marry someone, it is wise to first spend some time getting to know that person. As an old piece of advice puts it, “Date a man for four seasons before committing yourself to marrying him.”

When contemplating a potential marriage partner, a Christian woman should be concerned to seek the answers to such questions as, Is he a Christian? What are his interests? What are his goals in life? Would he like to have a family? Can you trust him to be faithful to you and provide for you? What is he looking for in a wife? It’s important, as much as possible, to know that man before you marry him. And, of course, the same goes for a man before he proposes marriage to a woman.

In the same way, if you are to have a true covenant relationship with God, it is necessary for you to really know Him, to appreciate both His lovingkindness as well as His awesome sacredness. Because He desires to be your God and receive you as one of His people, the LORD reveals to Israel, and to us, the fullness of His identity.

To Have a True Relationship with the LORD, You Must Appreciate His Love for You←⤒🔗

The LORD has brought Israel out of Egypt and down into the wilderness of Sinai, removed from the main stream of life, out to a desolate region, so that He might make His “proposal of marriage.” It is here that He invites Israel to enter into covenant with Him.

When a young man proposes marriage to the girl he loves, he arranges for them to be alone in a quiet place apart from the distractions of the everyday world. He may choose a quiet little restaurant, or a deserted stretch of beach, or a scenic hilltop. The LORD chose the wilderness of Sinai.

In the days of the prophet Hosea, at a future time when Israel had forsaken Him, the LORD recalls the time when He "wooed" Israel at the base of Mt. Sinai, “Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her... ¹⁵There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the days when she came up out of Egypt” (Hos. 2:14-15).

The Lord Jesus Christ desires to call you away from the mainstream of life, with its frantic pace of work and recreation, to a quiet, solitary state of heart where He can gain your undivided attention and propose to you, (or, renew with you), His covenant. Sometimes the most effective way of gaining the attention of your heart is to bring you into “a wilderness experience” rather than “a vacation get­away.”

Here in the isolated place of the wilderness of Sinai, the LORD reminds Israel of what He has done for them (vs. 4). He declares, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,” referring to the devastating plagues and the collapsing of the Red Sea upon the pursuing Egyptian army. Here was the exertion of Christ’s almighty power to redeem His people from the tyranny of Egypt and its gods. The greatest exertion of Christ’s almighty power to redeem us was accomplished at Calvary. There the Lord Jesus withstood the full force of temptation and endured the full weight of the awesome justice of God to redeem us from the tyranny of the devil and reconcile us to God His Father.

The LORD continues, “[You have seen] how I carried you on eagles’ wings.” Here is a picture of the LORD’s tender compassion: the eagle watches over its young by flying under them when it leads them from the nest, so that they will not fall upon the rocks below.¹ At a later date, when Israel is encamped at the border of Canaan and is about to enter that Promised Land, Moses reminds them of the tender mercies of the LORD their God: ”There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. ²⁷The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:26-27a).

Finally, the LORD concludes, “[I] brought you to myself.” These are wonderful words. The LORD’s whole purpose was to receive them and have them as His own treasured possession. In Ephesians 1:11-14, the Apostle Paul expands upon this divine purpose of salvation,

¹¹...we were allotted to him, (having been predestined in accordance with the purpose of him who causes all things to work for the sake of his own plan), ¹²in order that we, who previously hoped in Christ, should be for the praise of his glory. ¹³You also [were allotted] to him—having heard the word of truth, that is, the gospel by which you are saved, and having believed in it, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. ¹⁴He is a 'deposit' guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of [God’s] possession, to the praise of his glory.

Believing Jews and believing Gentiles together have been “allotted” to God, to be His own possession, and at present have been “sealed,” or, reserved, by the Holy Spirit, until the Lord comes to claim us as His own and take us into the fullness of His divine fellowship.

The LORD not only reminds Israel of what He has done for them, but also reveals the plan He has for them (Ex. 19:6). He begins by declaring, “You will be for me a kingdom of priests.” His divine purpose is not only that they be His subjects over whom He exercises His benevolent reign and bestows His divine protection; but also that they be His own personal servants (priests) who have the privilege of ministering to the Almighty, offering to Him the sacrifices of worship, praise, and devotion.

Furthermore, the LORD’s intention is that His people be “a holy nation.” That is to say, a people who are sacred: set apart for God and set apart to be like God Himself, in truth and purity and righteousness The Apostle Peter states it in these terms when writing to New Testament believers,

⁹...you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people [appointed to be God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ^10aFormerly you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10a

This is God’s great purpose in redemption, namely, to have His people become the perfect reflection of His divine character and the object of His divine love throughout the endless ages of eternity.

The LORD has brought Israel out into the wilderness, apart from the bustling world, to propose His covenant to them, and in order to encourage their acceptance, He reminds them of what He has done for them and reveals to them the good plan He has for them.

To have a true relationship with the LORD, you must appreciate His love for you.

Remember what He has done for you:

⁹...you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Cor. 8:9

¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.' Gal. 3:13

Realize the plan and purpose he has for you:

²⁴Father, I desire that those whom you have given me may also be with me where I am, so that they may behold my glory—[the glory] that you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.Jn. 17:24

²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.Rev. 3:21

To have a True Relationship with the LORD, You Must Reverence His Sacredness←⤒🔗

In anticipation of meeting the LORD and entering into covenant with Him, the people must be “sanctified,” (i.e. purified and consecrated):

¹⁰The LORD said to Moses, Go back to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹and be ready by the third day, because on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²You must set boundaries for the people all around the mountain and tell them, Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or even touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³No hand is to be laid on him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows. Whether man or beast, he shall not be permitted to live. Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they ascend the mountain. ¹⁴Then Moses went back down the mountain to the people and sanctified them; and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations. vs. 10-15

To begin with, the people had to wash their garments (vs. 10)—symbolizing the washing away of their sins and presenting a pure life unto God.

A similar picture of moral purity, and the only means by which such purity can be gained, is presented in Revelation 7:14. Referring to the redeemed as they appear before the LORD, “[The angel] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have...washed their robes and made them white by the blood of the Lamb.’”

Old Testament Israel had been provisionally cleansed of sin by means of the sacrificed Passover lamb, a symbol of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of atonement He would accomplish by the sacrifice of His body upon the cross of Calvary. With the Passover lamb in mind, John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “Behold, the lamb of God!” (Jn. 1:29)

Although they had participated in the Passover, with its shed blood of the lamb, the need for the cleansing, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is now reinforced by the demand that the people wash their garments.

The people were also to abstain from sexual relationships (vs. 15)—symbolizing a desire to dedicate themselves to the LORD and become His holy bride. Once again, the Book of Revelation uses similar imagery with reference to the redeemed, with their devotion to Christ being symbolically represented as a “virginity,” “These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women; they are male virgins. They are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Rev. 14:4a).

Furthermore, Moses was commanded to erect a barrier around the base of Mt. Sinai, preventing any living thing from ascending the mount on pain of death (Ex. 19:12-13). The erecting of the barrier was intended to symbolize the sacredness of the LORD. Moses personally encountered this sacredness when he met the LORD at the burning bush. Upon approaching the bush, Moses was warned, “Do not come near. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5).

Many centuries later, when Isaiah is called to the prophetic ministry, he is brought into the immediate presence of the LORD and is made to behold His absolute holiness: “I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted...Above him were the seraphs...and they were calling to one another, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isa. 6:1-3).

On the morning of the third day, the day appointed for the people to meet God, “there was thunder and lightning, and a dense cloud was over the mountain, and there was a very loud trumpet blast” (Ex. 19:16). As Exodus 19:18 explains, “Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace and the whole mountain trembled violently.” Here the LORD God the Almighty revealed Himself in His awesome majesty.

When God spoke to the people from the heights of Mt. Sinai He gave to them His holy commandments:

¹God spoke all these words: ²I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³You shall have no other gods besides me. ⁴You shall not make for yourself a carved image, nor any replica of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God... ⁷You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God; for the LORD will not regard anyone who misuses his name as being guiltless. ⁸Remember the Sabbath day, remember to keep it holy. ¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live a long life in the land the LORD your God has given you. ¹³You shall not murder. ¹⁴You shall not commit adultery. ¹⁵You shall not steal. ¹⁶You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. ¹⁷You shall not covet...anything that belongs to your neighbor. Ex. 20:1-17

Here is the demand that the LORD's holy moral character be honored and be reproduced in the lives of His people. The Apostle Peter exhorts the New Testament Christian to likewise remember our holy calling,

¹⁴As obedient children, no longer conform to the passions you formerly had [when you lived] in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶because it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'1 Pet. 1:14-16

When, with trembling, the people request that Moses communicate the Word of God to them, rather than they being directly exposed to the presence of God (Ex. 20:18-19), Moses comforts them with these words, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you.” Moses assures them that the LORD’s intention is not to destroy them, but rather to determine if they really want a relationship with Him; one that is based on His terms, featuring an obedience to His commandments that is produced by the new birth and reliance upon His Holy Spirit.

The people must realize that they are about to enter into a covenant with none other than the living God, who, by His very nature, is the God of infinite holiness. Moses goes on to explain to the people that the LORD’s purpose in so revealing Himself in His holiness and majesty is “in order that the fear of him may be always before you, so that you will not sin.” The LORD desires to instill in His people the grace of godly fear, which leads to obedience and blessing. Note what the LORD will express as His desire for His people: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” (Deut. 5:29) Together with the grace of devoted love for Him, the LORD employs the grace of godly fear to bind us to Himself, as He declares in Jeremiah 32:38-40,

³⁸They shall be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. ⁴⁰I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. Jer. 32:38-40

To have a true relationship with the LORD, you must reverence His awesome sacredness:

¹⁷...if you call upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, live your remaining time [on earth] in fear, ¹⁸knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life handed down from your forefathers—not by perishable things, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or defect, [the blood] of Christ. 1 Pet. 1:17­-19

¹¹...as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him... ¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him... ^17afrom everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him. Psl. 103:11,13,17a

Conclusion←⤒🔗

If you are going to have a true covenantal relationship with God—the kind that lasts for eternity in the kingdom of heaven—it is necessary for you to really know Him. Because He desires to be your God and receive you as one of His people, the LORD reveals to you the fullness of His divine identity. To have a true and lasting relationship with the LORD, you must 1) appreciate His love for you; and, 2) you must reverence His divine sacredness.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What promise does the LORD make to Israel? See Ex. 19:5b-6a As a Gentile Christian, does this promise also apply to you? See 1 Pet. 2:9-10a Do we, as Christians, appreciate this great privilege that we have in Christ Jesus?

^5b...out of all the nations you shall be my treasured possession, even though the whole earth is mine. ^6aYou will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... Ex. 19:5b-6a

Writing to churches predominantly composed of Gentile believers, Peter declares,

⁹you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people appointed to be [God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰Formerly, you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; [formerly] you were those who did not receive mercy, but now you are those who have received mercy. 1 Pet. 2:9-10

2. The realization of this promise is contingent upon what condition? See Ex. 19:5a Who has fulfilled this obligation on our behalf? See 1 Pet. 3:18 How was Israel, and how are we as Christians, enabled to abide by this condition? Note Zech. 4:6; Phil. 2:12b-13.

^5a...if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you shall be my treasured possession... Ex. 19:5a

¹⁸Christ indeed died for sins once for all, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones, so that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive [again] by the Spirit.1 Pet. 3:18

⁶Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Zech. 4:6

^12b...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who is working in you both to create the desire and to produce the work for the sake of his good purpose.Phil. 2:12b-13

3. When the people of Israel consent to the conditions of the LORD’s covenant, the LORD informs Moses that He will meet with them “up close and personal” (Ex. 19:11). How are the people to prepare themselves for this encounter with the LORD? See Ex. 19:10, 14 The people of Israel were ceremonially sanctified, but what is the only means of our true, spiritual sanctification? See 1 Cor. 6:11b; Tit. 3:5-6.

¹⁰The LORD said to Moses, Go back to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes...¹⁴Then Moses went back down the mountain to the people and sanctified them; and they washed their clothes. Ex. 19:10, 14

^11b...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.1 Cor. 6:11b

⁵...according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Tit. 3:5­-6

4. How does the LORD manifest Himself to the people of Israel (Ex. 19:16-18), and why does He do so (Ex. 20:20)? Why do we, in our present sinful state, need to be confronted with such a manifestation of the LORD our God? What gracious promise does the LORD make to us as His covenant people? See Jer. 32:40b.

¹⁶...on the third day, when morning dawned, there was thunder and lightning, and a dense cloud was over the mountain, and there was a very loud trumpet blast; all the people who were in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace and the whole mountain trembled violently. Ex. 19:16-18

²⁰Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, in order that the fear of him may be always before you, so that you will not sin.'Ex. 20:20

^40b...I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me. Jer. 32:40b

5. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? See Ex. 20:1-2 In light of this preface, do we become God’s people by obeying His commandments; or, do we obey His commandments because we have become His people? Note Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 2:13b-14.

God spoke all these words: 2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (Ex. 20:1-2)

⁸It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast. ¹⁰We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them. Eph. 2:8-10

^13b...our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ¹⁴...gave himself for us, so that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. Tit. 2:13b-14