Exodus Chapter 19 Deep-Dive: Mount Sinai

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Ex Ch 19 - Israel at Mount Sinai

1On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt

• They left Egypt three months prior to this, BUT, the location of Mt Sinai CAN NOT be 100% verified there are many different options and opinions among historians, archaeologists and scholars.

• However, when Moses first approached Pharaoh: Ex 5:1Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us.

  • Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” OBEDIENCE … So, Mt Sinai was most likely just a 3 day journey from Egypt.

  • 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” 5And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” AFTER the Red Sea crossing, half-way to Sinai: MARAH - BITTER WATER MADE SWEET, MANNA & THE SABBATH REST)

, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:

• 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. GOD HAS WORKED MIRACLES FOR YOU

• 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, SO, OBEY & KEEP UP YOUR PART OF THE COVENANT WITH GOD

• you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ THE PLANNED RESULT = ISRAEL WILL BE GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE – HIS TREASURED POSSESSION AMONG ALL PEOPLES – A HOLY NATION – YAHWEH’S REPRESENTATIVE PRIESTHOOD FOR ALL NATIONS. 1 Pet 2:4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

• These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

7So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. MOSES IS THE INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN ISRAEL AND GOD, ISRAEL COMMITTED TO KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS – MAINTAINING THEIR PART OF THE COVENANT.

9And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

• GOD IS AUTHORIZING MOSES TO BE HIS REPRESENTATIVE

• Back to the Red Sea crossing: Ex 14: 30Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

V9 … When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, (MOSES THE INTERMEDIARY) 10the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11and be ready for the third day. (IT TOOK TIME FOR THE PEOPLE TO PREPARE) For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. EVERYONE WILL SEE THIS FIRSTHAND!

12And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’

When the trumpet (HEAVENLY TRUMPET) sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” (YOU DON’T NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT SEX RIGHT NOW – ANTICIPATING THIS PERSONAL MEETING WITH GOD)

16On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. (THIS WAS TERRIFYING – GOD IS COMMUNICATING THAT HE IS TO BE FEARED … THE THICK SMOKE IS HIDING THE GLORY OF THE LORD FROM THE PEOPLE … PROTECTING THE PEOPLE SO THEY WON’T DIE)

17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God (MOSES WAS THE PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE GOD, BUT EVEN HE WAS TERRIFIED Heb 12:21Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.), and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. (LIKE A VOLCANO – FIRE – SMOKE – EARTHQUAKE – THE VERY FOUNDATION OF YOUR WORLD SHAKEN UP BY GOD)

19And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. (WHAT ?!?) 20The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. (IMAGINE HOW TERRIFYING THAT WAS TO EVERYONE … WHO ELSE BUT MOSES COULD GO UP TO GOD! MOSES IS NOW BEGINNING TO TRULY KNOW GOD SO THAT HE COULD KEEP HIS WITS ABOUT HIM AS THIS IS TAKING PLACE)

21And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’”

• GOD IS HOLY – HE OCCUPIES SACRED SPACE.

  • Moses at the burning bush encounters the angel of the Lord – God in the flesh, Ex 3: 1Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

  • Joshua later at Jericho encounters this same angel of the Lord – God in the flesh. Josh 5:13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

• Who are the priests mentioned here – God had not yet instituted the divine priesthood of Aaron and the Levites? Well, Melchizedek and Jethro were priests of God but not Israelites, it would only make sense that the Hebrews also had informal spiritual leaders within the nation … priests.

24And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” GOD SPEAKING ABOUT HIMSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON … THIS IS JESUS SPEAKING WITH MOSES, AND HE’S TALKING ABOUT YAHWEH. 25So Moses went down to the people and told them. (GOD SENDS MOSES BACK DOWN AND TELLS HIM TO COME BACK WITH AARON)

AND THAT WILL WRAP UP EX CH 19

 

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