Chapter 9

Please read Exodus, chapters 18 and 19.

Exodus 19:1 “In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt -on the very day - they came to the desert of Sinai.”

They had camped at Elim, under the shade of seventy palm-trees and near twelve springs of water (15:27). That was a wonderful blessing. But time does not stand still and God is always moving on. The cloud shifted and they must follow. Follow into the dry and dusty desert of Sin (16:1). That’s where they grumbled against Moses and dishonored God. Nevertheless, God blessed them with bread and meat in the form of manna and quail. A few more moves and then they arrived at Rephidim. But there was no water for them to drink and again they quarrelled with Moses (17:1,2) and dishonored God, their Leader, Who had delivered them. This time they will be confronted with the facts as God sees them.

Exodus 19:3 – 6 “Then Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said: ‘This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel – You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole world is Mine you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

One word in particular we need to notice. God instructed Moses to speak to Israel about MY covenant! Speaking about HIS covenant God always had exhibited His grace. To Abraham He said: ‘I will, I will’. Never ‘I will, but only . . . if you do or not do this and that.’

“In relation to Israel God spoke to Moses: ‘I have seen, I have heard, I am concerned, I have come down, the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt’ (Exodus 3:7-10).

In the principle of faith sinful Abraham co-operated with God. Because of the lack of that principle of faith, Israel again and again rebelled against God. In spite of all the miraculous, powerful events that they had seen and heard, even in their very recent history, Israel persisted in dishonoring God by rebellions. Now boldly they stood and proudly proclaimed: ’All the Lord has said, we will do, we will obey’. And then they broke their promises.

Exodus 19:8 “The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said’. So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.”

Notice now, what happened when Moses brought that answer by the people, back to the Lord. Was there a response of light from a loving heart?

Yes, there was!

Exodus 19:9-13 “ the Lord said to Moses: ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear Me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you’. Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.”

And the Lord said to Moses: ’Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them to wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live. Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain.’ “

Boldly all Israel did say:’ We will do everything the Lord has said’. ‘We will do’. They never could, and never would. Their entire deliverance from Egypt, their journey up to this point, all of it had been by the grace of God; had been possible only by what He did! ‘We will do’ was a serious assumption with very serious consequences. Israel still did not know her God, the One who said ‘I WILL, I WILL!’ Israel exchanged the grace of God for their human works!

Did you notice what happened? Did Israel change the attitude of God? No, no! If Israel had wished to do that, it would have been impossible! The God Who said: ’You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself’, He is the Holy God; He will not share His glory, nor change His mind.

Notice the ‘dense cloud’ (v.9), the ‘washed clothes’ (v.10), ‘the limits’ (v.12), and ‘the death penalty’ (vs.12,13). God could not possibly allow sinful people to approach His holiness, unless it was at the cost of innocent blood. Clean washed clothes were His instructions. The fig leaves of Adam and Eve were their invention and could not be sufficient. All that Israel expected, hoped to be doing to satisfy a most holy God, would not please Him.

Israel must still learn to accept and enjoy grace.

Exodus 19:24 “The Lord replied ‘Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must NOT force their way through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them,”

In loving grace and power God had brought Israel to Himself. And now they must not come near Him ‘or He will break out against them’.

Did love and grace cease? Did God forsake His people? In disgust did He turn away from His people? No, He did not! The God of the Bible is not like that,