Exodus 19

CHAPTER 19

At Mount Sinai (19:1–25)

1–4 We come now to an episode in Israel’s history that is equal in importance to the Passover and indeed to the original call of Abraham: the establishment of the Sinaitic (or Mosaic) covenant between God and the Israelites. This covenant was really an extension of the covenant God made with Abraham six hundred years earlier (Genesis 15:1–21; 17:1–14). The Sinaitic covenant, however, was not made with one man but with the entire community of Israel. Now that Abraham’s descendants had become an independent nation of two million people (see Exodus 12:37–39 and comment), they needed laws by which to govern themselves and by which to worship. The covenant at Sinai would provide Israel with those laws. If the Israelites obeyed those laws, they would be blessed; if they disobeyed them, they would be punished (see Leviticus Chapter 26).

The remaining events recorded in the book of Exodus take place here in the Desert of Sinai . . . in front of the mountain⁵⁵ (verse 2). The mountain was Mount Sinai, also called Horeb or the mountain of God (Exodus 3:1; 18:5). This was the area where Moses had first encountered God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). And one of the signs God had promised Moses at that time was that he and the Israelites would return to worship God—on this mountain (Exodus 3:12). That promise had now come true.

Notice that God referred to the Israelites both as the house of Jacob and as the people of Israel⁵⁶ (verse 3). When they first went to Egypt they were a humble “house” numbering seventy persons (Genesis 46:27). Now they were a “people” numbering two million.

God reminded the Israelites that, like a mother eagle, He had carried them on His wings (verse 4). What a picture of our God! We are about to see Him on Mount Sinai in His power and holiness and awesomeness (verses 16–18), but here we see Him as a loving protector. God said to the Israelites, “I have brought you to myself” (verse 4). People don’t just decide to “come” to God; they are “brought” to God. God brought the Israelites not only into freedom and honor but also into covenant and communion with Himself. This was the glory of their deliverance—as it is of our own deliverance through Christ, who died that He might bring [us] to God (1 Peter 3:18).

5–6 In these two verses the heart of the Sinaitic covenant is revealed. It starts with the words, “Now if . . .” If the Israelites obey [God] fully, then they will enjoy the covenant blessings: they will be God’s treasured possession . . . a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The Sinaitic covenant, then, is a “conditional” covenant: if the Israelites meet the “conditions” (obedience to the law), then God will keep His part of the covenant and bless the Israelites.

Recall, however, that the original covenant God made with Abraham was not “conditional.” When God first called him, Abraham hadn’t “done” anything to deserve being called (Genesis 12:1–3); when God made the original covenant, Abraham was sound asleep! (see Genesis 15:17–21 and comment). The original covenant, then, was established totally by God’s free grace. God alone chose those who would transmit His covenant to future generations: first Isaac, then Jacob. All of this was the work of God alone.

However, although the original covenant and its transmission were “unconditional,” the blessings and enjoyment of the covenant thereafter were not. The blessings have always been conditional. The very first “condition” was circumcision; if circumcision was not carried out, the uncircumcised person was to be cut off from his people (Genesis 17:14). And over and over, as God reaffirmed the covenant blessings, the condition of obedience was ever-present (Genesis 22:16–18; 26:5; Deuteronomy 30:15–20).

The same is true for Christians today. Our redemption, our SALVATION through Jesus Christ is totally a work of God’s grace: we did nothing to deserve it or earn it; we were dead in transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1,8–9). Christ brought us to life.

Then, in addition, Christ offers us promises of an “abundant life”—a life of joy, power and peace—indeed, a life characterized by the fullness of the HOLY SPIRIT. But these promises are conditional, and the condition is our obedience. Salvation itself, once obtained, is not conditional; but the experiencing of salvation’s blessings in this life is conditional.

The three blessings (promises) that God offered to the Israelites at Sinai are outlined here in verses 5 and 6. First, God would regard Israel as His treasured possession: He would watch over Israel, protect her, cherish her, and make her His own. Those who opposed Israel He would oppose; those who blessed Israel He would bless (Genesis 12:3).

Second, Israel would be a kingdom of priests. Israel would be a “kingdom” whose king was God. Every Israelite, therefore, was to be consecrated to His service—just as later on the priests would be consecrated⁵⁷ (Exodus 29:1–21). As a “priest,” each Israelite would be a mediator of God’s grace to the people of the world. This was Israel’s great missionary calling; this was God’s ultimate purpose in choosing Israel as His possession—so that all peoples on earth might be blessed (Genesis 12:3). And this missionary calling has been passed on to Christians: we too are priests⁵⁸ (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 1:6), called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and to be Christ’s witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The third blessing that God promised the Israelites—if they remained obedient—was that collectively they would be a holy nation. Not only individually but also collectively the Israelites were to be “holy”—that is, set apart from the ungodly nations around them. God is holy; therefore His people were to be holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16). To be God’s holy people was a tremendous privilege; it meant, above all, that God would be pleased to dwell in their midst. A holy God would never choose to dwell in the midst of an unholy people.

The Apostle Peter applies these three great blessings of verses 5 and 6 to Christians today. He calls us a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9). The ancient nation of Israelis the forerunner of the Christian Church today; all the blessings and privileges that God promised the ancient Israelites He has also promised to us. And the condition remains the same: the promises are ours—if we continue to obey the Lord.

For further discussion on the subjects of the Abrahamic and Sinaitic covenants and the relationship between law and grace, faith and obedience, see comment on Exodus 20:1 and footnotes to comment; General Articles: Covenants and Dispensations; The Purpose of the Mosaic Law.

7–8 After hearing this marvelous offer from God, the Israelites agreed to obey the terms of the covenant: “We will do everything the LORD has said” (verse 8). Sadly, as we shall see, the Israelites did not keep their end of the agreement.

9–11 The people were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Up to that point, God (or His angel) had been with the people in the pillar of cloud; now God Himself was about to descend upon the mountain in a very dense cloud. And He would speak to Moses in the hearing of all the people; this way, no one would be able to accuse Moses of having made up the law himself. Instead, they would put their trust in Moses (verse 9); they would believe that he was indeed God’s spokesman.

Just as the ground around the burning bush had been made holy because of God’s presence (Exodus 3:4–5), so Mount Sinai was made holy by God’s presence on it. Therefore, God told Moses to consecrate the people by having them wash their clothes (verse 10). This outward washing was meant to symbolize the inward cleansing of the people’s hearts. Only those who have been consecrated (made holy) inwardly and outwardly may draw near to God.⁵⁹

12–13 But God is so holy that even the consecrated could not come too close (Exodus 33:20). Our human hearts are always tainted by our sinful nature, and God sees our hearts. Coming too close to God would show disrespect and irreverence toward Him; it would show a disregard for His holiness. But the main reason the punishment for coming too close was so severe was that anyone who broke through the limits God had set around the mountain would be blatantly disobeying His express command; such a deliberate sin demanded the death penalty (Numbers 15:30–31; Mark 3:28–29; Hebrews 10:26–27).

14–15 In the course of consecrating the people, Moses told them: “Abstain from sexual relations” (verse 15). Moses didn’t say this because sex was sinful, but rather because it temporarily rendered the participants “unclean” in a ritual sense (Leviticus 15:18). In addition, the Apostle Paul recommended abstaining from sex for a time as a means of devoting oneself more fully to God and to prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5).

16–19 The day God came down on Mount Sinai would never be forgotten. Everyone trembled; even the whole mountain trembled violently (verse 18). God had come down in the smoke, the fire and the lightning to reveal His own character to the people by giving them His law. The awesomeness of that event will not be exceeded until Jesus Christ returns in glory (Mark 13:24–27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10).

The description of Mount Sinai trembling in smoke, fire and lightning should remind us how great and powerful and holy our God is. It reminds us that we need to worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29).

20–25 Then God called Moses and later Aaron to come up to the top of the mountain. Again God warned the people not to force their way onto the mountain—even the priests among them were not to do so (verse 24). Since the Aaronic priesthood had not yet been established, these “priests” must have been the firstborn of every family who had been consecrated to the Lord following the Israelites escape from Egypt (Exodus 13:2).