Exodus 19: Arrival at Sinai to Meet with God
1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.
The journey began with the first Passover, paralleling our Eastertide. NOW: "In the third month—according to Jewish usage, the first day of that month—'same day.'—It is added, to mark the time more explicitly, that is, forty-five days after Egypt—one day spent on the mount (Ex 19:3), one returning the people's answer (Ex 19:7, 8), three days of preparation, making the whole time fifty days from the first passover to the promulgation of the law. Hence the feast of pentecost, that is, the fiftieth day,..." (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
"It is computed that the law was given just fifty days after their coming out of Egypt, in remembrance of which the feast of pentecost was observed the fiftieth day after the passover, and in compliance with which the Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, at the feast of pentecost, fifty days after the death of Christ.” (Benson Commentary)
"Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,' He said, 'you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’...
...
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4)
3 And Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
"Moses went up unto God—i.e., ascended Sinai, where he expected that God would speak with him.
The Lord called unto him out of the mountain.—While he was still on his way, as it would seem, so that he was spared the toil of the ascent. God meets us half-way when we 'arise and go' to Him.” (Ellicott's Commentary)
The house of Jacob. This rare expression, familiar to no sacred writer but Isaiah, recalls the promises made to Jacob of a numerous seed, which should grow from a house to a nation (Genesis 28:14; Genesis 35:11).” (Pulpit Commentary) Say to the house of Jacob— all of his physical descendants. And tell the children of Israel— those who like their father Jacob had also experienced second birth and prevailed. Tell all.
"On eagles' wings - Both in the law (Deut 32:11) and in the Gospel (Matt 23:37), the Church is compared to fledgelings which the mother cherishes and protects under her wings: but in the law that mother is an eagle, in the Gospels 'a hen'; thus shadowing forth the diversity of administration under each covenant: the one of power, which God manifested when He brought His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and led them into the promised land; the other of grace, when Christ came in humility and took the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Compare also Revelation 12:14.” (Barnes)
A kingdom of priests and a holy nation- compare with Peter’s word to the Gentile in 1 Peter 2:9-10— "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."
7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh.
"And Moses laid before their faces all these words — He not only explained to them what God had given him in charge, but put it to their choice, whether they would accept these promises upon these terms or not. His laying it to their faces speaks his laying it to their consciences. And they answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do — Thus accepting the Lord to be to them a God, and giving up themselves to be to him a people.” (Benson Commentary) The elders would practice and teach the House of Jacob the Word’s of Yahweh that followed-- the Covenant.
"We must not suppose that the nation of the Jews were under the covenant of works, which knows nothing of repentance, faith in a Mediator, forgiveness of sins, or grace; nor yet that the whole nation of Israel bore the character, and possessed the privileges of true believers, as being actually sharers in the covenant of grace. They were all under a dispensation of mercy; they had outward privileges and advantages for salvation; but, like professing Christians, most rested therein, and went no further.” (Matthew Henry) Take advantage of atonement… and go to Jerusalem and wait, dear pilgrim, for the knowledge of Messiah by His Spirit.
Exodus 19: Preparations for Yahweh
8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. 9 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.
Covenants – In ancient days, it was the weaker party who sought such alliances to secure their own safety, but here it is the Lord of Glory who initiates. And the people accepted the offer. But He, being the stronger party, made clear it would be on His terms. They must now prepare for His arrival on the fiftieth day after the Passover. Yahweh God would descend on the Mount of God!
"The first step in the great event of the formation of a covenant between God and Israel was completed by the people’s acceptance of God’s offer. The second step was now to be taken. The terms of the covenant must be declared, and it pleased God to declare them, or, at any rate, the most important and fundamental of them, in the hearing of the people. He therefore makes the announcement of His approaching manifestation of Himself, and proceeds to give directions connected with it to Moses.” (Ellicott's Commentary)
I come unto you "literally, 'in the thickness of a cloud.' God must always veil himself when he speaks with man, for man could not bear 'the brightness of his presence.' If he takes a human form that form is a veil; if he appears in a burning bush, the very. fire is a shroud. On the present occasion it was the more needful that he should cover himself up, as he was about to draw near to the whole congregation, among whom were many-who were impure and impenitent…” (Pulpit Commentary)
"That the people may believe thee for ever.” Here is appended the reason for His descent to enter covenant. "In 'the people' are included their descendants; and they are to 'believe Moses for ever, because the law is in some sense of eternal obligation on all men'(Matthew 5:18).” (Pulpit Commentary) He wants us to believe forever the testimony here given.
10 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day Yahweh will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.”
"Sanctify the people — As Job sent and sanctified his sons, Job 1:5. Sanctify them — That is, call them off from their worldly business, and call them to religious exercises, meditation and prayer, that they may receive the law from God’s mouth with reverence and devotion.” (Benson) "Sanctification is twofold—outward and inward. The real essential preparation for approach to God is inward sanctification; but no external command can secure this. Moses was therefore instructed to issue directions for outward purification; and it was left to the spiritual insight of the people to perceive and recognize that such purity symbolized and required internal purification as its counterpart. The external purification was to consist in three things—(1) Ablution, or washing of the person; (2) washing of clothes; and (3) abstinence from sexual intercourse (Exo19:15).
Let them wash their clothes.—The Levitical law required the washing of clothes on many occasions (Leviticus 11:25; Leviticus 11:28; Leviticus 11:40; Leviticus 13:6; Leviticus 13:34; Leviticus 13:58; Leviticus 14:8-9; Leviticus 14:47; Leviticus 15:5-22, &c.)…” (Ellicott's Commentary)
You shall set bounds for the people all around. "Probably he drew a ditch round the foot of the hill, which none were to pass upon pain of death. This was to intimate, 1st, That lawful reverence which ought to possess the minds of all that worship God. 2d, The distance at which worshippers were kept under that dispensation, which we ought to take notice of, that we may the more value our privilege under the gospel, having 'boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,' Hebrews 10:19.
When the trumpet sounds long,.. Then let them take their places at the foot of the mount. Never was so great a congregation called together and preached to at once as this was here. No one man’s voice could have reached so many, but the voice of God did.” (Benson Commentary)
"The whole multitude must have anticipated the event with feelings of intense solemnity and awe. The extraordinary preparations enjoined, the ablutions and rigid abstinence they were required to observe, the barriers erected all round the base of the mount, and the stern penalties annexed to the breach of any of the conditions, all tended to create an earnest and solemn expectation which increased as the appointed day drew near.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
Wash therefore--"'...Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'” (Acts 2:36-39)
Morning Repost: Exodus 19: Pentecost
16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the voice of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because Yahweh descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain [Septuagint reads all the people] quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then Yahweh came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, The sixth of the month, according to the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; on which day, as the Jews generally say (T. Bab Sabbat & Yoma), the law was given, and which, they also observe, was a sabbath day: yea, they are sometimes so very particular as to fix the hour of the day, and say (Pirke Eliezer), it was the sixth hour of the day, or twelve o'clock at noon, that Israel received the decalogue, and at the ninth hour, at three o'clock in the afternoon...” (Gill)
Thunderings and lightenings— "Thunder is the voice of God, and lightning the fire of God, proper to engage both the learning senses of seeing and hearing.” (Benson) And the voice of the trumpet. The voice of the archangel precedes the trumpet blasts. —"Heb. shôphâr (so v. 19, Exodus 20:18), properly a horn—used especially... to give a signal or summons in war (Jdg 3:27), or to announce or accompany an important public event (1 Kings 1:34; 2 Samuel 6:15)...” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) "The trumpet’s blare is the signal of a herald calling attention to a proclamation about to be made. At the last day the coming of Christ is to be announced by 'the trump of God' (1Thessalonians 4:16). In the Apocalypse angels are often represented as sounding with trumpets (Revelation 8:7-8; Revelation 8:10; Revelation 8:12; Revelation 9:1; Revelation 9:14, &c.) when some great event is about to occur.” (Ellicott's Commentary)
The Mount burned with fire for "... the scene is elsewhere (Deut 4:11, 12) described by Moses - 'Ye came near and stood under the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.' The phenomena were not a mere 'storm of thunder and lightning, whereof Moses took advantage to persuade the people that they had heard God's voice' - not 'an earthquake with volcanic eruptions'- not even these two combined - but a real theophany, in which amid the phenomena of storm and tempest, and fire and smoke, and thick darkness, and hearings of the ground as by an earthquake shock, first the loud blast of a trumpet sounded long commanding attention, and then a clear penetrating voice, like that of a man, made itself heard in distinctly articulated words, audible to the whole multitude, and recognised by them as superhuman - as 'the voice of God' (Deut 4:33)." (Pulpit Commentary)
"As the mountain burned with fire, God was exhibited as a consuming fire to the transgressors of His law.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
According to the old hymn: "Upon the mountain, my Lord spoke, out of his mouth came fire and smoke.” (Every Time I Feel the Spirit) "In the cloud … we discover the character of a holy God, covenanting with a guilty people. Ah, and more awful still shall be his wrath to punish the transgressors of his covenant, which graciously provided a sacrifice for sin. How awful the day when not only Sinai, but the whole heavens shall be enveloped in smoke and flame; when not only revolting Israel, but all nations that obey not the gospel, shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (Sutcliffe)
"So awful a manifestation has never been made at any other place or time, nor will be until the consummation of all things.” (Ellicott)
21 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at Yahweh, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near Yahweh consecrate themselves, lest Yahweh break out against them.”
Notice the implications of two Persons going by the name of Yahweh. He says I will not give My glory to another. This must be none other than Yeshua – the Messiah of Israel. Prior to this covenant ceremony, none in the congregation were above reproach. All were guilty— merely mortals, even the priests. They were priests by birthright only— the first male to exist the womb in each family. They were the heads of their respective households. "The Levites were afterwards substituted. Numbers 3:12-13.” (Sutcliffe Commentary) At first only Moses and Aaron were allowed up. But eventually representatives of the people— the priests— would go too. "No one (this is the idea) was to ascend the mountain on pain of death, or even to touch its outermost edge; but when the horn was blown with a long blast, and the signal to approach was given thereby, then they might ascend it (see Exodus 19:21), - of course not 600,000 men, which would have been physically impossible, but the people in the persons of their representatives the elders. בּהר עלות signifies to go up the mountain in Exodus 19:13 as well as in Exodus 19:12, and not merely to come to the foot of the mountain (see Deuteronomy 5:5).” (Keil and Delitzsch)
23 But Moses said to the Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’”
24 Then Yahweh said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Yahweh, lest He break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
"But although the people were now ceremonially pure, yet they were not suffered on pain of death to approach their God beyond certain limits and bounds. Moses the mediator, and Aaron the priest, were alone permitted to approach the skirts of the cloud. Thus Jesus, having exercised on earth the prophetic office, is now ascended to the throne of God to exercise for us the offices of Mediator and High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, that in due time we may enter the holiest by his blood." (Sutcliffe Commentary)
God will eventually utterly destroy the unrepentant sinner. But to those who have heeded His message and kept His covenant by grace through faith in Jesus, it is a different story. His Spirit is a guide to them to light the way to the Holy of Holies. Speaking of the first Pentecost after Jesus' death and resurrection, it is said: "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)