God instructs Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves "today and tomorrow" and to be ready on the third day to meet the Lord. I wonder if the apostles thought about this event when Jesus had died and was in the grave for and then arose on the third day where they met Him once again.
YHWH says that anyone but Moses who touches or approaches the mountain will meet death right away. God meant business here. He said that they will hear a long sound of the trumpet. (a heavenly one) and then should come before the mountain. When God came upon the mountain it was a cataclysmic event-thunderings and lightnings, thick clouds, loud trumpeting. This display of YHWH's power and might made the people tremble in fear. I think that God wanted this reaction from the people. Fear of the Lord comes before wisdom, I believe it says in Ps. 19:9. The people were still in camp when this happened. At the sound of the trumpeting, Moses brought the people before the mountain. The mountain was completely cloaked in smoke as God descended up it in fire. It was like a furnace that emitted plumes of fire and smoke. And the mountain quaked. This must have been like a volcanic eruption although it did not say anything about a lava flow.
Then Moses spoke to YHWH and YHWH answered him in a voice that all could hear. YHWH called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain. Moses obeyed. No sooner did Moses get up there and YHWH told Moses to go warn the people to not try to break through the boundary in order to gaze upon Him in His majesty, since they would perish if they did so. YHWH also told Moses to call the priests who would come near to the LORD to consecrate themselves. Moses protests to God, reminding YHWH that the people cannot come up because of YHWH's warning. Moses was concerned about his people's welfare here. YHWH says "Away! Get down and then come up". But it was only going to be Moses and Aaron, not the priests (there were priests before the Law?
It shows even in Exodus when the Law was ordained the outward cleansing couldn't get you into the presence of the LORD.
There was no new heart of flesh!
No rebirth, No death of the old man, Just symbolic cleansing and sacrifices that pointed forward to one coming and also even then highlighted the inability of man to cleanse himself from sin.
Our best efforts apart from Holyspirit cannot present us blameless, nor can it restore us!
We are cleansed, saved, sanctified and kept by the Spirit IN US.
This particular area of scripture is highlighted in Galatians 3:23-24. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
This is where the Law began.
Sometimes we loose sight that the Gospel was preached to Abraham 430 years before this point.
Galatians 3:17. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. So when we take in all of Galatians 3. with the giving of the law by Moses we see the purpose of the law and the reason why it is called the ministration of Death and Paul said when the Law was given it slew him.
Romans 7:7-11.
2 Corinthians 3:6-10.
The purpose of the law was in mind when it was first given and illustrated with the barriers in Exodus.
As one who lived after Christ and the preaching of the Gospel, I agree with your point of view in your post.
In my post on Exodus 19 I was commenting from a viewpoint of these people who lived prior to our Savior's coming and the preaching of the gospel. Paul also says that the Law itself is holy, just, and good. Romans 7:12. But our sinful nature opposes what is given to us in God's holy, just, and good decrees, leading us to break these commands. Our rebellious sin brings death because our disobedience to the law condemns us. Even so, I believe that we should view the Law as Paul did, as a good thing given by God for his perfect purposes. It does not save us, but it does instruct us in what God's moral character is like and how perfect He is.
In this account in Exodus YHWH displays His awesomeness to the Israelites. It results in terror among the people and they vow to follow what He asks of them. But we know that they will fail to do this again and again, just as we do the same. Through their time wandering in the desert and up to their captivity in Babylon and Assyria, the Israelites continued to turn away from God and return to Him repeatedly. Through this they could have learned of His love, mercy and forgiveness for them. But, as history reveals, the people became more focused on the requirements of law-keeping than on knowing and following God Who gave them the Law out of His goodness. Jesus addressed this issue often with the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Priests. Their hearts were hardened and were unable to receive their promised Messiah and the salvation that He wrought for them.
This event on and around Sinai has many lessons for us to learn. The Law(Sinai) reveals our sinfulness and inability to be perfect as God is perfect. It reveals our need for Savior. The condemnation of the Law on our sin drives us to seek Grace (Zion) where we can receive salvation-forgiveness of sins, right standing before God, and eternal life.
This is a significant portion of scripture. I would like to add a portion from the new testament.
We see here the difference between the ministration of the law and the ministration of grace.
FOR ONE THEY SANCTIFIED THERE SELVES 3 DAYS AND STILL COULDN'T APPROACH THE MOUNT. ( LAW)
Galatians 4:21-26. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Hebrews 12:18-24. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
WE'VE BEEN WASHED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. WE NOW CAN ENTER IN. (GRACE)
I was actually thinking of those very verses when reading this text in Exodus. God is very gracious to us. He could thunder from heaven to us, as He did to the Israelites when He descended onto the mountain. But we have a perfect high priest, leader, and mediator in Jesus who took away our sin and separation from God and covers us with His righteousness so that we can approach God under grace and not judgment.
God instructs Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves "today and tomorrow" and to be ready on the third day to meet the Lord. I wonder if the apostles thought about this event when Jesus had died and was in the grave for and then arose on the third day where they met Him once again.
YHWH says that anyone but Moses who touches or approaches the mountain will meet death right away. God meant business here. He said that they will hear a long sound of the trumpet. (a heavenly one) and then should come before the mountain. When God came upon the mountain it was a cataclysmic event-thunderings and lightnings, thick clouds, loud trumpeting. This display of YHWH's power and might made the people tremble in fear. I think that God wanted this reaction from the people. Fear of the Lord comes before wisdom, I believe it says in Ps. 19:9. The people were still in camp when this happened. At the sound of the trumpeting, Moses brought the people before the mountain. The mountain was completely cloaked in smoke as God descended up it in fire. It was like a furnace that emitted plumes of fire and smoke. And the mountain quaked. This must have been like a volcanic eruption although it did not say anything about a lava flow.
Then Moses spoke to YHWH and YHWH answered him in a voice that all could hear. YHWH called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain. Moses obeyed. No sooner did Moses get up there and YHWH told Moses to go warn the people to not try to break through the boundary in order to gaze upon Him in His majesty, since they would perish if they did so. YHWH also told Moses to call the priests who would come near to the LORD to consecrate themselves. Moses protests to God, reminding YHWH that the people cannot come up because of YHWH's warning. Moses was concerned about his people's welfare here. YHWH says "Away! Get down and then come up". But it was only going to be Moses and Aaron, not the priests (there were priests before the Law?
It shows even in Exodus when the Law was ordained the outward cleansing couldn't get you into the presence of the LORD.
There was no new heart of flesh!
No rebirth, No death of the old man, Just symbolic cleansing and sacrifices that pointed forward to one coming and also even then highlighted the inability of man to cleanse himself from sin.
Our best efforts apart from Holyspirit cannot present us blameless, nor can it restore us!
We are cleansed, saved, sanctified and kept by the Spirit IN US.
This particular area of scripture is highlighted in Galatians 3:23-24. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
This is where the Law began.
Sometimes we loose sight that the Gospel was preached to Abraham 430 years before this point.
Galatians 3:17. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. So when we take in all of Galatians 3. with the giving of the law by Moses we see the purpose of the law and the reason why it is called the ministration of Death and Paul said when the Law was given it slew him.
Romans 7:7-11.
2 Corinthians 3:6-10.
The purpose of the law was in mind when it was first given and illustrated with the barriers in Exodus.
God bless.
As one who lived after Christ and the preaching of the Gospel, I agree with your point of view in your post.
In my post on Exodus 19 I was commenting from a viewpoint of these people who lived prior to our Savior's coming and the preaching of the gospel. Paul also says that the Law itself is holy, just, and good. Romans 7:12. But our sinful nature opposes what is given to us in God's holy, just, and good decrees, leading us to break these commands. Our rebellious sin brings death because our disobedience to the law condemns us. Even so, I believe that we should view the Law as Paul did, as a good thing given by God for his perfect purposes. It does not save us, but it does instruct us in what God's moral character is like and how perfect He is.
In this account in Exodus YHWH displays His awesomeness to the Israelites. It results in terror among the people and they vow to follow what He asks of them. But we know that they will fail to do this again and again, just as we do the same. Through their time wandering in the desert and up to their captivity in Babylon and Assyria, the Israelites continued to turn away from God and return to Him repeatedly. Through this they could have learned of His love, mercy and forgiveness for them. But, as history reveals, the people became more focused on the requirements of law-keeping than on knowing and following God Who gave them the Law out of His goodness. Jesus addressed this issue often with the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Priests. Their hearts were hardened and were unable to receive their promised Messiah and the salvation that He wrought for them.
This event on and around Sinai has many lessons for us to learn. The Law(Sinai) reveals our sinfulness and inability to be perfect as God is perfect. It reveals our need for Savior. The condemnation of the Law on our sin drives us to seek Grace (Zion) where we can receive salvation-forgiveness of sins, right standing before God, and eternal life.
Those Holy scriptures shows the fallacy of man and the need of a savior and the coming of one.
God bless
This is a significant portion of scripture. I would like to add a portion from the new testament.
We see here the difference between the ministration of the law and the ministration of grace.
FOR ONE THEY SANCTIFIED THERE SELVES 3 DAYS AND STILL COULDN'T APPROACH THE MOUNT. ( LAW)
Galatians 4:21-26. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Hebrews 12:18-24. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
WE'VE BEEN WASHED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. WE NOW CAN ENTER IN. (GRACE)
Hebrews 10:10-22.
2 Corinthians 3:6-11.
God bless.
I was actually thinking of those very verses when reading this text in Exodus. God is very gracious to us. He could thunder from heaven to us, as He did to the Israelites when He descended onto the mountain. But we have a perfect high priest, leader, and mediator in Jesus who took away our sin and separation from God and covers us with His righteousness so that we can approach God under grace and not judgment.
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