Exodus 19 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Exodus 19:1-6

1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt – on that very day – they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

3 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 descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’

A. Find Out:

1. Where did Israel camp? v.1,2
2. Where did Moses meet with God? v.3
3. Of what does God remind them first? v.4
4. What does He want them to do? v.5a
5. What will they be to Him? v.5b
6. What will be their role? v.6

B. Think:

1. Moses went up the mountain to God. What sort of picture of God does that give?
2. How does what happened in the past encourage us for what is required for the future here?
3. What does the threefold description of Israel ‘s future say about the relationship the Lord wants with them?

C. Comment:

     This is a key point in Israel ‘s history. They had been brought out of Egypt and now, before they are taken into the land, they are being established as a nation by God. The Lord has led them to this mountain whose geographical location is not made clear, presumably somewhere on the Sinai peninsula. There Moses goes up the mountain, presumably at God’s calling, to meet with God. There is immediately, a sense that God is high and lofty, distinct and separate from the affairs of the people. He does not go down to the camp, Moses has to go up to Him. Again and again in the Bible, comes the sense that God is holy, utterly distinct, perfect and unlike anything else in His creation.

     Then He tells Moses to remind the people what He has done for them, and then He promises them the privilege of being a special, distinct, separated (holy) people. A “treasured possession” indicates they will be special on the Lord’s heart, He feels about them. A kingdom of priests indicates they have the role of bringing people to Him, the rest of the world, although they didn’t realise that yet!

D. Application?

1. Read 1 Peter 2:9 for a description of the church.
2. Read Acts 20:28c We must be very precious to Him!

Passage: Exodus 19:7-15

7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

9 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.

10 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Make them wash their clothes 11 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. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, “Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.” Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.’

14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.’

A. Find Out:    

1. What did Moses first do? v.7
2. How did the people respond? v.8
3. Why did the Lord say He would speak out loud through a cloud? v.9
4. What was Moses to tell the people to do? v.10
5. Why? v.11
6. What were they not to do? v.12

B. Think:

1. How are the people seen here to be wanting to co-operate with God’s plans and purposes?
2. How does the Lord show care for Moses and understands the people?
3. What impression of the Lord will the Israelites will be getting?

C. Comment:

     Moses comes back with God’s message, the Lord wants them to be a special people, a treasured people IF they will obey Him and follow all He says. When Moses presents this to the people they agree to follow the Lord. It is THEIR choice! So far they have seen the Lord treat them gently when they have grumbled, but responsibility is coming with revelation.

      Then the Lord starts to tell Moses how He will come down in such a way that the people will be able to see some sign of His presence and hear His voice. He knows that the people need that encouragement if they are to follow Moses whole-heartedly.

      Finally the Lord instructs on: a) the way the people are to PREPARE to meet Him and b) they are to KEEP SEPARATE from Him. There is a sense being conveyed that the Lord is HOLY and holiness has an element of PURITY and an element of SEPARATENESS in it. This is the sort of God with whom they have to deal, a God who is Holy, pure and unlike any other being or god in their knowledge.

D. Application?

1. Although we know the Lord as “Father” do we also “hallow” His name (Matthew 6:9)?
2. The closer we come to the Lord the more we realise the wonder of who He is.

Passage: Exodus 19:16-25

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, ‘Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.’

23 Moses said to the Lord, ‘The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, “Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.”’

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.’

25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

A. Find Out:

1. What 4 signs indicated something special was happening? v.16
2. To where did Moses lead the people? v.17
3. What happened on the mountain? v.18
4. What was heard? v.19
5. Where did the Lord meet with Moses? v.20
6. What command did the Lord repeat? v.21
7. Who did the Lord tell Moses to bring up the mountain? v.24

B. Think:

1. What sort of feeling, do you think, would have been created by the various sights and sounds?
2. What did the Lord almost fear would happen?
3. What does the reference to “priests” tell us about Israel ?

C. Comment:

      With the arrival of the third day of preparing to meet the Lord, the mountain appears to be covered with what might be described as a great storm, with cloud, thunder and lightning. However, there was also a loud trumpet blast and then smoke and earth shaking. Whatever the physical causes the Lord might have used, the effect was the same – awesome! Not only that, the voice of God calls Moses up the mountain while the people remain at the foot of it. On the mountain the Lord reiterates His command, that the people are to stay at a distance. In the way He says it, it is almost as if He knows that the people would be destroyed by His presence. Again there is something awesome about the presence of God in this.

     The reference to priests indicates there must have already been some structured “religious activity”, perhaps taken into Israel from Egypt . What is happening therefore, is that they are about to be a people transformed from man originated religion to a nation with God revelation.

D. Application?

1. Do we make up a religious ritualistic religion or do we rely entirely on the revelation of God.
2. The Lord’s presence is awesome!