3.5. "LET THEM BE READY " (Exodus 19:9-15)

The Lord declared He would authenticate Moses as the mediator to the people.

Exodus 19:9 "Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever."

Hearing God speak to Moses should cure their murmuring and give them all the reason not to disbelieve him again. But they did later on in the wilderness journey. God put them without excuse.

Exodus 19:10 "... Go to the people and sanctify them ..." (A.V.)

There had to be a ceremonial cleansing to make them fit to meet God. The practical preparation included cleansing of body and clothing (Exodus 19:10 ), confining of the people to camp by placing barriers around the mountain (Exodus 19:12,13 ) and abstaining from marriage relations (Exodus 19:15 ).

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

We have a true and perfect sanctification, for Christ Jesus has been made sanctification unto us.

1 Corinthians 1:30 "... you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;"

3.6. "THEN IT CAME TO PASS" (Exodus 19:16-25)

We have a description of the majestic accompaniments to the presence of God. They appear in the account of the scene in the epistle to the Hebrews, where we have a contrast between the old covenant and the new.

Hebrews 12:18-19 "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore."

Reading on through Hebrews 12:20-29, the emphasis is on the contrast of our coming to Mount Zion, the spiritual city - to the church of the firstborn ones, that is New Testament believers, the body of Christ. We have come to the eternal kingdom which cannot be shaken. We, the so privileged, are to:

Hebrews 12:28, 29 "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."

In Christ we experience the most intimate, holy presence of God in contrast to Israel (Exodus 19:19,20-25 ).

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP INTERACTION

1. How did God authenticate the ministry of Moses to the people?
   • Do you believe that any future murmuring was inexcusable?

2. What purification preparation did God insist on before allowing the people to come before Him?
   • Did ceremonial washing and abstinence actually purify?
   • Did it rather distinguish the difference between heathen idolatrous, religious conduct and that of approaching and offering one's life to the living God?
   • How are you told as a believer to approach (Hebrews 4:16 )?
   • What is it to have true and perfect sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30 )?
   • Is sanctification achieved by a faith union with Christ (Acts 26:18 ) and by identifying with the death and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:1-11 )?
   • On what do you depend when you need cleansing (1 John 1:7-9 )?
   • What effectually sets you apart to the Lord on a continuing basis (John 17:17 )?
   • Are you reckoning on the work of the Holy Spirit in your sanctification (Romans 15:16: 1 Peter 1:2 )?

3. What accompaniments to the presence of God caused the people of Israel to tremble (Hebrews 12:18-21 )?
   • What is the contrast in your coming to Mount Zion, the spiritual city (Hebrews 12:22-24 )?
   • Why are you to "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28-29 )?

4. Do you find it strange that God should summon Moses up the mountain to commune, only to send Him straight back again to the people (Exodus 19:21 )?
   • For whom did God have concern?
   • Can you see how pushing into the Lord's place, acting presumptuously instead of living by the Lord's Word (Matthew 4:4 ) a people perish (Revelation 2:5 ), or what started as a move of God, ends?

5. Who were the priests in Exodus 19:22 since the priesthood of Aaron's family was not yet established?
   • Are we to understand that the priests were the firstborn sons of each tribe, kept from the judgment on the firstborn of Egypt, and consecrated to the Lord for His service (Exodus 13:2 )?
   • Are the duties of the priests to come near to the Lord?
   • Did they, like the people, need to consecrate themselves (Hebrews 12:14 )?
   • Do you agree that the truth emphasised is that no one on their own terms or by their own righteousness (Isaiah 64:6 ) can assert the right to officiate before the Lord?
   • Are you glorying in the perfect sacrifice of Christ that perfected you forever, and continues to set you apart to God (Hebrews 10:14 )?
   • Are you taking action by turning from iniquity, showing yourself to be the Lord's "vessel of honour," set apart "and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:19, 21 )?