Exodus 19 – Got A Meeting At The Mountain

In the third month after Israel left Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. They left Rephidim and came to the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness before the mountain.

Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain (first trip up the mountain). God told Moses to tell the Israelites that they had seen what He did to the Egyptians and bore them on eagles’ wings and brought them to Him. The imagery of eagles’ wings conveys the idea of a loving Father lifting His children far beyond their inherent capacity. He sustained them through tribulation while magnifying their best efforts and endowing them with power to attain His desires for them. Also, the imagery shows the care and protection that eagles instinctively give their offspring learning to fly (source: thechurchnews.com). God told Moses to tell them that if they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant, then they would be a special treasure to Him above all people, for the earth belongs to God. He also said that the people would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So Moses called the elders of the people and told them all the words that the Lord commanded him. The people agreed to do all that the Lord had spoken.

Moses took the words of the people to the Lord (second trip up the mountain). For Moses to go tell the Lord was not for God’s sake (because He already knew, after all He is omniscient), but for the people’s sake. Then God told Moses to go to the people and consecrate them that day and the next day. They were to wash their clothes. This was to get them ready for the third day, which was the day that the Lord would come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. God told Moses to set bounds all around the mountain. He was to tell them not to go up the mountain or touch the base of it because whoever touched the mountain would be put to death. The one touching the mountain was to be stoned or shot with an arrow, regardless as to whether a man or animal. Then this person or beast was not to be touched by anyone. The signal to come to the mountain was going to be a long sounding trumpet.

Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified them and they washed their clothes. He told them to get ready for the third day. One of the stipulations was that there was not to be any sexual intimacy with their wives.

On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain. The sound of the trumpet was very loud so much so that it made all of the people in the camp tremble. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. The smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace and the whole mountain quaked greatly. When the blast of the trumpet sounded long and louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him by voice. The Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up (third trip up the mountain). The Lord told Moses to go down the mountain and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at Him and many perish because of it. The Lord told Moses to let the priests who come near Him, consecrate themselves lest He smite them. Moses said to the Lord that the people couldn’t go up to Mount Sinai and reminded God that He warned them to set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it. God told Moses to go away and get down the mountain. Then he and Aaron could come back up, but not to let the priests and the people break through to come up to Him, lest He would smite them. Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

The next stop on this journey is Exodus 20.

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