MOSES ON THE MOUNT

BOOK OF EXODUS

CHAPTER 19

            Here at Daily Bread, we hope you’re having a wonderful day and we’re glad you could join us today in our study of the book of Exodus.  Jethro, Moses father-in-law, just left Moses and the children of Israel to return to his home in Midian after visiting Moses and giving him advice to choose some godly men from the children of Israel to help him with the less important issues that arise from day to day on their journey to the Promised Land.

            In the third month since the day Israel left the bondage of Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai.  There they camped in front of the mountain.  This is the mountain in Horeb where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush.  Moses went up to God and God called him out of the mountain and said, This is what I want you to say to the house of Jacob, the children of Israel.

            You’ve seen what I’ve done to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.  Now, if you will obey my voice and keep my promise, then you will be a peculiar (special) treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine.  You will be a kingdom of priests to me, a holy nation.  This is what you’ll say to the children of Israel.

            It’s time for a Daily Bread Stick.  Eagles’ wings, refers to God’s divine protection.  Certainly Israel couldn’t have escaped the clutches of Pharaoh and the Egyptians without the hand of the Lord, but we know that hordes of eagles didn’t swoop down and carry the children of Israel over the Red Sea.   We can’t begin to imagine the greatness of God, but with His analogy of eagles’ wings, it’s easier to see things from His compassionate point of view than an adventure movie.  If any of you have seen movies about Moses and when God parted the Red Sea, you can be assured, it was eagles’ wings …  

            Moses called the elders of the people together and set all the words that the Lord said in front of them as the Lord commanded him.  The people answered all together, All that the Lord has said, we will do, and Moses went back up to the Lord and told Him what they said.

            The Lord said to Moses, Listen, I will come to you in a thick cloud so the people may hear when I speak with you and believe you for ever.  Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow and let them wash their clothes and be ready for the third day.  On the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.  And you will set boundaries for the people all around and tell them, be careful that you don’t go up into the mount, or touch the border of it.  Whoever touches the mount will be put to death.  If so much as a hand touches it, he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether it is beast or man, it will not live.  When the trumpet sounds long, the people will come to the bottom of the mount.

            Moses went down from the mount to the people and sanctified them. They washed their clothes and Moses said to them, Be ready for the third day.

            On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud on the mount.  There was the sound of a trumpet so loud that all the people in the camp trembled.  Moses brought the people from the camp to meet with God and they stood at the far part of the mount.  

            Mount Sinai was covered in smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire and the smoke of the fire rose like the smoke of a furnace.  The whole mountain shook.  When the voice of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice.  The Lord came down onto the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses up to the top of the mountain. 

            Moses went up into the mountain and the Lord said, Go down and command the people in case they break through to see the Lord and many of them die.  And let the priests also, that come near to the Lord sanctify themselves or the Lord will destroy them.  Moses said to the Lord, The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai.  You commanded us saying, Set boundaries around the mount and make it holy. 

            God said to Moses, Away, get down, and come back up with Aaron, but don’t let the priests and the people cross the boundaries to come up to the Lord or I will destroy them.  So Moses went down to the people and talked to them.

            In our next story, God will speak to the children of Israel through the smoke on Mount Sinai.  We look forward to you joining us next time at Daily Bread as we continue our study of the book of Exodus.

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