Getting Egypt Out of Israel: Covenant @ Sinai

Introduction

Objective (AI): Explore God's covenant with Israel at Sinai, emphasizing holiness, obedience, and its relevance to us as New Covenant believers.

----------------

Context Recap:

Left off: 19:1-2 — Arriving @ SINAI ~~ 2 MONTHS after EXODUS

Discussion: Do we remember why THIS was SIGNIFICANT? —Sinai as destination

Fulfilled God’s Promise (Ch. 3) Serve God on this mountain

Significant Detour!

Canaan = Northeast

Sinai = Southeast!

SINAI = INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

Stay here nearly 1 year

Receive law

Tabernacle

Leviticus

Leave in Numbers Ch. 10!

----------------

----------------

II. Initiating the Covenant (Ex. 19:3-6)

Read Exodus 19:3–6 (ESV)

3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:

4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

7/8 Different times in Exodus—Moses will go up mountain—meeting w/ God.

--------

God Speaks:

(V4) Recounts deliverance—bringing Israel out of Egypt

(V5a) Issues covenant

(v5b-6) Offers to be His people:

Treasured possession

Kingdom of priests

Holy nation

God offers covenant

Background: Covenant (Berit) = Binding legal agreement

I’ll be your God.

You be my people.

Discussion: Do you see why it’s special for them to be God’s people?

(v5b) All the earth = rightfully His!

--------

Chosen to be God’s special people/holy nation

Holy: separate/set apart; marked off, distinct.

All of Leviticus— in 2 sessions— is about this!

----------------

Discussion: Living in EGYPT 400 years— probably MESHED W/ EGYPTIAN PRACTICES?

Red Sea = Getting Israel out of Egypt

—>> Sinai = Getting Egypt out of Israel <<—

--------

Relevance: Do you think we ever lose sight of right & wrong because of the culture we live in?

God wants a special/distinct people

treasured possession

kingdom of priests

holy nation

Transition: Do the people go along w/ it?

----------------

----------------

III. The People’s Agreement and Consecration (Ex. 19:7-15)

ReadExodus 19:7–15 (ESV)

7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord,

10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments

11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.

13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments.

15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

People Respond: People agree (v8) We’ll do what God says!

God Responds: Command for consecration

Consecration = “holying” setting oneself apart/separating oneself.

Takeaway: An unholy people can’t go casually before a holy God.

--------

Discussion: Remember what God said to Moses @ burning bush?

take off your sandals— this is holy ground.

--------

I. God’s chosen/special people… need 48 HR PERIOD of CONSECRATION!

Moses consecrated them

Washing garments

Abstaining from intercourse (ceremonially unclean)

Relationship to God = #1 — before marital relationships!

II. Marked boundaries around Mt. Sinai (v.12-13)

Electric fence/keep out/ danger!

Transgressors would be killed!

--------

Reflection/Warning: How quick we are to take His presence lightly!

We can come w/ confidence (Heb. 4:15-16) but we shouldn’t come w/ indifference!

Relevance: Do we ever take time to prepare our hearts??

Transition: People were preparing for encounter w/ God—

Now,, God will meet w/ them:

🐢🐢🐢 --- 40 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

IV. God’s Theophany and the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19:16-20:17)

Read Theophany: Exodus 19:16–25 (ESV)

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.

18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.

20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish.

22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”

23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.”

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

God descends! Amazing encounter w/ living God! (v18, 20)

Clarification: He doesn’t live on Mt. Sinai—but willingly condescends to speak w/ humans!

--------

Reflection: Isn’t it amazing to consider God has made Himself knowable?

But again—God is holy & not to be trifled with!

--------

Discussion: (v.22, 24) Describe God “breaking out?” — Does anyone remember the story of UZZAH & the ARK?

Same Hebrew word— for God “breaking out” against Uzzah!

Takeaway: Holy God — Must be taken seriously.

Transition: Moses = bringing the words of God:

10 Commandments (20:1-17)

ReadExodus 20:1–2

1 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

1st God recounts who He is & What He’d done.

***Discussion**Very Important** Do you see what God did,, before He gave them the Law?

Salvation/Grace/Redemption came first

God chose them first.

THEN—as His people—they were GIVEN the LAW...

Even in OT Grace precedes works!

Transition: The 10 commandments, fairly familiar:

----------------

----------------

Read (v.3-17)

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

10 Commandments = not comprehensive individually,, but categorically.

First four: Love God (no other gods, no idols, honor God’s name, keep Sabbath).

Last six: Love others (honor parents, no murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, coveting).

----------------

----------------

Turn & Read: Matthew 22:37–40 (ESV)

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

38 This is the great and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Loving God & Loving neighbor = whole essence of the Law.

Transition: We’ll see the People’s Response (V18-21):

----------------

----------------

Turn back & Read Exodus 20:18–21 (ESV)

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off

19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Reflection/Discussion: I can imagine this was frightful, right?

People demanded mediation—Moses go to God.

Purpose: God’s testing—so as NOT to SIN...

Transition: But because it’s inevitable,, GOD GIVES MEASURES for WORSHIP/CLEANSING:

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

V. Civil Laws and Worship Instructions (Ex. 20:22-23:33)

Read Exodus 20:22–26 (ESV)

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.

24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.

26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

Instructions for Worship: Burnt Offerings & Peace Offerings

Background:

Burnt offering — Whole animal burned

“Total loss” for worship

A True “sacrifice”

Represented whole devotion,, forgiveness for sin.

Peace offering— animal offered

part went to God

part went to priests

part went to worshipper

Represented peace/fellowship w/ God, communion.

----------------

----------------

Summarize: Ch.21:1-23:19 — Specific Applications of Big 10

Example: Husbands love your wives… what’s that look like?

Buy flowers

Help w/ dinner & dishes

Dates

**All these laws would shape Israel as a holy nation—distinct from those around them**

----------------

----------------

Summarize: 23:20-32 God promises the conquest of Canaan for His people

Transition/Summary:

God has offered terms for covenant

Big 10— many applications

Now, TIME for RATIFICATION

🐢🐢🐢 --- 15-20 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

VI. Covenant Ratification (Ex. 24:1-18)

Read Exodus 24:1–3 (ESV)

1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.

2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Moses gives God’s law to the people:

Big 10

Also content of Ch. 21-23

People respond: we’ll do it!

Transition: Now, they’re going to secure in blood:

----------------

----------------

ReadExodus 24:4–8 (ESV)

4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord.

6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar.

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Covenant = Sealed w/ Blood

Israel = already sinful people— here atonement is made.

--------

Discussion: (v.5) Do you see the two kinds of offerings made?

Burnt & Peace— same as foretold in 20:22-26

Total commitment—burnt

Communion/Fellowship w/ God—peace

BLOOD is thrown at the ALTAR (representing God’s side)

& UPON PEOPLE

Unusual, kind of: ZIBBC: “In a sense, the people are now part of what has been offered to Yahweh.

The blood also seems to make binding the people’s commitment to abide by the obligations that the agreement places on them. Their submitting to the sprinkling may be compared to signing a contract today.”[1]

Transition: If someone wants to CLOSE the STUDY:

ReadExodus 24:9–18 (ESV)

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up,

10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.

11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”

13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.

14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Magnificent encounter w/ God!

(V12) Moses summoned for tablets

He’ll be gone 40 days...

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

VII. New Covenant Connections

Key Point: God is a God of covenants {REF. BOARD}

Adamic

Noahic

Mosaic/Sinaitic

Davidic

New Covenant

--------

As New Covenant believers we’re GOD’S SPECIAL, CHOSEN PEOPLE...

1 Peter 2:9–10 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Exhortation: God has taken believers out of darkness,, made us a holy nation,, special for Him!

Do we reflect this??

--------

Through Christ we have peace with God (Rom. 5:1)//Peace offering

Our response: Burnt/Whole Offering:

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We offer our whole selves—like a burnt offering— back to God.

To be His special, devoted people,, separated (holy) from the world.

Discussion: How do we know how we ought to live?

We go to His Law (Word)

Illustration: Computer Teacher,, no rubric = frustrating!

God gives us a rubric!

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

DEDICATION = PROVEN THROUGH OBEDIENCE.

NOT JUST SAYING WE LOVE GOD,, BUT SHOWING IT.

Closing Challenges:

How can you OFFER YOURSELF as a LIVING SACRIFICE this week?

What AREAS of LIFE are DISTINCT because of Christ?

Opportunity: Any Thoughts/Questions?

Close in Prayer