Getting to Know the Law

Exodus 19:1-6

TURN TO Exodus 19. Three weeks ago we finished Exodus 18. We studied some events that happened as Israel traveled away from the Red Sea after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt.

Now it has been two months since God delivered them from Egypt, and we come to a critical set of verses READ Exodus 19:1-6.

It is not difficult to see that this is an extremely important moment. God is now establishing a special relationship with these people through a special covenant agreement with them. This is what we usually call “The Law” or the Mosaic covenant. A covenant for the relationship between God and His chosen people.

TURN TO Luke 24. So beginning this week, we embark on an extensive study of “The Law.” This is a precious part of God’s revelation of Himself to us. Unfortunately it is often overlooked, or misunderstood, or just difficult enough that we stay away. But I come into this study with confidence for two reasons: first, I believe in the heart of every true Christian God has placed a desire to know Him, and every true believer wants to understand this part of his Bible.

The second reason I am confident is found here in Luke 24. This passage is not new, but this is a good time to be reminded: READ Luke 24:25-27, 44-45. Here in the Law of Moses, we will find Christ.

TRANSITION: I need you to be patient as I lay the foundation for this study. This study encompasses the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We are building a big building over the next several months, and we dare not lay a quick and cheap foundation. So please be patient as we lay that foundation over the next several weeks.

What is “The Law”?

First, remember that the word for Law, which is the Hebrew word Torah, generally means teaching or instruction or direction. The Torah is the Teaching, The Instructions, the Direction from God. So it’s not a surprise to find that the term Torah, Law, is used in different ways. We’ll list four of them:

1. All of the Old Testament can be referred to as “The Law.” In John 10:34 Jesus quotes from the Psalms and refers to it as “the law.” So all of the Old Testament could be called Torah, God’s direction, for Israel.
2. The Pentateuch can be referred to as “The Law.” The Jews divided the Old Testament into three major section, and Jesus refers to those in Luke 24:44, when he refers to the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The Law in that sense would be the first five books of the Old Testament, the five books written by Moses.
3. The instructions given to Israel through Moses can be referred to as “The Law.” So if you take out the historical narratives from the Pentateuch, and just leave the instructions for Israel, that is “The Law.”
4. The ten commandments are “The Law.” (Ex. 34:27-28) So now we’ve narrowed it all the way down to the Ten Commandments. TURN TO, READ Joshua 8:30-35. Here in these verses you see the term “law” used in two different ways. In verses 34-35, the term “law” refers to #3 on our list, the instructions for Israel. That’s what Joshua reads to them. But in verse 32, the term “law” refers to the ten commandments. Obviously Joshua did not write all of the instructions on those stones while Israel watched Him. That would have taken a massive altar and they would have had to watch him for weeks. The law that he wrote on the altar was the ten commandments. The law that he read to them was all of the Mosaic instructions.

So what are we studying now? Well, we’re studying part of #2 – we’ve already studied from Genesis 1 – Exodus 18, and now we’re going to study the rest of the Pentateuch. We’re especially studying #3, we’re starting into the part of the Pentateuch that contains the laws given through Moses. And we’ll soon be specifically studying #4, the Ten Commandments.

Where was the Law given?

TURN BACK TO Exodus 3. What we know for sure is that a significant portion of the Law was given at an important mountain called Mt. Sinai.

READ Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Moses has his flocks in this mountainous area called Horeb, and interestingly it’s called “the mountain of God.” Moses doesn’t know that God is about to appear to him there. But when God does, God says 

READ Exodus 3:12 "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [plural] shall worship God at this mountain."

Moses is told that he will bring the people of Israel back to this mountain where they will worship God.

READ Exodus 4:27, when Moses heads toward Egypt, he meets Aaron part way at “the mountain of God.” So this mountain keeps showing up.

On their way out of Egypt, when Moses strikes the rock and water comes out for Israel – that happens at Horeb, in that same mountainous region (READ Exodus 17:6). READ Exodus 18:5 tells us that Jethro met Moses at the mount of God.

READ Exodus 19:1-3a

So it is at that mountain, Mt. Sinai in Horeb, where God gives to Moses the rest of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and a good portion of the book of Numbers.

TRANSITION: So we know the law was given at this important mountain – what we don’t know is exactly where that mountain is. I have given you a map in your notes that shows the most commonly supported location. I’m not going to take the time to explain about that, or explain the other options, but I’ve put some extra notes about that in your handout if you’re curious.

[SLIDE] So as you look at that map you see the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived in Egypt. You see a guess about Red Sea crossing. You see Mt. Sinai, in the area of Horeb, down at the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula.

If you look up here at the screen [show satellite photos of the area]. Why don’t we know the exact location? Because frankly it’s not important. The reason Sinai was important was because the presence of God was there. But then they built the tabernacle, and the presence of God traveled with them. And then they built the temple in Jerusalem, and the special presence of God dwelt there. Then Jesus comes, and God in the flesh is here on earth. And he leaves His Spirit who indwells Jesus’ followers, so that Christians are called the temple of the living God. And someday we will spend eternity on a new earth with the presence of God forever. So frankly Sinai loses its significance because God’s presence was only there in a special way temporarily. So when you hear someone say “We’ve found the real Mt. Sinai!” say “OK. That’s fine. Maybe you did, you probably didn’t, regardless it’s not a big deal.” The presence of God now is in His people by His Spirit.  

So that gives you some background about where the law was given. [Slide of map] Except I should mention that Deuteronomy was given later, just before they entered the promised land, so that would be up in the right hand corner of your map, near where the map says “Mount Nebo.” That leads us to the next question,

When was the Law given?

In your notes you see a chart that gives you the chronology as best as I can understand it based on the biblical clues.

You remember that God told them to start their calendar year when they got ready to leave Egypt. And on the 15th day of the first month of their new calendar year, was their last night in Egypt. Two months later they arrived at Mt Sinai. Three days after that, God directly spoke the Ten Commandments to the people from the mountain. Those are recorded in Exodus 20.

That terrified the people, and they asked Moses to be their go-betwee. So Moses went up on the mountain and received the “Book of the Covenant,” which is found in Exodus 20-24.

The next day, they had a ratification ceremony when Israel agreed to this relationship with God.

A week later Moses spent 40 days on the mountain, and God wrote the ten commandments on the tablets and gave Moses the instructions we find in Exodus 24-31, which focused on building the tabernacle.

But in their impatience, Israel turned to idolatry. God sent Moses back down, he smashed the tablets with the ten commandments.

After Moses dealt with Israel’s idolatry, he returned for 40 more days on the mountain. The ten commandments were rewritten and Moses may have received other laws.

After those 40 days, Moses comes back down and they begin building the tabernacle.

That takes about 6 months, and on month 1 day 1 of year two, they finish the tabernacle, they consecrate the priests, and God gives a whole bunch more instruction through Moses. That is recorded in Leviticus and Numbers.

They take a census, and on month 2 day 20 they leave Sinai. So they were at Sinai for 11 months and 5 days.

Now the tabernacle is built, the priests are established, the covenant has been ratified, and now it’s time to enter the promised land. They go up to Kadesh-Barnea, they end in spies – and they chicken out, they don’t believe God can do it. And God promises that everyone over age 20 will die, and for 37 years we don’t really know exactly where they are and what they do. They are years of wandering, years of discipline. But on the first day of the first month of the fortieth year, God leads them back up to Kadesh, then up to the area just East of the Jordan river. From there, they will enter the land. They take a new census, Aaron dies, God gives more instructions through Moses, and Moses preaches his inspired sermon that we call “Deuteronomy,” which means second law – for a second time Moses reminds them of the law and their covenant responsibilities before God.

Moses finishes the written version of the Pentateuch, dies, and in the first month of year 41 then enter Canaan and celebrate the Passover there. Exactly 41 years after the night they left Egypt.

Now that chart in your notes highlights when the different parts of the Law were given. You can see when the different parts, from Genesis through Deuteronomy, were given.

What does the Law contain?

You see in your notes an outline that shows you the content of the rest of the Pentateuch. These books are a big mystery to many Christians. It is all kind of a blur.

Part of the reason it is confusing is because the teachings aren’t always arranged topically. If you look at I-c, “fellowship through holiness,” you see that the teachings on the sacrifices are found in several different places; same thing with the priesthood and holy living and the feasts. So when we get to these parts of the Law, we’ll organize the material topically.

In other words, I’m not going to preach from Exodus 19 one chapter at a time straight through to the end of Deuteronomy. When we come to the sacrifices we’ll put all of those sections together; same thing on the priesthood; etc. So this outline gives you a very general idea of where we’re headed in this series. More importantly, it helps you see the content of these books.

You’ll have to spend some time thinking this through on your own.

I.                    The New Relationship

a.      The Mosaic Covenant formalized (Exodus 19 – 24)

b.      The Tabernacle: provision for fellowship with God (Exodus 25 – 40)

                                                              i.      The Tabernacle (Exodus 25 – 27,  30 – 31)

                                                            ii.      Israel Breaks the Covenant (Exodus 32 – 33)

                                                          iii.      God Restores the Covenant (Exodus 34)

                                                           iv.      The Tabernacle Construction / Israel Obeys the Covenant (Exodus 35 – 40)

c.      Fellowship through Holiness

                                                              i.      The Sacrifices / Offerings (Lev. 1-7; 16-17; Num. 15, 28-29)

                                                            ii.      The Priesthood (Ex. 28-29; Lev. 8-10; 21-22; Num. 3-4, 8, 16-19; Deut. 18:1-8)

                                                          iii.      Holy Living (Lev. 11-15; 18-20; 25-26; Num. 5; Deut. 12-26)

                                                           iv.      Worship and vows (Lev. 23-24, 27; Num. 6, 9, 28-30)

II.                  Preparing to Enter the Promised Land

a.      Preparations of the First Generation (Numbers 1-10)

b.      The Failure of the First Generation (Numbers 10-25)

c.      Preparations of the Second Generation (Num. 26-36; all of Deut. but esp. 1-11, 27-34)

Conclusion

In conclusion I want to show you a simply illustration of why the Law matters. The New Testament speaks fairly strongly about the temporary nature of the Law. So Christians legitimately ask if it even matters today. We will explore that question much more deeply over the next months. But here is a very basic start for us.  

Illustration.

The Law reflects the character of God = Ex. 19:4-6. Ultimately, the Law is God. He is the ultimate standard; all right and wrong is based upon His character. The Law is a window into the character of God.

Secondly, the Law is a reflection of two greatest commandments: to love God with all that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. In Matt. 22:36-40 Jesus said that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. The details of the law are practical expressions of love for God and love for others. The Law is a window into the practical application of the two greatest commandments.

Most importantly, the Law prepares us to understand the glory of Christ, as we saw in Luke 24. As you peer through the window of the Law and see the character of God and the true meaning of the two greatest commandments, you say “Woe is me, I am a man undone, I am unclean, I cannot be near the presence of God, I am cursed.” And then in that same Law you see picture prophecies of the answer – Jesus Christ.

By the gracious work of God’s Spirit we will see these things in the Law, and there will be a gracious work in our hearts of awe and soberness and humility and conviction and joy and excitement and understanding, and you’ll never be the same. I guess that sounds like campaign rhetoric. But shouldn’t it be true: should any Christian be able to study all of this God-given revelation, and end up the same as before. That must not be the case. By God’s grace, we’ll never be the same after we study these things.