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*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:
#.
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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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