Glorious Sinai. 3

Moses accordingly summoned the responsible heads of the tribes and made known to them this gracious overture, and we are told, "And all the people answered together, and said: All that the Lord has spoken--we will do!" (verse 8). Convinced of the benignity and propriety of such a proposal--they readily and unitedly signified their consent thereto. Moses at once reported unto the Lord, of Israel's willingness. And He, be it noted, no more regarded their promise of obedience as a carnal and presumptuous boast, than He did Joshua's when he affirmed, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Jos 24:15). So far from being displeased, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever" (Exo 19:9). That is, all room for thinking he might have imposed upon them, would be removed. When he first informed them of the Lord's appearing to him at the back side of the desert, and that He had looked upon their affliction, "the people believed" (Exo 4:29-31); but a little later, upon Pharaoh's increased severity--they murmured against Moses and Aaron; and when he announced that the Lord would redeem them with an outstretched arm and bring them into the land which He swore to give unto their fathers, "they hearkened not unto Moses" (Exo 6:9).

But now they would know that the Law he would deliver unto them was indeed the Lord's, since they had heard with their own ears that which He spoke unto them. That "thick cloud" intimated they were not to pry into "secret things"; and since dreadful thunderings and lightnings issued from it continually, to command an awe-inspiring adoration of that which was "revealed" (Deu 29:29). The Voice speaking out of that cloud was, as said above, also designed to put honor upon Moses, to firmly establish him in the confidence of Israel as Jehovah's viceregent, that henceforth they should believe his testimony and receive the commandments of God without question.

Our readiness to hear and heed the Lord's ministers is often rewarded by His speaking to us in power, direct from His Word. "And the Lord said unto Moses: Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people" (Exo 19:10-11). Here again there is a double emphasis placed upon that to which we called attention in connection with the opening verse of this chapter: it was not only in the "third month," but on the third day of it that this glorious transaction took place--three being the number of manifestation, for it was here at Sinai that the person and perfections of Jehovah were so illustriously displayed (compare Deu 5:24). The demand for them to be sanctified, was a call to turn aside from their ordinary activities, and devote the intervening time to self-examination, meditation, and prayer--that their hearts and minds might be prepared for a drawing near unto the Holy One. The washing of their clothes was to teach them the Lord will only draw near unto those who are morally clean (see James 4:8)--it is sin which separates from God (Isa 59:2).

"Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them: Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death" (Exo 19:12). All of these instructions were duly carried out by Moses and the people.

"On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently!" (Exo 19:16-18). Everything was designed to fill them with reverence and godly fear, as they assembled to meet with their mighty Redeemer and King. The visible tokens of His presence, His tremendous appearance before them, the terrifying phenomena--were the insignia of the dignity and honor of such a magnificent Being. The manifestation of Jehovah's glory and the splendor of His majesty, demonstrated the loftiness and holiness of the One with whom they were here covenanting.

Turning now to Exodus 20, the first thing which requires to be attended to, is that the One who promulgated the Law on this memorable occasion was none other than God the Son! This is made clear from Psalm 68. First, we are told there, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place" (verse 17). "When the Law was given, for Christ was there then…which Sinai is called the holy place from the presence of God there and the Law given from it"--John Gill (1697-1771). Then, in the next verse, we are enabled to definitely identify which of the Persons of the Godhead is there specifically in view: "You [the One just mentioned, 'the Lord'] have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive: you have received gifts for men; yes, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." That very passage is quoted in Ephesians 4:7-13 and is expressly appropriated unto Christ Himself! There was a vast assembly of the angels congregated at Sinai, and Christ, the great "Angel" or "Messenger" (same word) of the covenant (see Exo 23:20; Isa 63:9; Mal 3:1) was at the head of and in the midst of them.

In the above passage, Christ is pictured as a mighty Prince and Conqueror, with a retinue of the celestial beings as His attendants, coming forth to take possession of His throne in Israel's midst. How that added to the luster of glorious Sinai on this unprecedented occasion, is at once evident. Most blessed, too, was what it foreshadowed: "The glorious ascending of God from Sinai, after the giving of the Law, was a representation of His ascending up far above all heavens that He might fill all things; and as He then 'led captivity captive' in the destruction of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who had long held His people in captivity and cruel bondage, so dealt the Lord Christ in the destruction and captivity of Satan and all his forces (Col 2:15)"--John Owen (1616-1683).

Christ, attended by the celestial hosts at Sinai, was designed to adumbrate the blessed fact that the holy angels are "all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Heb 1:14). As Thomas Manton (1620-1677) remarked on Psalm 68:17, "The Psalmist speaks of Christ as the Mediator and King of His Church: no kingdom has such defense, and such potent and numerous armies to fight their battles as the Church has."

Though no direct mention of this striking feature be made in Exodus, yet there are quite a few passages in Holy Writ which refer to the same. Thus, "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of his holy ones" (Deu 33:2). "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels" (Act 7:53). "Wherefore then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator" (Gal 3:19). "For if the word spoken by angels [that is the Law] was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation"! (Heb 2:2-3), which is now proclaimed by the Gospel.

Christ was the One in their midst and the Speaker of what was said on Sinai--as is further proved by Acts 7:37-38: "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me [Moses]; him shall you hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him [Moses] in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us."

In the second place, let us attend closely to the particular aspects in which the divine Lawgiver presented Himself unto Israel on this occasion. This comes out clearly in His opening words to them. The "God spoke all these words, saying," of Exodus 20:1 is simply an introductory remark of the inspired historian; it is the next verse which records His initial declaration, namely, "I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." That personal announcement prefacing the Ten Commandments calls for our study and admiration. There God announced Himself in a threefold character.

First, "I am Jehovah," the self-existent and self-sufficient One, the Fountain of all being, and therefore having the incontestable right to command them, and all creatures. It was the great "I am" who addressed them, the eternal and immutable One--a representation infinitely elevated above all the concepts of idolatry and ancient philosophy.

Next Part Glorious Sinai. 4

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