9-15-15. Exodus 19:9-25. Get Consecrated And Come To God – my devotional

Exodus 19:9-25                                                                                                  Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 16-17                                                                                                9-15-15

“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. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.” (NIV)

Part 1: Moses Was The One They Needed To Listen To (9)

Look at verse 9, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.’ Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.”

God was going to appear to Moses in a dense cloud. If he appeared to Moses directly, Moses would be killed, because of God’s extreme holiness. But that didn’t stop God for making a way. He clothed himself in a dark cloud. God was always graceful to his people, creating a means for revealing himself to them. He really wants to reveal his glory.

God appointed Moses to receive his word and teach it to the people. In order to receive God’s word, Moses went up the mountain. The point to this meeting is revealed in verse 9, “…so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.’…”

God’s seal of approval was going to be placed on Moses. They could trust and obey Moses because they saw that he talked with God. Moses was going to be the means by which God would communicate with his people. (He did the same thing when his voice spoke from heaven, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” It was God the Father placing his seal of approval on Jesus, the Son.) There are so many different fingers, pointing us in so many different ways, promising truth. But God points the people to where they should go. His direction is trust worthy. For us today it is to Jesus, the Gospel and the Bible.

Part 2: Sinners Preparing To Meet The Holy God (10-15)

Verses 10-15 reads, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 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. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.” 14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

God taught the people that they needed to consecrate themselves before approaching his presence. This command carried with it certain implications. The fact is, the people were not ready to meet God. It means that the people were not holy because of their sins. They were unholy and needed to consecrate themselves in order to meet the holy God. Prior to this they had no awareness of their own sinfulness or their unworthiness to approach God. In the wilderness they had received his grace and love and yet complained to God and Moses. They were unthankful and still mired in their sins. But now they must learn who they are and to approach God with a healthy fear of God. They needed to have awesome respect for God. Then they could receive his word in their hearts and live in a right relationship with him. And so God, the great educator stooped to their level to teach them his awesome holiness in a way they could understand. If we remain in our pride and self righteousness, we can never come to know the holy God.

God wanted to work through Moses to help his people…

First, Moses was told to go and consecrate the people. Moses was performing a priestly role. That means he was given the task to get the people physically and spiritually ready to meet with their God.

God told them to clean up. For three days they were to wash their clothes and bathe and make themselves as clean as possible. The people were to set themselves apart from sin and even ordinary daily routine in order to dedicate themselves to God. They could not wash away all the sins of their old ways of life, or cleanse themselves from the idolatrous “filth” of Egypt by washing, but washing and scrubbing and cleaning up was a start. By going through this physical process, they could come to realize that God was talking about something much deeper. The act of preparing served to get their minds and hearts ready.

Second, God put strict laws about approaching the mountain. Read verse 12. “Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.” Anyone, man or beast, who touched the mountain of God was sentenced to death by stoning. They were allowed to approach the mountain only when summoned by God himself through the loud blast of a ram’s horn trumpet. (13b) When they assembled before the mountain, there was an awesome display of fireworks. The Lord descended on the mountain with fire, and smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace. The mountain trembled violently (18). God really wanted to teach them about his holiness on an even deeper level than just making them physically preparation. This was to make them realize his incredible holiness.

People must know that God is holy and that they are sinners. Otherwise, how can they know their need for a Savior? How can they be led to repentance and faith?

When we meet God for worship, we need to be consecrated, that is devoted to God.  We should set aside the preoccupations of everyday life to get our mind ready for God.

Nowadays we get ready to meet with God in totally different way. It is by coming to Jesus by faith. Revelation 22:17 reads, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” God will clothe us in his righteousness…in Christ. Then we can come before God the Father, clothed in the righteousness he provides, through faith in Christ. It is inward work of the Holy Spirit. It is not just outward preparation, but inner preparation…a spiritual work.

Part 3: The Lord Made A Way (16-25)

Verses 16-25 read, “16 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. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 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, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” 23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” 24 The Lord replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.”

God really wanted to meet with his people. After all, they were his treasured possession. He never let the sinfulness of the people stop him. He made a way. But it was so dangerous for anyone who was not consecrated and prepared. Look at verse 22b. By stating that he would “break out against them”, the Lord was saying that he would destroy anyone who was not fully consecrated and ready to meet him. It is not that God is unapproachable. In fact he wanted people to approach, but, due the sinfulness of mankind, this approach, at the time, was the best that could be done.

Then it happened. The people assembled at the foot of the mountain. God descended to the top of the mountain in fire and thunder. He showed them his power and glory as smoke billowed up and the mountain trembled. He called Moses to come up. The people trembled in response. Moses continued to stand up and serve his priestly role. In verse 20, “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” He was leading them to God, encouraging them not to be afraid. He didn’t want the people to run off and never meet with God. They needed to know that they needed to approach in God’s way. God wants people to have awesome respect for himself.  We must approach his throne in reverence. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Pr 9:10)

If people attempt to come into the presence of God by any other means than the Cross, spiritual death is the result, and sometime even physical death. They can not pass through the Judgment. But there is a way presented to us, by grace. Jesus is the Way.

Ephesians 2:13-18, “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

I pray that God may work through my life and family, to tell the people to not to be afraid, but come to the Holy God, Jesus Christ. He will consecrate us. He will make us holy by his blood shed on the cross. We can stand in his presence and have eternal life in his kingdom. Praise the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, you are extremely holy. I am a sinner. Consecrate me by your blood and your Spirit and allow me to approach you in reverence.

One Word: Be consecrated by God and approach his holy presence.