EXODUS
CHAPTER
19
1. On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They had journeyed from Raphidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 1 to 2)
On reflecting this is the journey of life that we are still walking every day of our life. All our plans, agendas or projects all reach their apex when appearing before the Mountain of God, who is the primary focus of our lives, that is only if we give Him the priority in our life. Even if we do not all our plans without our being aware have their roots in God, even though we may not yet believe in Him. He is a super navigator.
In order to view the route fashioned by God from Egypt to the wilderness of Sinai please click on the following link:
In relation to the route leading to Mount Sinai our source Mr R. Russel has generously given me the permission to publish the following image:
(Contributed by Mr R.Russel
at http://www.bible-history.com/geography/maps/map_sinai_peninsula.html)
3. Then Moses went up to God; the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on my eagle's wings and brought you to myself.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 3 to 4)
During our moments of reflection or maybe when we feel a bit down in the dumps, that may lead us to consider making rash decisions we are to refer back to those blessed moments when we experienced God as being super active in our lives and give Him thanks.
5. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed the whole earth is mine, 6. but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites."
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 5 to 6)
On reflecting God does not ask too much of us. Nothing more than what we parents expect of our children, that is their love and obedience. As a loving father this is what god expects of us. Moreover although God is the owner of the World if we obey Him we will be His prized possession the apple of his eye. This message that was to be transmitted to the Israelites is being given to us even as we read and pray over this biblical verse. God is making this covenant with us today the choice is ours to make.
7. So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8. The people all answered as one: "Every thing that the LORD has spoken we will do."Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 7 to 8)
9. Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after." When Moses had 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. Have them wash their clothes 11. and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 9 to 11)
Now that the people had accepted to obey the will of God and be His people bound by an eternal covenant, God decided to come closer into their lives and manifest Himself to them. The same happens with us. In the beginning of my conversion God was a distant person
(Vince editor of this chapter) I was born in the Christian faith, but my relationship with Him was still underdeveloped as much as I was at the time. On joining a group of people who all had the same aim that of following God, he started my spiritual transformation. This group was called the 'Neocatechumenal Way'. More information about this group can be found by clicking on the following link:
Please click to follow
Throughout these years of formation God chose a particular moment by which He came close to me and has been with me ever since. A week before my 18th birthday I had a dream in which God told me in a vision to leave all I had in order to follow Him. At the time I did not understand what He meant by this calling but in time today I realize the true message of that calling. If it was not for that special intervention in my life I would not be praying on the Word of God and sharing it with all who are interested.
12. You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death 13. No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows, whether animal or human being, they shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain."
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 12 to 13)
Verses 12 to 13 show us the value of humility, obedience and the respect of boundaries towards our fellow persons and most of all towards God. When we feel that we are growing in our relationship with God that is measured by how much we are growing in our relationships with others, we start feeling the need to give more to others and feel more in the Spirit of God. We may risk violating set boundaries. We are still babies in our relationship with God, therefore we cannot embark on a personal mission of saving souls on earth. If God wants this from us He will personally transmit this to us. In the mean time we need to keep on growing and respect God's boundaries by growing according to God's will. If we rush the first tribulation that comes our way is enough to extinguish our flame of faith and motivation because like babies we are not yet strong enough. Therefore God set boundaries for His chosen people in order to train them in obedience and self-control.
14. So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, "Prepare for the third day, do not go near a woman."
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 14 to 15)
Every time we meet God we need to prepare ourselves for our meeting with Him, because when meeting with God we are meeting with a very important person. One means that is of great help is to go for confession before receiving Him so that as much as being physically clean we may also be spiritually clean which is just as important.
16. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
(Exodus chapter 19 verse 16)
God manifested himself to His people. He presented Himself to them as an almighty powerful God more than as a loving father as in the New Testament. God manifests Himself according to the level of development that He has enabled us to reach.
16. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
(Exodus chapter 19 verse 16)
God manifested himself to His people. He presented Himself to them as an almighty powerful God more than as a loving father as in the New Testament. God manifests Himself according to the level of development that He has enabled us to reach.
17. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 17 to 18)
In order to help visualize and imagine this awesome moment in the life of God's chosen people please click on the following link;
God on Mount Sinai
19. As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. 20. When the LORD descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 19 to 20)
God invited Moses to have a mountain top experience with Him. These are special moments in our life that often take place during moments of either great crisis or moments of inspiration. God makes use of such moments in order to pass His message on to us. God gives us an opportunity where He can have personal contact with us.
21. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD to look; otherwise many of them will perish. 22. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves or the LORD will break out against them."
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 21 to 22)
God strictly ordered that anything or anybody coming close to Him was to be pure. This is why some of us lead a long life on earth, so that during this time they have the opportunity to reach a level of purification which at times is reached by many sufferings. A long life is therefore a blessing. It is a golden opportunity for us to reflect and change our ways with the help of God.
23. Moses said to the LORD, "The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai: for you yourself warned us, saying, Set limits; around the mountain and keep it holy.'
(Exodus chapter 19 verse 23)
Moses as if tried to remind God that a few minutes before He had prohibited all the people from coming into contact with the mountain and now he was making an exception to the priests, who although clean as priests also needed to be consecrated. In our lack of trust even towards God we still try to find loop holes in God's ways in order to make them suit our agendas. In this respect the Word of God is constantly being abused by groups who interpret the Word of God in contrary to the teachings of God by means of the Roman Catholic Church (Vince: God help and protect me from falling into the same trap!!)
24. The LORD said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the LORD; otherwise he will break out against them." 25. So Moses went down to the people and told them.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 24 to 25)
God had indeed planned an exception and this permitted Aaron to go up the Mountain. Aaron was a person from God and Moses' inner circle and not an outsider like the rest of the people. As in the case of Moses Aaron had been an instrument in the liberation process of the people from the bondage of Egypt, therefore both himself and his role in assisting God had been special. Our prayer is to be that we also make part of God's inner circles as He permits us to grow in our relationship with Him and then He will be able to use us in order to accomplish particular roles. As Christians, parents, teachers, students and many more functions God has already assigned to us roles that are to be considered as being special in themselves. Therefore we are always to pray to God in helping us to carry out these roles that are becoming more challenging throughout the times.
The author of this chapter Mary Geveetha chose to end this chapter with the following prayer:
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 17 to 18)
In order to help visualize and imagine this awesome moment in the life of God's chosen people please click on the following link;
God on Mount Sinai
19. As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. 20. When the LORD descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 19 to 20)
God invited Moses to have a mountain top experience with Him. These are special moments in our life that often take place during moments of either great crisis or moments of inspiration. God makes use of such moments in order to pass His message on to us. God gives us an opportunity where He can have personal contact with us.
21. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD to look; otherwise many of them will perish. 22. Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves or the LORD will break out against them."
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 21 to 22)
God strictly ordered that anything or anybody coming close to Him was to be pure. This is why some of us lead a long life on earth, so that during this time they have the opportunity to reach a level of purification which at times is reached by many sufferings. A long life is therefore a blessing. It is a golden opportunity for us to reflect and change our ways with the help of God.
23. Moses said to the LORD, "The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai: for you yourself warned us, saying, Set limits; around the mountain and keep it holy.'
(Exodus chapter 19 verse 23)
Moses as if tried to remind God that a few minutes before He had prohibited all the people from coming into contact with the mountain and now he was making an exception to the priests, who although clean as priests also needed to be consecrated. In our lack of trust even towards God we still try to find loop holes in God's ways in order to make them suit our agendas. In this respect the Word of God is constantly being abused by groups who interpret the Word of God in contrary to the teachings of God by means of the Roman Catholic Church (Vince: God help and protect me from falling into the same trap!!)
24. The LORD said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the LORD; otherwise he will break out against them." 25. So Moses went down to the people and told them.
(Exodus chapter 19 verses 24 to 25)
God had indeed planned an exception and this permitted Aaron to go up the Mountain. Aaron was a person from God and Moses' inner circle and not an outsider like the rest of the people. As in the case of Moses Aaron had been an instrument in the liberation process of the people from the bondage of Egypt, therefore both himself and his role in assisting God had been special. Our prayer is to be that we also make part of God's inner circles as He permits us to grow in our relationship with Him and then He will be able to use us in order to accomplish particular roles. As Christians, parents, teachers, students and many more functions God has already assigned to us roles that are to be considered as being special in themselves. Therefore we are always to pray to God in helping us to carry out these roles that are becoming more challenging throughout the times.
The author of this chapter Mary Geveetha chose to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Almighty Father, creator of the universe and God of all glory and praise, Thank You for making your power magnificent on the highest mountain. In the thundering and lightning, in the sound of the loud trumpet, in the thick cloud of smoke of furnace, You spoke through Your prophet and made your people gaze upon You in eminence.
We thank You Father for giving us Lord Jesus. In His obedience to Your will, in His death and blood, He has purchased us an everlasting covenant called Grace between You our God and us Your people. By His sacrifice He tore the veil between You and Your people, that we could worship and talk to You without fear.
We pray Father to sanctify ourselves in a deeper purer relationship with You through our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray to be a people privileged to be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation before You.
We pray that in prayer we obey Your voice and keep Your commandments and establish love peace and joy in all things. We pray to be a people worthy of Your mercy and grace.
We pray in the precious name of Jesus,
Thank You God
Amen.
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