So, eventually, the God’s people arrived at Sinai. They have been set free from slavery, and now they are to enter willingly into another type of relationship – a covenant relationship with the Lord.

At Sinai, the people received the Law and the Tabernacle. The Law gave them a way to be obedient to the Lord, and the Tabernacle gave them a way to worship the Lord. God expects Israel to play their own part in the covenant (see verse 5) but he also provides them with what they need to do what he is asking. He truly is a wonderful provider.

What we read in chapter 19 is about preparation. God is going to prepare the people to receive the Law by revealing himself publicly to Moses. This way, the people will trust that Moses speaks on the Lord’s behalf. The people must prepare themselves for the Lord’s presence on Mount Sinai by cleansing themselves and agreeing to behave in a way that acknowledges the absolute holiness of the Lord.

God offered the Israelites three things. He would make them his special possession, make them a kingdom of priests, and make them a holy nation, set apart from the others. The Israelites were understandably keen to accept God’s offer but, as we read again and again in Scripture, they too often struggled to keep up their side of the agreement – to obey the Lord.

It’s the same struggle that we face daily in our Christian lives. How thankful we can be, then, that the covenant that God made with Moses was a temporary one which was fulfilled by the death of Christ. The Law of the Lord has much to teach us, but it is by grace that we are saved, through faith in the saving works of the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah!

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH