Exodus 19
Verse 1 – In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
I. Israel came into the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the third month after they came out of Egypt.
A. The term “same day” refers to the first day of the third month.
B. According to Exodus 12:3, Israel separated the Passover lamb on the 10th day of the first month.
1. The lamb was separated until the 14th day of the first month when it was killed at the evening.
2. Remember the Jewish day begins at evening, or when the sun was going down; therefore the Passover lamb was killed at the beginning of the 14th day, and eaten before midnight of that day when the Lord passed over Egypt and killed all the firstborn who were not covered by the blood.
3. Israel left Egypt on the 14th day of the first month, therefore they traveled away from Egypt for 16 days that first month, counting the 14th as the first day of travel and counting 30 days in the first month.
4. Counting 30 days in the second month, Israel had traveled from Egypt 46 days when they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
5. They will prepare themselves for the receiving of the law for three days, then on the 50th day from the exodus from Egypt, God appears on Mt. Sinai, giving them the Ten commandments.
C. The feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is 50 days from the Passover.
1. Exodus 34:22 states, And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
2. Deuteronomy 16:9-10 states, Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. 10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
3. The feast of Pentecost is also described in Numbers 28:26-31 and Leviticus 23:9-23.
4. The 50 days is calculated from the …morrow after the Sabbath… or the Passover day. Leviticus 23:15,16 states, And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
II. Many commentaries state that the receiving of the law is the birthday of the nation of Israel, and the comparable time (the day of Pentecost) is the birthday of the Christian church.
A. They are totally and completely in error.
1. They do not understand the New Testament.
2. They do not understand what the Feast of Pentecost means in the grand scheme of God’s eternal plan.
B. The New Testament makes it clear that Christ organized the church during his personal ministry.
1. Therefore the church could not have been “born” on the Day of Pentecost.
2. Christ already organized the church.
3. The church received the external manifestation of the internal authority and power (which they received from Christ in John 20:22) of God on the Day of Pentecost.
4. It makes no sense to say the church was born on the Day of Pentecost and it makes no sense to say that Israel was born when they received the law of God, as both assumptions are wrong.
C. God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees; informing him that he would be used of God to form a great nation.
1. The Old Testament repeatedly states that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel, and that before Egypt.
2. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were as much a part of the nation of Israel as Peter, James and John were members of the first church.
III. The law of God is what separates Israel from all other nations, just as the external power of God separates the church of the Lord Jesus Christ from all other churches.
A. The law of God was given by God to separate Israel from all other nations, because they were to have a higher standard of living than all other nations.
1. Israel was not supposed to be forced to obey the law of God.
a. God intended the law to be a constant reminder to Israel that they belonged to him.
b. Numbers 15:37-41 states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
1) The ribband of blue is a single thread sewed into the inside of the hem of every garment.
2) It is not a broad, wide blue strip of cloth placed on the outside of the garment as the Pharisees observed during the time of Christ.
c. The whole purpose of the law is to constantly remind Israel they are different from all the nations of people.
2. Israel was not supposed to force others to obey the law of God, except as others willingly placed themselves under that law.
a. Israel was never commanded to kill others who did not obey the law of God except in a war or battle.
b. Israel was continually ordered by God to enforce the law of God upon its citizens.
1) Numbers 15:32-36 – Israel was ordered to stone the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
2) God never intended for Israel to try to force other nations to obey the law God gave to them.
B. Pentecost power is reserved exclusively for the Lord’s local churches, which trace their heritage to Christ.
1. Today, few Baptist churches reflect the power of Christ.
a. I hesitate to say it is God’s fault that his power is not reflected today.
b. I also hesitate to say it is completely the fault of God’s people, although much of the blame must lie with us.
c. We are living in the last of the last days, when the power of Satan is increasingly filling the land, just as prophecy declares.
2. There are many instances of God’s power in churches, but that power is not what the world expects or desires.
a. The following scriptures relate what God expects of his churches.
1) John 13:35 – By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
2) 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
3) 1 Peter 2:17 – Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
b. I do not doubt that God’s churches have failed to be a good witness for Christ, as we often doubt he is able to do in us what he calls us to do.
1) God wants his churches to live by faith, stepping out on his promises and do “impossible” things instead of relying on their own resources.
2) Ephesians 3:14-21 is Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus.
a) Note the entire prayer speaks about spiritual growth and a continual growing dependence on Christ.
b) Verse 20 reveals that God can do …exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.
c) I Thessalonians 5:19 – God will not force us to use the power he gives to us, but will allow us to quench the spirit.
c. The following is what men generally expect in a “powerful” church.
1) A very large building, with an impressive attendance.
2) A lot of activities, many of which are not Bible based.
a) A gym with all the related activities.
b) Different activities for different ages.
c) Something happening (not Godly activities) every day and night.
3) “Moving church services” where the flesh is entertained and fulfilled.
4) The “church” having a reputation in the community, instead of Christ having a reputation.
5) The church must be “growing” in attendance, with plans to grow even bigger. [1]
Verse 2
– For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai,
and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
Verse 3
– And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain,
saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of
Israel;
Verse 4
– Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’
wings, and brought you unto myself.
Verse 5
– Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye
shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is
mine:
Verse 6
– And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are
the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Verse 7
– And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their
faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
Verse 8
– And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken
we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
Verse 9
– And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the
people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses
told the words of the people unto the LORD.
Verse 10
– And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and
to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Verse 11
– And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down
in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Verse 12
– And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to
yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it:
whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
Verse 13
– There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot
through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet
soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
Verse 14
– And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people;
and they washed their clothes.
Verse 15
– And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your
wives.
Verse 16
– And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders
and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet
exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Verse 17
– And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they
stood at the nether part of the mount.
Verse 18
– And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it
in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole
mount quaked greatly.
Verse 19
– And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder,
Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
Verse 20
– And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD
called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Verse 21
– And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break
through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Verse 22
– And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves,
lest the LORD break forth upon them.
Verse 23
– And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for
thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
Verse 24
– And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou,
and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to
come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
Verse 25 – So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.