God Offers a Covenant
Study note
Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai and camped at the base of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and God spoke to him with a beautiful offer: 'You have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings. If you obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.' The people answered together, 'We will do everything the Lord has said.' This was the beginning of the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
1 Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites reached the Sinai desert. It was on that very day. 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.
2 They had traveled from Rephidim and reached the Sinai desert. There they pitched their tents, camping before the mountain. 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.
3 Moses hiked up the mountain toward God. The Lord called down to him from above: "Here is what I want you to tell Jacob's descendants, the people of Israel:" 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;
4 "'You saw with your own eyes what I did to Egypt. I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you safely to me.'" Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 "'Now, if you will faithfully obey me and honor my covenant, you will be my most treasured people out of every nation on earth. The whole world belongs to me,'" 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:
6 "'but you will serve as my kingdom of priests — a nation set apart and holy.' Go tell the Israelites exactly this." 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.
7 Moses came back down the mountain and called the leaders of the people together. He shared every word the Lord had spoken. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 Every person responded in unison: "We will do everything the Lord has asked!" Moses brought their answer back up to the Lord. 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.
The People Prepare to Meet God
Study note
God told Moses He would come in a thick cloud so the people could hear Him speaking to Moses and believe forever. The people had to prepare themselves for two days by washing their clothes and setting themselves apart as holy. Boundaries were set around the mountain — anyone who touched the mountain would die. Only when a long trumpet blast sounded could the people approach. These strict rules taught Israel that God is holy and cannot be approached carelessly.
9 The Lord told Moses, "I am going to appear to you inside a thick cloud. That way, the people will hear me talking to you directly, and they will always believe in you after that." Moses reported back what the people had said. 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.
10 The Lord told Moses, "Go back to the people and prepare them to meet with me. Have them set themselves apart today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing." And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 "They need to be fully ready by the third day. On that day, the Lord will come down onto Mount Sinai where everyone can see." 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.
12 "Put a boundary around the mountain and tell the people, 'Be very careful! Do not climb the mountain or even touch the edge of it. Anyone who touches this mountain will certainly die.'" 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:
13 "No one is even to touch that person who crosses the line — they must be killed with stones or arrows, whether human or animal. Only when the ram's horn blasts a long note may the people approach the mountain." 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.
14 Moses went back down to the people. He prepared them and set them apart for the meeting with God, and they laundered their clothes. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 Moses told the people, "Be completely prepared by the third day. Do not be intimate with your spouses until then." And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
God Descends on Mount Sinai
Study note
On the third morning, there was thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and a trumpet blast so loud that everyone in the camp trembled. Moses led the people to the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered in smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. The whole mountain shook violently. As the trumpet sound grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. God called Moses to the top of the mountain and warned him again to keep the people back, because anyone who broke through to look at God would die.
16 When the third morning dawned, the mountain erupted with thunder and lightning. A heavy dark cloud draped over it, and an ear-splitting trumpet blast shook the air. Every person in the camp trembled. 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.
17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to come face to face with God. They stood together at the base of the mountain. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 Mount Sinai was engulfed in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. Smoke billowed upward like the smoke of a massive furnace, and the entire mountain shook violently. 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.
19 The trumpet blast kept getting louder and louder. Moses called out to God, and God answered him with a voice like thunder. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20 The Lord came down and settled on the peak of Mount Sinai. He summoned Moses to the very top, and Moses climbed up. 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.
21 The Lord warned Moses, "Go back down and make sure the people do not push past the boundary trying to catch a glimpse of the Lord. If they do, a great number of them will die." 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.
22 "Even the priests who normally approach the Lord must prepare themselves properly. Otherwise, the Lord will strike out against them." And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
23 Moses told the Lord, "The people already cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself told us to set a boundary and treat the mountain as holy." 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.
24 The Lord replied, "Go down and come back up with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not try to push through to approach the Lord, or he will lash out against them." 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.
25 Moses went back down and repeated everything God had said to the people. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.