Exodus 19 -- The Divine Appointment

A quote from my commentary set the tone for this chapter, where God was readying His people to meet Him and hear His voice:  “It took one night to take Israel out of Egypt, but forty years to take Egypt out of Israel.”  And hauntingly, it followed with this:  “How long is it taking the Lord to get us to fly, or are we nestlings who don’t want to be disturbed?”

 

God was emphasizing His holiness compared to their sinfulness.  They rightly had a reason to fear being in the presence of a holy and righteous God.  Moses set up boundaries around Mt. Sinai that the people couldn’t cross without incurring the death penalty.  They also had to prepare themselves to meet God and hear Him speak to them.

 

Their freedom from Egypt wasn’t yet changing them for the better.  My commentary says:  “If freedom doesn’t lead to maturity, then we end up imprisoned in a bondage worse than what we had before, a bondage from within and not from without.  It’s bad enough to be enslaved by an Egyptian taskmaster, but it’s even worse to enslave yourself and become your own taskmaster …  True freedom means that we’re delivered from doing the bad, we’re able to do the good, and we’re accomplishing God’s will on the earth.”

 

God was about to speak to them, and they had to bathe and wash their clothes.  This was something that didn’t happen often back then, especially with 2 million people roaming through a desert wilderness.  It often marked a new beginning.  They cleaned themselves up the best they could, but that was only washing the outside.  Only God could clean up the inside, and it wouldn’t come from ritual – only from relationship with Him.

 

Father, too often I forget the awesome privilege I have to come before You, the Holy God, only through the sacrifice of Your Son.  Let me remember that the price for that was high, and I therefore owe my life to You both.  Forgive me when I fall.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford