JUL 8

Exodus 19:1-15
Memorise Amos 4:12
“Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud… be ready”

It has been three months since the children of Israel had left Egypt. They had crossed the Red Sea, wandered through the wilderness, fed on man­na and given water from a rock, fought a battle with the Amalekites, and now they have arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai. Three months might seem like a short time, but realise that camping in a desert is no fun at all. They must have been wondering when this journey was going to end, and where this purported Promised Land was. At the same time, the mir­acles of the ten plagues would still be fresh in their minds, as would the subsequent miracles of the parting of the Red Sea, provision of food and water, and the pillar of cloud and fire that followed them. All the while, they would be very conscious that the Lord God Jehovah was with them. Now they had arrived at Mt Sinai, and it was there that Moses gave them a new message from God. They were told to obey the voice of God and keep His covenant. If they did so, then they would be a ‘peculiar treasure’ to God, special and precious to Him, and a ‘kingdom of priests, and an holy nation’. Their response was an excellent one, for they declared ‘all that the Lord hath spoken we will do’.

Now came the time for them to hear the voice of God, and to experience the holiness of God. It was to be a most momentous occasion in the history of man. God was making His presence felt, and His commandments known to man. Thus Moses was told to sanctify them, to impress upon them the significance of the occasion, and the need to prepare themselves well to be ready for the time when the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people. They were told to wash their clothes, as a symbol for the purity required to stand before God. Additionally, they were to observe sexual abstinence in those three days and to devote themselves entirely to religious sanctification and devotion.

As we study the law of God, we too must stand in awe of the holiness and greatness of God, and prepare our hearts to receive His word. We need to examine our hearts and repent of our sins, for we are coming before a Holy God. Whilst we may never experience what Israel experienced that day, we can do well to learn from their preparation, that to meet with God and to hear His word is no trifling matter!

Thought: I should prepare to meet God everyday!
Prayer: Lord, help me to see and know Your holiness.