"Quaking Before the Mount that Quaked"

(Exodus 19)
Rev. Barry Gritters

Exodus 19                                                          May 4, 2003 PM
     A. Israel finally arrives at Sinai to receive the law. Here, God constitutes them as a kingdom of priests.
     B. Before this, though, Israel must learn about Jehovah--His holiness, majesty. When they do they tremble!
THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS
(#6)"QUAKING BEFORE THE MOUNT THAT QUAKED"
I. The Essential Relation of Israel to Jehovah
     A. Israel’s God's precious possession of love. The Old Testament form of God's revelation here (fire, smoke, thunder, earthquakes, etc) must not obscure the essential covenant relation of love.
          1. Israel belongs to Jehovah in love. The text points that out in a number of ways:
 
          2. God's church must always know this.
 
     B. Israel’s God's precious possession, which God makes into a kingdom of priests, a holy nation
          1. They are kings and priests (see I Peter 1:9 and Revelation 1:6).
 
          2. Therefore, they are designated a holy nation.


II. The Old Covenant Manifestation of This Relation
     A. Even though this was the relation, they trembled before the fiery, thundering, quaking mount
          1. Although the relation is essentially the same, the outward form was different.
 
          2. How was it different?
               a. The ceremonial requirements of purification
 
               b. Especially the manifestation of God as a consuming fire and awful judge that terrified the people
 
     B. But the purpose of this was to teach them, immature Old Testament saints, about...





III. The Conditional Language in which Jehovah Speaks
     A. The language of "if" is difficult for a Reformed Christian to understand. "You will be to me a kingdom of priests if..." That presents problems to us who believe an unconditional covenant.
          1. Does God now teach that His relation to Israel depends on Israel?
 
          2. Is the translation wrong? Does God deal with Israel differently than with us in the NT?
 
     B. Rather, God uses this language (as He does throughout the OT) to teach important truths:
 
          1.
 
          2.
 
          3.