March 23, 2025
Exodus 19
“Preparing for God’s Presence”
Service Overview: In Exodus 19, God calls Israel to meet Him at Mount Sinai, where His power and holiness is revealed. In this account, we’ll unpack the call God gave for the Israelites to be a kingdom of priests, the importance of preparing our hearts for God’s presence, and the reverent awe required when encountering the God who speaks and saves.
Memory Verse for the Week:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Background & Technical Insights:
- As the people continued through the wilderness, a time period of three new moons had gone by—about seven weeks after the exodus. Being at Sinai would have reminded Moses of his first encounter with God at the burning bush (3:1, 12). God promised to bring Moses to this mountain, and He did. The text says “the mountain” and later identifies it as Mt. Sinai (19:20). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 120)
- At the start of chapter 19 a new and important stage begins in the Exodus narrative, leading to the establishment of a special covenant relationship between God and the Israelites. Arriving at Mount Sinai on the third new moon after their hurried departure from Egypt, the Israelites will remain camped at this location for ten months. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 160)
- Like ‘fire’, ‘cloud’ symbolizes the presence of God, but in the sense of the Holy One so shrouding (not abandoning or diminishing) his glory that he could accommodate himself to live among his people, to grace them with a presence which, in its awful holiness, would spell their destruction. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 197)
- On the one hand, God has brought the people to himself (v. 4) and affirms a close personal relationship with them (“my treasured possession,” v. 5), and yet, on the other hand, God warns them not to come too close or presume to charge up the mountain in irreverent curiosity. God and the mountain itself (because of God’s arrival there) share a holiness that is potentially lethal. (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 345)
- Israel’s arrival at God’s mountain is one of the high points of Exodus. It marks the achievement of God’s plan to save a people for his glory. It also marks the beginning of a new stage in God’s covenant relationship with his people. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 491)
- (v.5) God’s treasure — this is one of the highest titles that anyone could possibly be given. The Hebrew word used here (segulla) indicates royal property. Indeed, it is the most prized possession in a king’s personal treasury. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 497)
What concepts are worth serious attention and deep consideration in light of what we encounter here?
- The powerful and tender deliverance of God.
(vv. 3-4 | Exodus 14:13-14; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Psalm 18:2; Isaiah 43:1-2)
What a beautiful picture of God’s grace! God has brought them out, lifted them up, and drawn them close. An eagle is a good picture because it is a bird of prey and is also portrayed as a bird of rescue. Egypt would be prey, while Israel would be rescued. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 120)
From God’s point of view, Egypt was a furnace of affliction for Israel (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jer. 11:4), but the Jews often saw Egypt as a “nest” where they at least had food, shelter, and security (Ex. 16:1–3; Num. 11:1–9). God delivered them from Egypt because He had something better for them to enjoy and to do, but this meant that they had to “try their wings” and experience growing pains as they moved toward maturity. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 120)
- The consecrated life and purpose to which God’s people are called.
(vv. 5-6, 10-11, 22 | Lev. 20:7-8; Ps. 4:3; Mat. 5:14-16; John 15:16; Rom. 12:1-2)
God had already told the Israelites who he was. He was the God of their salvation who saved them for himself. Now he was telling them who they were. … In Exodus 19 God started by telling the people what kind of God he was, and then he told them what kind of people they were supposed to be: a precious people with a special purpose. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 497)
Israel was God’s treasured possession (v 5). This phrase is used elsewhere of a king’s private treasury (1 Chronicles 29:3; Ecclesiastes 2:8). Israel was God’s special possession. Israel was chosen from the world. But they were also chosen for the world. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 141)
- The dangerous presence of a loving yet holy God.
(vv. 12-13, 16-21, 23-24 | Lev. 10:1-3; Deut. 4:24; Is. 6:1-5; Ez. 1:26-28; Mat. 17:5-6;)
God is so transcendent that coming into his holy presence can mean sudden death for sinners. As God would later say to Moses, “No one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20). When he brought the Israelites to himself, therefore, they were too close for comfort. God kept them off the mountain to keep them safe. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 505)
The nearness of God is both an immeasurable and unique blessing (Deut 4:7) and an imminent danger. (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 335)
By emphasizing the holiness of God and the need for the Israelites to remain at a distance, the present chapter graphically illustrates the gulf that exists between a holy God and sinful people. As Exodus 19 illustrates, only those who are holy may safely come near to God. To approach the Lord without being consecrated results in death. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 166)
Conclusion… What does this passage challenge us to do as God’s covenant people in Christ Jesus?
- Become the priest you are and live out your priestly purpose.
(Matthew 28:19-20; John 15:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9)
Christians, likewise, are priests today, who worship and serve the living God, and who can call out to God in prayer (1 Pet 2:4-6,9; Rev 1:5-6; 20:6). Perhaps you have never been told this. You ask, “Who, me? A priest?” Yes, you! As a believer, you can take people to God in prayer and God to people in witness. Many people minimize the importance of prayer, but it is fundamental to who we are as Christians and to our mission (2 Cor 1:11). (Tony Merida, Exodus, 121)
God’s precious people have a special purpose. We are called not simply to salvation but also to service. As God said to Israel, “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6). (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 498)
- Consecrate your life.
(Lev. 11:44-45; Psalm 51:10; Romans 6:13; 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:21)
Peter borrowed the imagery of Exodus 19:6 and called the church today “a holy priesthood … a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:5, 9 NKJV). Like Israel of old, God’s people today must point people to the Lord and reveal by their words and deeds how wonderful He is. We’re to be “living advertisements” of the grace and power of God. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 123)
Obedience, then, is not (ever) a condition of salvation. Nor (here) is obedience a condition of blessing. But obedience is emphatically a condition of mission. (Christopher J.H. Wright, The Story of God Bible Commentary: Exodus, 344)
- Develop a holy fear of the holy God who wholly loves you.
(Deut. 10:12; Job 28:28; Ps. 25:14; Prov. 1:7; Luke 1:50; Acts 9:31; Hebrews 12:28-29)
When we fear God, we take on his heart. We love what he loves, and hate what he hates. What is important to him becomes important to us. What is not important to him becomes not so important to us. (John Bevere, The Awe of God, 17)
God is awesome in holiness yet amazing in His mercy. The God who was ablaze on Sinai is also the God who has rescued us like an eagle. He is to be loved and feared. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 123)
God is both transcendent and immanent. He is exalted above all that he has made. At the same time he is intimately involved with everything that happens in his universe. Both of these things are true about God. The trouble is that the church usually tends to emphasize one at the expense of the other. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 501)
Gospel Connection…
Through Jesus, our Mediator, we are rescued, cleansed, and consecrated for God’s mission of redemption.
(John 8:36; Rom. 6:22; Col. 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 9:15; 10:19-22; 1 Peter 2:9)
Jesus is the mediator from God who is God. He is the true God and the true man. He perfectly represents both parties. At Mount Sinai, God descended from heaven to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended from the valley floor to the mountain. They met halfway, as it were. But in Jesus, something much more far-reaching and long-lasting has taken place. Jesus the true God descended to be with humanity. In Jesus, God descended to earth. He came to live among us. Jesus is Immanuel: “God with us”. And Jesus the true man ascended to be with God. He ascended into the clouds just as Moses ascended into the clouds. But Jesus passed through the clouds in heaven to appear before the throne of God. In Jesus, humanity has ascended to the presence of God. In Jesus, humanity has entered the nuclear presence of God and survives. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 157)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What does it mean to be a kingdom of priests today? How should this shape our daily lives?
- Why do you think God’s holiness is described as both dangerous and loving?
- How does understanding Jesus as our Mediator change the way we approach God?
- What are some practical ways we can develop a holy reverence for God in our lives?
- How does God’s call to holiness differ from legalism or moral perfectionism?
- What does it look like to live as a priestly people in our homes, workplaces, and communities?
Quotes to note…
In a dramatic way, God was teaching the people the distance between a holy God and sinful men and women, as well as the danger of presumptuously rushing into the presence of the Lord… The structure of Old Testament worship emphasized man’s sinfulness and God’s “otherness”… But the New Testament emphasizes the nearness of God, for the Son of God became flesh and came to dwell on earth (John 1:14), and His name is “Immanuel—God with us” (Matt. 1:23). By His death and resurrection, Jesus opened a new and living way into the presence of God (Heb. 10:1–25), and the New Testament banner reads: “Let us draw near!” This doesn’t mean that we should get “chummy” with God and act like we’re His equals, but He is our Father and He welcomes our love. (See Hebrews 12:18–29.) (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 124)
God’s ambition for the Israelites is that they should become a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (19:6). Although this is not fully realized in the Old Testament period, it remains central to the fulfillment of his redemptive plan. For this reason, the apostle Peter writes to Christian believers, echoing Exodus 19, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 165)
Why did God rescue you? He rescued you so that the nations might know that he is the Lord. And he rescued you so that you might continue to declare his praises to the nations. He rescued us from the nations for the nations. (Chester, Exodus for You, 143)
The privilege of freedom brings with it the responsibility to use that freedom wisely for the glory of God and the good of others. (Warren Wiersbe, Exodus, 125)
God has not turned down the heat of his holiness. He has not been tamed. If we are to feel the wonder of God’s grace to us in Christ Jesus, then we must first feel the terror of his holiness. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 155)
Most people think of God — if they think about him at all — as some kind of cosmic force or as a kindly old grandpa, “the man upstairs.” They do not honor him as the totally awesome God who revealed his glory at Mount Sinai. But we may be sure that when the Israelites stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, they did not entertain any trivial notions about God. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 514)
Just as the role of priests in Israel required them to be set apart, distinct, from the rest of the population, so Israel’s priesthood among the nations required them to be a “holy nation.” (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 342)
Our mediator, Jesus, stands as the mediator of the new covenant. His blood makes us able to worship. His blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb 10:24). Abel was murdered. His blood cries out for vengeance; Jesus’ blood cries out with forgiveness and pardon. We who have received an unshakable kingdom must “serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:28-29). (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 122)