This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.

Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.

Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:

Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418

Bro. Bruce's commentary for the book of Genesis is
now available for $7.50.

EXODUS
CHAPTER 19
1 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 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.

"In the third month," here may refer to the 3rd month since Moses first
event of the ten commandments came at the feast of Pentecost which is 50 days
after the Passover. However, we must consider the full statement in the text:
"..the same day.." probably refers to exactly 90 days after the "exodus" from
Egypt.

3 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 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 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 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 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

Notice the order of positions here. God is above the mountain,
Moses is on the mountain, and the people are below the mountain.
God is giving the Word, Moses is receiving the Word and will
carry the Word to the people.
God says the whole nation will be "a kingdom of priests." They will have
priests, but all will BE priests. The whole nation will be commissioned
to carry the "good news" that Jehovah is the ONLY God, and that ANYONE can be
saved by coming to Him.
God Himself initiated this covenant. He did so out of grace, certainly
not because they were good. It is BY grace, THROUGH faith -
NOT of works (Eph. 2:8-9).
Again, the initiative is of God, and one can only receive by a commitment
of trust.
God Himself had already saved them from physical torture (vs4), and now offers
salvation from eternal spiritual torture.
Only by commitment to obedience can they have this special honor from God (vs 5).

8 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. 9 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.

Moses told the people these basic elements of the covenant offer, and the peopleunanimously approved.
Then God tells Moses there is MORE. God will speak to Moses in a way that
will cause the people to believe for ever.

Notice that the people had ALREADY ratified the covenant of salvation.
Therefore, the LAW is given to a SAVED PEOPLE. It is not a means
of salvation; it is what saved people DO!

10 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 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 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 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 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

Before the law is given, God instructs "sanctification." This means they must
separate themselves from worldly things for a period of time and concentrate upon
their relationship with God.
Then they will be "ready" (vs 11).
Before we really receive God's spiritual lessons, we must FOCUS on Him, and
away from the world.
God is concerned for their safety, and appoints borders and boundaries (vss 12-13).
When the trumpet sounds, they can come TO the mount but must not TOUCH it. They were able to come only to the mount to watch with awe as Moses received the Word.
The full "WORD" of God had not yet been revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Today, the FULL WORD of God IS revealed! Jesus has come! And by Him
we are able to have both the WRITTEN Word of God, and come into the "..holiest
by the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19).
THEN, they had a word from God revealed through a "dark cloud." Today, we have THE
Word and He is LIGHT!

16 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 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 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.

This is a tremendous display of the awesome power of God. The giving of the Word
was in POWER.
So also was the giving of the FULL WORD - JESUS! He came with POWER!
He was miraculously born of a virgin, He peformed many many miracles, He was crucified
and died, but was resurrected and appeared many times to the disciples.
God's TRUE WORD is given in POWER.
And God's Word IS power. Heb. 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is quick and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart."
It is important to "sanctify" ourselves to receive God's Word. To set ourselves aside
from worldly things and focus on God Himself and His awesome power.

19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 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 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 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. 23 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 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 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Therefore, God sent Moses down to remind the people how important it was that they be
sanctified. Some of these people were obviously like ALL people. They
were somewhat curious. They might draw near to the mountain in order to try and
get a glimpse of God. Then, they would want to make an image of God.
(In fact, we will see later, that even though they didn't SEE God, they tried to make
an image of Him.)
We must remember that we can draw near to God through our Messenger only!
That Messenger today is JESUS. We may draw near through focus on our relationship
with Him through Bible study, prayer and worship.

Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.