Exodus Chapter Nineteen
The Wedding Ceremony
By oldhermit
I. Moses Prepares Israel to Meet Their God. The groom is being introduced to the bride.
A. The time element - Israel is now two months out of Egypt, 1-2.
B. God enters into a marriage covenant with Israel, 3-8
1. It is to be a covenant of conditions. "If you will indeed hear MY voice and keep MY commandments THEN you shall be my own possession (or my special treasure) among all the peoples."
2. Israel was to learn a sense of peculiarity. "For all the earth is mine." God had selected Israel out of all the people and tribes of the earth to be a covenant people. This should have also fostered in Israel a sense of obligation and gratitude. Instead, over the centuries, it developed into an attitude of arrogance and self-pride - "We are the children of Abraham...."
3. "You shall be a kingdom of priests and holy nation."
4. Israel vows obedience - “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
C. God's own account of this (Ezekiel 16:1-14).
II. Israel Consecrates Herself in Preparation to Meet Her God, 9-15. The bride must make herself ready for the groom.
A. They must wash their garments
B. They must respect the boundaries of approach.
C. The people were to assemble before the mountain at the sound of the ram's horn.
D. They were not permitted to even go near a woman.
E. Death is imposed for the one who violates the boundaries of the mountain whether man or beast. This is not an event to be taken lightly.
1. He is not to be touched. They must not share in his defilement.
2. Death was to be imposed in such a way that did not require personal contact. The violator must be either stoned or shot with an arrow.
III. The Bride is Presented to the Groom, 16-25.
A. It is on Israel's third day at Sinai.
B. The people tremble at the displays of power. When God enters to natural realm, man can only stand in fear before the presence of God.
Israel feared these things because they overwhelmed the physical senses. As will become apparent, they did not fear the Lord, they only feared the displays of sensationalism that accompanied the presence of the Lord. Sensationalism wears off quickly and disregard for the holiness of God will soon escalate into idolatry. (Contrast Israel with Isaiah 6:1-5). While Isaiah recognizes his own uncleanness, Israel simply said “We do not want to hear any more,” and “We cannot bear the commandment.”
C. Moses calls the people to assemble at the foot of the mountain.
D. God descends to the top of the mountain in fire.
E. The entire mountain shakes violently in response to the presence of the Lord.
F. Moses is called to the top of the Mountain only to be told to go back down and keep the people from approaching to gaze upon the Lord "Lest I break out against them."
G. Moses is instructed to bring Aaron up to the Mountain with him.
IV. The Typology - "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle (the dwelling place) of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:2-4.