Episode 2489 - Lesson 8 - Sunday August 17 - At Mount Sinai

At Mount SinaiRead Exodus 19:1-8. What did God promise them here, at the base of Mount Sinai?God led the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where He would soon give them the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue). Jebel Musa (elevation: 7,497 feet or 2,285 meters) in the Sinai Peninsula is likely where Moses met with God several times (for example, Exod. 3:1, Exod. 19:2, Exod. 24:18), and, years later, Elijah encountered God here (1 Kings 19:8). This is the same mountain where God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt (Exod. 3:1-10). At that time, God informed Moses that he would worship God with liberated Israel in this same location, which would be a sign for Moses that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was leading them (Exod. 3:12).After two months of traveling, the Israelites arrived at Sinai (Exod. 19:1), where they would remain for about one year (compare Exod. 19:1 with Num. 10:11-12). During this year, many laws were issued, as described in Exodus 19-40, Leviticus 1-27, and Numbers 1:1-10:10. Israel’s stay at Mount Sinai is the central piece of the narrative found in the first five books of Moses. Here is the foundation of their becoming God’s chosen people, the only nation not steeped in paganism and idolatry.God takes the initiative and establishes the covenant between Himself and Israel. On the condition of the people’s obedience and their maintaining a relationship with Him, God promises to make them a special treasure, a kingdom of priests, a holy people.To be a holy people means to be dedicated to God and to reveal His character to others, especially to the nations around them. They were also called to function as a kingdom of priests who would connect other people with God, leading them to Him and teaching them His ways and His laws. They were to be God’s special treasure because He wanted Israel as His channel to illuminate the world with knowledge of Him and His character.This covenant was the legal establishment of a relationship between God and His people. The general covenant formula, which slightly varies in different texts, is: "I will be their God, and they will be my people" (see Exod. 6:7, Lev. 26:12, Jer. 24:7, Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10, Rev. 21:3).Imagine being God’s "special treasure"! What special privileges would that encompass? What special responsibilities would you have?