SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 19:1-25.

GOLDEN TEXT:: Exodus 20:1-3  

In Exodus 19 the children of Israel arrive at Mount Sinai and prepare to receive the Ten Commandments. The journey from Egypt was long, hard and hot. The area around Mount Sinai was desolate. God is going to reveal Himself to a chosen people in a spectacular revelation. He was going to enter into a "covenant" with them. God was going to make them a deal.

Moses went up the mountain for a meeting with God and God gave him a message for the children of Israel.1. Let’s verify that God was going to make a covenant with them? (Exodus 19:5). Were they to obey God’s voice and keep His covenant? (Same verse). What was the reward for their obedience? (Exodus 19:5-6). Did God promise them that they would be a special treasure, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation?

2. Moses took the message to the elders of the people. Did ALL of the people agree to this covenant? (Exodus 19:7-8). They had to make a freely given commitment for there to be a deal.

3. Did God appear to the children of Israel in a thick cloud? (Exodus 19:16-19). Was there a loud trumpet sound? Were the people afraid? Did God descend upon Mount Sinai in fire? (Verse 18). Was the mountain smoking and quaking? Was God showing them His power and glory as He is?

4. Could people die if they looked at the Lord in all of His power and glory? (Exodus 19:21).

5. God now speaks to the children of Israel. What does He say? (Exodus 20:1-3). Did God bring them out of the land of Egypt? Did He deliver them from slavery and bondage? With what God had done for them how could they have another god?

6. Were there times that Israel wanted to go back into Egypt and would have been satisfied to live in bondage? (Numbers 11:5,20; 14:2-4; 20:5; 21:5).

7. Did God bring Israel out of bondage? (Exodus 20:2). God did not bring Israel out of bondage to put them back into bondage again. What did God do to keep the children of Israel free from bondage? He gave them His Ten Commandments. Liberty is "the quality or state of being free." Did James call God’s law the "perfect law of liberty"? (James 1:21-25). God’s law is not a "yoke of bondage" as some might think, God’s law is a "law of liberty". If we keep God’s law then we would be free from sin.

The Bible pictures Egypt as a type of "sin" and "sin" is pictured as bringing a man into bondage. The law defines "right and wrong" and by keeping God’s law we make liberty possible. If you keep God’s Ten Commandments will you walk in liberty? (Psalms 119:44-45).

8. Our relationship with God is be covenantal and not casual. Most people only want a casual relationship with God because they don’t want to commit to Him or obey Him. God wants total commitment. Are we to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength? (Deuteronomy 6:1-5). Will we have a long life if we obey God and keep His commandments? (Verse 2).

9. Did God want Israel to destroy the idols and altars of the gods of other nations? (Deuteronomy 12:1-5). Does God want man to bring the customs of other pagan gods into the worship of Him? (Verse 4). Are we to worship God in spirit and in truth? (John 4:23-24). Are we to add or subtract anything from God’s revealed word and what He has commanded us? (Deuteronomy 12:32).

10. It was common among the Gentile nations that they didn’t worship just one god - they worshiped many gods. Did Egypt worship many gods? (Exodus 12:12). Are God’s people to make covenants with other gods? (Exodus 23:32-33). How many gods are God’s people to worship? (Exodus 20:3).

11. Let’s take another look at Exodus 20:2 where it says "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." The Song of Moses is recorded in Exodus 15. It is written from a personal point of view yet all of the children of Israel sang it. Is this a song of praise to God? (Vs. 1). Is He our salvation? (Vs. 2). Is He a man of war? (Vs. 3). Did He overthrow those who were against Him? (Vs. 7). Did they praise Him among and above all the gods? (Vs. 11). Did they know that they were redeemed by God? (Vs. 13).

12. Is God a jealous god? (Exodus 20:5). Is one of God’s names Jealous? (Exodus 34:14). Why is He jealous? The children of Israel and the New Testament Church are God’s children and He has redeemed them (Exodus 15:13, Galatians 3:13) and bought them with a price (Exodus 15:16, 1 Corinthians 6:20). The apostle Paul said: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law." The curse of the law is death which is caused by sin. Christ redeemed us through dying for us and shedding His blood for us. It is only through the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7).

God’s jealousy is to preserve His love relationship with His special people of which He has a covenant. A covenant is sealed with blood. The new covenant (Luke 22:20) was sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. This is what the Passover is all about. Jesus is our Passover Lamb which was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

In Conclusion: God’s first commandment is: "You shall have no other gods before Me." God wants to make a covenant with us and He wants our commitment. He admonishes us to love Him with all our heart, soul and strength. God is jealous because He is the Living God (Jeremiah 10:2-10), He loves us and He commands us not to "learn the way of the heathen." Are you willing to obey the first commandment?

6.) (Numbers 11:5 NKJV) ""We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;"

(Numbers 11:20 NKJV) "'but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?"' ""

(Numbers 14:2-4 NKJV) "And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! {3} "Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" {4} So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.""

(Numbers 20:5 NKJV) ""And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.""

(Numbers 21:5 NKJV) "And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.""

7.) (James 1:21-25 NKJV) "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. {22} But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. {23} For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; {24} for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. {25} But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

(Psalms 119:44-45 NKJV) "So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. {45} And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts."

8.) (Deuteronomy 6:1-5 NKJV) ""Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, {2} "that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. {3} "Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you; 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' {4} "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! {5} "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

9.) (Deuteronomy 12:1-5 NKJV) ""These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. {2} "You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. {3} "And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. {4} "You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things. {5} "But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go."

(John 4:23-24 NKJV) ""But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. {24} "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.""

(Deuteronomy 12:32 NKJV) ""Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."

10.) (Exodus 12:12 NKJV) "'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD."

11.) (Exodus 15 NKJV) "Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! {2} The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. {3} The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. {4} Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. {5} The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone. {6} "Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. {7} And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble. {8} And with the blast of Your nostrils The waters were gathered together; The floods stood upright like a heap; The depths congealed in the heart of the sea. {9} The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.' {10} You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. {11} "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? {12} You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them. {13} You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation. {14} "The people will hear and be afraid; Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. {15} Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. {16} Fear and drea

d will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased. {17} You will bring them in and plant them In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O LORD, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands have established. {18} "The LORD shall reign forever and ever." {19} For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. {20} Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. {21} And Miriam answered them: "Sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!"

{22} So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. {23} Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. {24} And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" {25} So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, {26} and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." {27} Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters."

12.) (Exodus 20:5 NKJV) "you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,"

(Exodus 34:14 NKJV) "'(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),"

(Galatians 3:13 NKJV) "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),"

(1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV) "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

(1 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV) "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us."

(1 John 1:7 NKJV) "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

(Psalms 42:2 NKJV) "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

(Jeremiah 10:2-10 NKJV) "Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. {3} For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. {4} They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. {5} They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good." {6} Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might), {7} Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. {8} But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine. {9} Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men. {10} But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation."