And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Moses went down from the mount in obedience to God's express command to set the people apart today and tomorrow to be ready against the third day when the Lord would come down upon Sinai to speak the law Himself. The people were to refrain from worldly labor and care, give themselves to devotional thought, and wash their clothes as required preparation for coming into God's holy presence to hear Him proclaim the law. That washing was an outward sign of the purity and holiness expected before God, for sanctification includes the body as well as the soul and outward bodily cleanness belongs to holiness. God required clean bodies and clothing of Israel then and requires no less now, requiring neat, clean clothing and clean persons, clothing, and dwellings, and requiring for Sabbath worship if possible a neat, comely suit for the house of God rather than common work clothes. He is not pleased with unclean bodies and untidy garments but would have His people pure without and within in mind, thoughts, and words, keeping the body and all that touches the skin clean and free from offensive odor, that He may dwell with them and prepare them for translation to heaven.
Sinai Setting and Preparation
Soon after the encampment at Sinai Moses climbed alone to meet God in the cloud, and Israel was taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God. God bore them on eagles' wings to Himself and promised to make them a peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, if they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant. The elders answered, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and by that answer they entered into a solemn covenant pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler and becoming in a special sense the subjects of His authority.
The verse belongs to the Lord's coming to Mount Sinai to give Israel His law. Obedience to His commandments was the condition for receiving the wonderful promises He gave the people. That obedience is the highest education.
At that giving Israel had largely lost the knowledge of the law during long bondage in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt and established them in Canaan to preserve people from turning completely to idolatry. The witnesses of the solemn giving were to remember what they saw and teach it to their children and descendants.
The words came straight from the lips of God to Moses on the mount and must be studied for profit. The instruction of Exodus 19 and 20 is of great importance and must be often repeated and sacredly observed. It calls God's people to come up to a higher standard, for unless they do idolatry in one shape or another will be in their midst and will cut them away from the strength of Israel. It shows the Lord is the only true God who demands obedience to His Word. While Satan uses every device to draw people away from truth and righteousness, it calls all who would stand on the Lord's side to keep holy the memorial of creation, the seventh day that the Lord of heaven and earth appointed as a day of rest after six days of creation work, blessed and sanctified.
Moses carried out God's express directions to prepare the people to hear the law spoken by God Himself and not by angels. He went down from the mount to the people to set them apart today and tomorrow to be ready against the third day when the Lord would come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. The preparation required refraining from worldly labor and care and possessing devotional thoughts, and also washing their clothes. Before they gathered to hear God proclaim the law they washed themselves and their clothes as required preparation for coming into God's presence. The place was consecrated by His presence when He came down, and all the people were cleansed and sanctified to stand before Him.
Holiness Requires Outward Cleanliness
Before the people gathered at Sinai to hear God proclaim the law, they were to prepare themselves by washing their bodies and their clothes. That washing was a required preparation for coming into God's holy presence, and impurity in clothing and about the person was not to be tolerated. The requirement was enforced on pain of death.
The washing was an outward sign of the purity and holiness expected of those who came before God, with cleanliness in dress and person honoring Him. It shows God is a God of order who treats cleanliness as reverence and who wants order and cleanliness among His people. He can be honored or dishonored by apparel worn before Him, and He refuses the worship and service of unclean and filthy worshipers as unacceptable and insulting to their Maker.
Sanctification includes the body as well as the soul, so outward bodily cleanness belongs to holiness. The body must be clean in order to be holy.
What God required of ancient Israel in cleanliness He requires no less of His people now, being no less particular now than then. He requires clean bodies and neat, clean clothing, and keeping the body, clothing, and dwelling clean is a human responsibility. Neatness and cleanliness are not pride, while neglect of cleanliness induces disease.
Jehovah required Israel to obey His injunction and cleanse their clothing before they could so much as listen to the proclamation of the Ten Commandments. The holy law cannot live in the hearts of persons of disorderly, filthy habits, and it cannot be written upon the hearts of persons who are not cleanly in person, in clothing, or in their houses. The same cleansing is required for Sabbath worship, demanding if possible a neat, well-fitting, comely suit for the house of worship instead of the clothing worn through the week in farm labor. Wearing common work clothes dishonors the Sabbath and God and His house, in direct contrast to true reverence toward God's dwelling, as when the place at Sinai was consecrated by His presence and all the people were cleansed and sanctified to stand before Him rather than making the sacred temple dedicated to the Almighty a marketplace and a house of merchandise.
God is not pleased to see unclean bodies and untidy, torn garments, but wants His people pure without and within so that He may dwell with them. This care is still required of those who expect to live with God and holy angels, with His people to be clean and neat in outward as well as inward life. God likewise requires His people to be clean in body and clothing and pure in mind, thoughts, and words as they prepare for translation to heaven. Frequent bathing, especially at night before retiring or in the morning upon rising, and keeping clothing neat and clean and every article touching the skin clean and free from offensive odor bring the blood to the surface, relieve the brain, and keep thoughts pure and sweet with less inclination to indulge in impure practices. Persistent neglect after repeated admonition brings God's displeasure upon the community and may require church discipline, and neglect also brings disease.
Ministers of Christ are to be careful, neat, tasteful, and orderly in dress. Their apparel preaches and sets an example, makes a right impression on the people, gives them an exalted idea of God's holiness and the sacredness of His work, and itself recommends the truth as a sermon to unbelievers.
Moses went down from the mount in obedience to God's express command to set the people apart today and tomorrow to be ready against the third day when the Lord would come down upon Sinai to speak the law Himself. The people were to refrain from worldly labor and care, give themselves to devotional thought, and wash their clothes as required preparation for coming into God's holy presence to hear Him proclaim the law. That washing was an outward sign of the purity and holiness expected before God, for sanctification includes the body as well as the soul and outward bodily cleanness belongs to holiness. God required clean bodies and clothing of Israel then and requires no less now, requiring neat, clean clothing and clean persons, clothing, and dwellings, and requiring for Sabbath worship if possible a neat, comely suit for the house of God rather than common work clothes. He is not pleased with unclean bodies and untidy garments but would have His people pure without and within in mind, thoughts, and words, keeping the body and all that touches the skin clean and free from offensive odor, that He may dwell with them and prepare them for translation to heaven.
Sinai Setting and Preparation
Soon after the encampment at Sinai Moses climbed alone to meet God in the cloud, and Israel was taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God. God bore them on eagles' wings to Himself and promised to make them a peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, if they obeyed His voice and kept His covenant. The elders answered, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and by that answer they entered into a solemn covenant pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler and becoming in a special sense the subjects of His authority.
The verse belongs to the Lord's coming to Mount Sinai to give Israel His law. Obedience to His commandments was the condition for receiving the wonderful promises He gave the people. That obedience is the highest education.
At that giving Israel had largely lost the knowledge of the law during long bondage in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt and established them in Canaan to preserve people from turning completely to idolatry. The witnesses of the solemn giving were to remember what they saw and teach it to their children and descendants.
The words came straight from the lips of God to Moses on the mount and must be studied for profit. The instruction of Exodus 19 and 20 is of great importance and must be often repeated and sacredly observed. It calls God's people to come up to a higher standard, for unless they do idolatry in one shape or another will be in their midst and will cut them away from the strength of Israel. It shows the Lord is the only true God who demands obedience to His Word. While Satan uses every device to draw people away from truth and righteousness, it calls all who would stand on the Lord's side to keep holy the memorial of creation, the seventh day that the Lord of heaven and earth appointed as a day of rest after six days of creation work, blessed and sanctified.
Moses carried out God's express directions to prepare the people to hear the law spoken by God Himself and not by angels. He went down from the mount to the people to set them apart today and tomorrow to be ready against the third day when the Lord would come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. The preparation required refraining from worldly labor and care and possessing devotional thoughts, and also washing their clothes. Before they gathered to hear God proclaim the law they washed themselves and their clothes as required preparation for coming into God's presence. The place was consecrated by His presence when He came down, and all the people were cleansed and sanctified to stand before Him.
Holiness Requires Outward Cleanliness
Before the people gathered at Sinai to hear God proclaim the law, they were to prepare themselves by washing their bodies and their clothes. That washing was a required preparation for coming into God's holy presence, and impurity in clothing and about the person was not to be tolerated. The requirement was enforced on pain of death.
The washing was an outward sign of the purity and holiness expected of those who came before God, with cleanliness in dress and person honoring Him. It shows God is a God of order who treats cleanliness as reverence and who wants order and cleanliness among His people. He can be honored or dishonored by apparel worn before Him, and He refuses the worship and service of unclean and filthy worshipers as unacceptable and insulting to their Maker.
Sanctification includes the body as well as the soul, so outward bodily cleanness belongs to holiness. The body must be clean in order to be holy.
What God required of ancient Israel in cleanliness He requires no less of His people now, being no less particular now than then. He requires clean bodies and neat, clean clothing, and keeping the body, clothing, and dwelling clean is a human responsibility. Neatness and cleanliness are not pride, while neglect of cleanliness induces disease.
Jehovah required Israel to obey His injunction and cleanse their clothing before they could so much as listen to the proclamation of the Ten Commandments. The holy law cannot live in the hearts of persons of disorderly, filthy habits, and it cannot be written upon the hearts of persons who are not cleanly in person, in clothing, or in their houses. The same cleansing is required for Sabbath worship, demanding if possible a neat, well-fitting, comely suit for the house of worship instead of the clothing worn through the week in farm labor. Wearing common work clothes dishonors the Sabbath and God and His house, in direct contrast to true reverence toward God's dwelling, as when the place at Sinai was consecrated by His presence and all the people were cleansed and sanctified to stand before Him rather than making the sacred temple dedicated to the Almighty a marketplace and a house of merchandise.
God is not pleased to see unclean bodies and untidy, torn garments, but wants His people pure without and within so that He may dwell with them. This care is still required of those who expect to live with God and holy angels, with His people to be clean and neat in outward as well as inward life. God likewise requires His people to be clean in body and clothing and pure in mind, thoughts, and words as they prepare for translation to heaven. Frequent bathing, especially at night before retiring or in the morning upon rising, and keeping clothing neat and clean and every article touching the skin clean and free from offensive odor bring the blood to the surface, relieve the brain, and keep thoughts pure and sweet with less inclination to indulge in impure practices. Persistent neglect after repeated admonition brings God's displeasure upon the community and may require church discipline, and neglect also brings disease.
Ministers of Christ are to be careful, neat, tasteful, and orderly in dress. Their apparel preaches and sets an example, makes a right impression on the people, gives them an exalted idea of God's holiness and the sacredness of His work, and itself recommends the truth as a sermon to unbelievers.