Exodus 19:21, commentary and pictures

Soon after Israel encamped at Sinai to enter covenant as His peculiar treasure, kingdom of priests and holy nation, God descended on the mount in fire with thunder, lightning, thick cloud, smoke, quaking and a long loud trumpet while Moses spoke and God answered by voice. God called Moses to the top and at once sent him back down to charge the people and even the approaching priests not to break through the bounds set about the sanctified mount to gaze, lest many perish and the Lord break forth upon them. His presence is holy and dangerous and will not bear iniquity, so in mercy He kept a thick cloud between Himself and the people that they might hear His voice without being destroyed by the sight of His glory. Coming down in awful grandeur He displayed His authority as Lawgiver to teach delivered Israel His terrible majesty, the sacredness of His law, and their own insignificance, that they might believe He is the only true and living God who demands obedience. That instruction of Exodus 19 and 20 must be often repeated and sacredly observed today, presenting the commandments as the highest education and calling all who stand on the Lord's side to keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath as the memorial of creation.

Sinai Setting and Warning

Soon after the encampment at Sinai 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. If they would obey His voice and keep His covenant they were promised to be a peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The people answered that all the Lord had spoken they would do, thus entering a solemn covenant accepting Him as their ruler and becoming in a special sense the subjects of His authority.

The warning was given as God descended upon Sinai in fire, with thunders and lightnings and thick cloud, smoke as of a furnace, great quaking of the whole mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud and sounding long and waxing louder and louder. That trumpet was a summons by the angelic host attending the divine Majesty appearing as flames of fire, while Moses spoke and God answered him by voice. The camp trembled at the holy seriousness of God coming down to give the ten commandments.

God called Moses up to the top of the mount and at once sent him back down to charge the people not to break through unto the Lord to gaze, lest many of them perish. Bounds were set about the sanctified mount, for the mountain itself was holy. The people were to keep the boundary and stand at the nether part of the mount, and Moses was to ensure the boundary and its sanctity were observed.

Even the priests who come near to approach were commanded to sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. Moses stood between the people and God, permitted only to draw nigh and enter the thick darkness surrounding the cloud of glory but not to enter within the cloud itself. Only Moses and Aaron were permitted to come up toward the summit while the people remained below. The One who thus spoke to Moses at Sinai is Christ.

God talked with the people through Moses in Exodus 19:20-25. What He told them there He wants every person to understand as He goes on to speak the words of Exodus 20:1.

Holiness, Law, and Application

God's presence at Sinai was holy and dangerous, requiring obedient, reverent distance and careful preparation, and the charge not to break through to gaze guarded the holiness of that presence and showed that He will not bear iniquity. Even the priests who come near to approach were to sanctify themselves lest He break forth upon them, while the people were to keep the bounds set about the sanctified mount and only Moses and Aaron were permitted to come up. The One speaking this warning to Moses at Sinai is Christ.

The warning was mercy, for God drew near in mercy yet placed a thick cloud between Himself and the people so they could hear His voice without being destroyed by the sight of His glory. Set among His created works, the scene was meant to impress Israel, delivered from Egyptian slavery to gain a new knowledge of God, with evidence that He was God in the mount. It taught them the terrible majesty of God, the sacredness of His law, and their own insignificance and humanity's insignificance before His power and before the Almighty.

The verse belongs to God coming down before Israel and speaking His law in awful grandeur and sublime exhibition of authority, displaying His authority as Lawgiver as He gave the law amid fire, smoke, thunder and a trembling mountain. Moses stood between the people and God, permitted only to draw near and enter the thick darkness surrounding the cloud of glory but not to enter within the cloud itself. This was so the people may believe and know that He is the only true and living God who demands obedience to His Word.

The instruction of Exodus 19 and 20 is of great importance and must be often repeated and sacredly observed. The instruction He gave His ancient people regarding His requirements is to be taught today in simple language by pointing men and women to the Word of God. That instruction presents the commandments, including observance of the seventh day as the memorial of creation appointed as a day of rest after six days of creation work and blessed and sanctified by the Lord of heaven and earth, as the highest education because they come from God. When Satan uses every device to draw people away from truth and righteousness, it calls all who stand on the Lord's side to keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath.