The Terrible Privilege: Meeting God at Sinai Text: Exodus 19:1-17
Introduction: The Mountain That Smokes
We live in a sentimental age, an age that has domesticated God. We have turned the consuming fire into a pilot light. We want a God who is a celestial therapist, a divine affirmation machine, a God who is always safe and never dangerous. We want a God we can manage, a God who fits neatly into our worship services, a God who is, in the final analysis, a slightly upgraded version of ourselves. But the God of the Bible, the God who reveals Himself at Sinai, is not that God. The God of Sinai is terrifying. He is glorious, yes. He is a Savior, absolutely. But He is not safe.
The scene before us in Exodus 19 is one of the pivotal moments in all of redemptive history. This is where the rabble of escaped slaves is formally constituted as the nation of God. This is where the covenant is proposed, the marriage vows are readied. But this is no quiet chapel ceremony. This is a divine visitation that makes the very foundations of the earth tremble. There is thunder, lightning, fire, smoke, the blast of a supernatural trumpet, and a holy dread that grips the heart of every living thing. This is the moment where God comes down.
And we must understand this. The terror of Sinai is not a bug; it is a feature. It is a necessary part of the curriculum. God is teaching His people, and us, something absolutely essential about His own nature and about the nature of our sin. The chasm between a holy God and a sinful people is infinitely vast. You cannot simply wander into His presence as you would wander into a coffee shop. To approach this God requires preparation, mediation, and a healthy dose of fear. The modern church has largely lost this sense of holy dread, and in so doing, has lost its grip on the sheer, unmerited grace of the gospel. For it is only when you understand the terror of Sinai that you can begin to appreciate the glory of Calvary. It is only when you see the mountain that cannot be touched that you can rejoice in the Mediator who brings us right into the throne room of grace.
This chapter is a constitutional convention for the people of God. It lays out the basis of their relationship with Yahweh, their unique calling in the world, and the awesome reality of what it means to be a people who meet with God.
The Text
In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. Then they set out from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. Now Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words which Yahweh had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. Yahweh also said to Moses, “Go to the people and set them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or surely shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and set the people apart as holy, and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” So it happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
(Exodus 19:1-17 LSB)
The Covenant Proposal (v. 1-6)
The scene is set with geographical and chronological precision. Three months out of Egypt, they arrive at the mountain of God. This is not a random pit stop; this is the destination God promised Moses back at the burning bush (Exodus 3:12). God keeps His appointments.
"You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself." (Exodus 19:4)
Before God gives them any commands, He reminds them of His grace. This is the fundamental pattern of Scripture: grace precedes law. Redemption precedes obligation. God does not say, "If you obey Me, I will rescue you." He says, "I have rescued you, therefore, obey Me." He appeals to their memory. "You saw it." The plagues, the plunder, the parted sea. This is not secondhand information. God's mighty acts of salvation are the foundation of the covenant relationship.
The imagery is beautiful and powerful. "I lifted you up on eagles' wings." This speaks of strength, tenderness, and sovereign care. An eagle doesn't just nudge its young out of the nest; it swoops underneath them, bearing them up, carrying them to safety. This is what God did for Israel. They did not deliver themselves. They were utterly helpless. God swooped down and carried them. And notice the destination: "and brought you to Myself." The goal of the exodus was not just to get Israel out of Egypt, but to get Israel to God. The ultimate goal of salvation is not just deliverance from hell, but fellowship with God Himself.
"So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6)
Here is the heart of the proposal. It is conditional: "if you will... then you shall." This is the nature of the Mosaic covenant as an administration. It is a covenant of works, not in the sense of earning salvation from scratch, but in the sense of maintaining the covenant blessings through obedience. But look at the glorious promises attached. First, they will be His "treasured possession." The Hebrew word is segullah. It means a special, private treasure, the kind a king keeps in his personal vault. This is a staggering statement of value and love. God says, "Among all the nations, you will be My personal jewel." And He grounds this in His universal sovereignty: "for all the earth is Mine." He is not a tribal deity picking a pet tribe. He is the King of all creation, and He is sovereignly choosing to set His particular, covenantal love upon this people.
Second, they are to be a "kingdom of priests." This is not about setting up a clerical class. This is a calling for the entire nation. A priest is one who mediates, who stands between God and man. Israel as a nation was to be a priest to the other nations of the world. They were to represent God to the world and, in a sense, represent the world to God. They were to be the showcase of God's wisdom and righteousness, drawing the nations to Yahweh. Third, they are to be a "holy nation." Holy means "set apart." They were to be distinct, different from the pagan nations around them in their worship, their ethics, their diet, their entire way of life. Their holiness was to be a visible testimony to the character of the God they served.
The People's Response and God's Plan (v. 7-15)
Moses, the faithful mediator, takes this proposal to the people. He doesn't edit it or soften it. He sets before them exactly what God said.
"And all the people answered together and said, 'All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!'" (Exodus 19:8)
This is a moment of high drama. A unanimous, corporate "I do." Of course, we know how this story goes. We know that their subsequent actions will make a mockery of this vow. But we should not be too quick to judge them as uniquely fickle. Their enthusiastic promise, followed by catastrophic failure, is the story of every human heart apart from the sustaining grace of God. They are about to learn, and we are about to learn, that the law is not given to show us how strong we are, but to show us how weak we are, and how desperately we need a better Mediator and a better covenant.
God then announces His plan to come down in a way that will authenticate Moses' leadership forever. He will speak from a "thick cloud," so the people can hear the divine voice and know that Moses is not making this up. The holiness of God is veiled, for no man can see Him and live, but His voice will be unmistakable. This leads to a series of commands for preparation.
"Go to the people and set them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day..." (Exodus 19:10-11)
To meet with a holy God requires consecration. This is not optional. The washing of garments is an external symbol of an internal reality. Filthy clothes represent sin and defilement. Clean clothes represent purity and righteousness. Before they can approach the mountain, they must deal with their uncleanness. This is a picture of repentance. Furthermore, they are to abstain from marital relations. This is not because sex is sinful, but because for this brief, intense period, all their energies and attention are to be focused exclusively on God. It is a temporary fast from a good gift to focus on the Giver.
And then the boundary is set. A line is drawn around the mountain, and the warning is severe: anyone, man or beast, who touches the mountain will be executed. This is not a suggestion. This is a capital crime. God is teaching them the terror of holiness. His raw, unveiled presence is lethal to sinners. The boundary line is a graphic illustration of the Creator/creature distinction and the infinite gulf that sin has created. You do not approach this God on your own terms.
The Theophany (v. 16-17)
The preparations are made. The two days pass. And then, on the third day, God arrives.
"So it happened on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled." (Exodus 19:16)
This is a full-sensory assault. The sound of thunder. The flash of lightning. A thick, dark cloud of glory. And a "very loud trumpet sound." This is no ordinary shofar. This is a supernatural blast that heralds the arrival of the King. The effect is exactly what God intended: the people trembled. This is not the warm fuzzies of a contemporary worship song. This is holy fear. This is the proper response of a sinful creature in the presence of the Almighty.
And notice the timing. "On the third day." The Bible is a tapestry woven with recurring patterns, and "the third day" is one of the most significant. It is a day of deliverance, of culmination, of new life. Isaac is spared on the third day. Jonah is released from the fish on the third day. And most gloriously, Jesus Christ is raised from the dead on the third day. The God who comes down in terror on the third day at Sinai is the same God who will raise His Son in triumph on the third day from a tomb outside Jerusalem. The first event establishes the law that condemns us; the second event establishes the grace that saves us.
Moses then brings the trembling people out to the foot of the mountain to meet God. They are brought as close as the boundary allows, to stand as witnesses to the awesome majesty of their covenant Lord.
From Sinai to Zion
This entire event is designed to teach Israel, and us, a crucial lesson: you need a mediator. The people were right to be terrified. Their fear was a sane response to reality. Later in the story, they will beg Moses to be their go-between, lest they die (Exodus 20:19). The entire Levitical system, with its priesthood and sacrifices, is an answer to this problem of access. How can a sinful people live in the presence of a holy God? Only through a mediator. Only through a sacrifice.
And of course, Moses and the Aaronic priesthood were just shadows, just types. They pointed forward to the true and better Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. The writer to the Hebrews makes this contrast explicit. He says to us, the church, "For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet... But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant" (Hebrews 12:18-24).
Because of Christ, the boundary lines have been removed. Because of Christ, the command is no longer "keep your distance," but "let us draw near." We do not come to a mountain of terror, but to a throne of grace. Why? Because Jesus is our segullah, our treasured possession. Because Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). He has washed not just our garments, but our very souls in His own blood. He is the one who passed through the fire of God's wrath for us, so that we could be brought near.
The fear of God that Sinai rightly produced should not evaporate in the New Covenant. It should be transformed. We no longer fear God's condemnation, because in Christ there is none. But we should be filled with a profound awe, a reverent submission, a holy trembling at the sheer magnitude of the grace that has been shown to us. We have been brought to God, not on eagles' wings made of feathers, but on the cross-shaped wings of the risen Son of God. And so, having received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is still a consuming fire.