Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/331

Rh them for God as a holy nation. Thus all believers are, through Christ, made to our God kings and priests, (Rev. 1. 6.) a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, 1 Pet 2. 9.

III. Israel's acceptance of this charter, and consent to the conditions of it. 1. Moses faithfully delivered God's message to them; (v. 7.) he laid before their faces all those words; he not only explained to them what God had given him in charge, but he put it to their choice, whether they would accept these promises upon these terms, or no. His laying it to their faces, bespeaks his laying it to their consciences. 2. They readily agreed to the covenant proposed. They would oblige themselves to obey the voice of God, and take it as a great favour to be made a kingdom of priests to him. They answered together as one man, nemine contradicente—without a dissentient voice, (v. 8.) All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Thus they strike the bargain, accepting the Lord to be to them a God, and giving up themselves to be to him a people. Oh that there had been such a heart in them! 3. Moses, as a mediator, returned the words of the people to God, v. 8. Thus Christ, the mediator between us and God, as a Prophet, reveals God's will to us, his precepts and promises, and then, as a Priest, offers up to God our spiritual sacrifices, not only of prayer and praise, but of devout affections, and pious resolutions, the work of his own Spirit in us. Thus he is that blessed Days-Man who lays his hand upon us both.

9. And the said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the. 10. And the said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11. And be ready against the third day: for the third day the will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13. There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 14. And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

Here,

I. God signifies to Moses his purpose of coming down upon mount Sinai, in some visible appearance of his glory in a thick cloud; (v. 9) for he said that he would dwell in the thick darkness, (2 Chron. 6. 1.) and he made it his pavilion, (Ps. 18. 11.) holding back the face of his throne, then when he set it upon mount Sinai, and spreading a cloud upon it, Job 26. 9. This thick cloud was to prohibit curious inquiries into things secret, and to command an awful adoration of that which was revealed. God would come down in the sight of all the people; (v. 11.) though they should see no manner of similitude, yet they should see so much as would convince them that God was among them of a truth. And so high was the top of mount Sinai, that it is supposed that not only the camp of Israel, but even the countries about, might discern some extraordinary appearance of glory upon it, which would strike terror upon them. It seems also to have been particularly intended to put an honour upon Moses, (v. 9.) that they may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. Thus the correspondence was to be first settled by a sensible appearance of the divine glory, which was afterward to be carried on more silently by the ministry of Moses. In like manner, the Holy Ghost descended visibly upon Christ at his baptism, and all that were present heard God speak to him, (Matth. 3. 17.) that afterward, without the repetition of such visible tokens, they might believe him. So likewise the Spirit descended in cloven tongues upon the apostles, (Acts, 2. 3.) that they might be believed. Observe, When the people had declared themselves willing to obey the voice of God, then God promised they should hear his voice; for if any man be resolved to do his will, he shall know it, John 7. 17.

II. He ordered Moses to make preparation for this great solemnity, giving him two days time for it.

1. He must sanctify the people, (v. 10.) as Job, before this, sent and sanctified his sons, Job, 1. 5. He must raise their expectation by giving them notice what God would do, and assist their preparation by directing them what they must do. "Sanctify them;" that is, "Call them off from their worldly business, and call them to religious exercises, meditation, and prayer, that they may receive the law from God's mouth with reverence and devotion. Let them be ready," v. 11. Note, When we are to attend upon God in solemn ordinances, it concerns us to sanctify ourselves, and to get ready beforehand. Wandering thoughts must be gathered in, impure affections abandoned, disquieting passions suppressed, nay, and all cares about secular business for the present dismissed, and laid by, that our hearts may be engaged to approach unto God. Two things particularly were prescribed as signs and instances of their preparation. (1.) In token of their cleansing of themselves from all sinful pollutions, that they might be holy to God, they must wash their clothes, (v. 10.) and they did so; (v. 14.) not that God regards our clothes; but, while they were washing tlieir clothes, he would have them think of washing their souls by repentance from the sins they had contracted in Egypt, and since their deliverance. It becomes us to appear in clean clothes when we wait upon great men; so clean hearts are required in our attendance on the great God, who sees them as plainly as men see our clothes. This is absolutely necessary to our acceptable worshipping of God. See Ps. 26. 6. Isa. 1. 16..18. Heb. 10. 22. (2.) In token of their devoting themselves entirely to religious exercises, upon this occasion, they must abstain even from lawful enjoyments during these three days, and not come at their wives, v. 15. See 1 Cor. 7. 5.

2. He must set bounds about the mountain, v. 12, 13. Probably, he drew a line, or ditch, round at the foot of the hill, which none were to pass, upon pain of death. This was to intimate, (1.) That humble awful reverence which ought to possess the minds of all those that worship God. We are mean creatures before a great Creator, vile sinners before a holy righteous judge; and therefore a godly fear and shame well become us, Heb. 12. 28. Ps. 2. 11. (2.) The distance which worshippers were kept at, under that dispensation, which we ought to take notice of, that we may the more value our privilege under the gospel, having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb. 10. 19.