Turning the page…
Turning the page…
Glory · Exodus & Covenant
The law was not a ladder Israel climbed to earn God's favor; it was given to people God had already redeemed from Egypt. Spoken from the smoking mountain, it formed a rescued mob into a covenant nation and revealed the holy character of the God who saved them. Jesus did not abolish it but fulfilled it, and under the new covenant its deepest demand is written not on stone but on hearts.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/why-did-god-give-israel-the-law-at-sinai · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Exodus 19:16-25
As you read: God's offer of covenant identity before any commandment is given, and the terrifying holiness that surrounds His descent.
16On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
17Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain.
18Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
19When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.
20Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish.
22Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.”
23Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’”
24Yahweh said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.”
25So Moses went down to the people, and told them.
Exodus 20:1-21
As you read: How the preamble names redemption first, then flows into commandments, and how the people beg for a mediator.
1God spoke all these words, saying,
2“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3“You shall have no other gods before me.
4“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9You shall labor six days, and do all your work,
10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates;
11for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
13“You shall not murder.
14“You shall not commit adultery.
15“You shall not steal.
16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
18All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.
19They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”
20Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.”
21The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Matthew 5:17-48
As you read: Jesus' claim to fulfill rather than abolish the law, and how He presses it past behavior into the heart.
17“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letteror one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
19Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
21“You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’
22But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
23“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.
26Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’
28but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
30If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
31“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’
32but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
33“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’
34but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;
35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.
37But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
39But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.
41Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
42Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’
44But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
45that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
47If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Before a single commandment sounds, God identifies Himself as Redeemer: 'I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.' The order is everything. Israel is not saved because they kept the law; they receive the law because they are saved. Grace precedes obligation at Sinai just as it does in the gospel, which is why obedience answers deliverance instead of purchasing it.
““I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”Exodus 20:2
“‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself.”Exodus 19:4
God offers Israel a calling before He gives them rules: if they obey His voice they will be 'my own possession from among all peoples', 'a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation'. Each commandment then shows what holiness looks like in daily life, since it mirrors the character of the One who spoke it. The law is less a fence around Israel than a portrait of God, drawn for a nation meant to display Him.
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;”Exodus 19:5
“and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.””Exodus 19:6
At Sinai there were 'thunders and lightnings' and 'the whole mountain quaked greatly'. The people begged Moses, 'Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.' The fear taught them that sinners cannot stand unmediated before absolute holiness. Yet Moses answers, 'Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you'; reverence and trust were meant to stand together. The whole scene cries out for a better Mediator.
“On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.”Exodus 19:16
“Mount Sinai, all it, smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”Exodus 19:18
“They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.””Exodus 20:19
“Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.””Exodus 20:20
Jesus says plainly, 'I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.' Then, in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, He deepens every commandment until it reaches the heart: murder becomes hatred, adultery becomes lust, and the standard rises to 'just as your Father in heaven is perfect.' Paul agrees that faith does not cancel the law but establishes it, because in Christ the law finds what it always aimed at: a righteousness God gives, not merely commands.
““Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.”Matthew 5:17
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”Matthew 5:48
“Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.”Romans 3:31
Paul calls the law a guardian for God's children on the way to maturity: 'the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ'. By exposing sin it drove Israel, and drives us, toward the promised remedy. That remedy is the new covenant, where God pledges, 'I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it'. The same law, once carved on stone tablets below the smoking mountain, comes home to the heart by the Spirit.
“So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”Galatians 3:24
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”Galatians 3:25
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:”Jeremiah 31:33