The Sinai Summit

Lightning begins to flash the sound of the trumpet verse 19 grew louder and louder and Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder and the Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain and the Lord told Moses what do a bit of the company of people stood around although it would've been very very frightening. They were all trembling fire and lightning, crisscrossing the air shooting for that mount. Perhaps confusion all silence and then God says Moses, or less broadcast included series from Exodus 118 called out of Egypt today we continue through Exodus with this series called down from Sinai. If you conduct an honest assessment of your life do you think you spend in adequate amount of time in God's word in the book of Exodus, Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive a portion of God's word and as we study that account today were going to learn three important lessons to help us get into God's word and will also uncover some excuses for why we don't. This is wisdom for the heart.

And here's Stephen David Earl Weaver was once the manager of then Baltimore Orioles that he had an outfielder who was a believer by the name of Pat Kelly.

One day Pat Kelly came to his manager. They were talking about his relationship with the Lord, and he told his manager was an unbeliever. He told Weaver he said I am learning how to walk with God and to that is manager and cryptic tone said I would be more interested if you learn to walk with the bases loaded is interesting. Men and women that the world would view what we consider our passion is something insignificant and unnecessary. We walk with God. What is that and I fear that we really don't talk enough about it from day-to-day and Sunday to Sunday oftentimes finds its absence in Exodus chapter 19 we are given some principles as to how to walk with God and why it is important to walk with God and how it all began back then near the mountain. We refer to as Mount Sinai, Exodus chapter 19 answers. First of all, the question why did the Sinai Summit occur in one of the first reasons is that God wanted to communicate significant revelation for the people in light of his own character look with me at chapter 19. Let's begin with verse one in the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt.

On that very day they came into the wilderness of when they set out from ref and D and they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness and their Israel camped in front of the mountain and Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain say, thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel now revelation from God is based upon several things. First of all his Revelation begins with a review verse four, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to myself.

The word Eagle or the title. There is a reference throughout the Old Testament of his deity in the book of Ezekiel of the Eagle space represents the deity of God in the book of Revelation chapter 4 is the Eagle that surmises all of the wonderful character of God's holiness and awesome power and he refers to himself here as an eagle. He says just as that Eagle with all its majesty bore you out of Egypt or just as he fly so I bore you out of Egypt. In fact, it's interesting if you were to study the life of that bird whenever that Eagle will take her Little League.

Let's enforce them out of the nest.

She will fly underneath so they're not able to fly. They will land on her back and she'll sweep them up and turn and drop them off again until they learn how to fly and he refers to his care as an eagle. He says I know you will stumble. I know you have failed already by like that. Mother Eagle. I am underneath you and that is the review that he gives and then he says my revelation to you is dependent upon a response. Verse five. Now that if you want to serve the Lord it because this is a conditional covenant if you will indeed obey my voice and if you will keep this covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine. We need to get just a little deeper here and I think it'll make sense as we go through the Old Testament. There are several covenants given between God and men. Covenant determines how he will respond to them and how they should respond to God.

The word covenant comes from the Hebrew word which means to bind or to fetter, and it is the idea of binding two parties in contract God was in a sense saying I am giving you another treaty and this is how you are to respond to me and this is what you can expect from me nothing Abraham a covenant which we studied in earlier days was unconditional and that was, no matter what Israel did, they were his people. Then there is the Nowak covenant and now we come to the Mo Mosaic covenant and this is what we would refer to as conditional. That is if you do all of these things you will enjoy the benefits of being my people. You will never fear not being my people but you may or may not experience all the benefits of this covenant. And so it depends upon the response. It is obeying and it is keeping but he says there are rewards involved. If you obey if you keep my word and you want to underline each of the three.

The first word is possession. You will be my own possession. This is a tender term that that they would not be the nation that belonged to him, but they will experience all of the benefits of being his possession and I think he uses this word to imply something greater and greater truth theologically.

It is so true that God would not belong necessarily to Israel. He wants them to think in terms that they belong to God and there is a missing element today. We tend to think that God is a heavenly bellboy who belongs to loss and he does, but there is a greater truth underlying that and it is that we will all to God. He is the creator. We are the creature and there is a fine line that we so easily transgress will talk about that more in this chapter, but he says you will be my possession. That is, I am in control. I'm in charge. You are mine and he says in verse 60 will also be a kingdom of priests interesting in Peter's writings in chapter 2 verse nine of the first epistle he talks about this in terms of New Testament believers as you are a royal priesthood, the fascinating concept that could be a sermon in itself a priest was one who stood between God and men, a priest is one who spoke to God on behalf of some people and spoke to people as it were, in response to what he would learn from God and you and I ladies and gentlemen are traced speeder says so we don't necessarily have priests between us and God.

But we, as his priests speak to the people, the neighbor, the person we work with in in light of who we represent and we go to God and pray and intercede for this people so even today we have in effect, the office of priests we all as believers speak to God in behalf of someone we intercede for and we speak to them in the half of God is as you will be my priests.

He says also. Thirdly, circle, or underline the word nation you will be a holy, set apart a distinct nation. So what we find in the covenant is an identity there is possession. There is nation but a responsibility you are priests you are to obey the conditions of the covenant that God will come and speak to Moses who will speak to the people and we've had the idea, and I in fact did, and it wasn't until I began studying.

I thought Moses went up and down the mountain. Twice he went up the first time he came down with the tablets he broke then because the people were disobeying already. And then he goes back up and he gets a new set that was it interesting that Moses will go up the mountain seven times in the first five are preparatory to receiving that first issue that first revelation from God.

God has some specifics to say to his people before he will entrust them with his revelation and that's the second point, that is this God not only wants to give them revelation.

He wants to create in them a sense of respect for who he is. Look over chapter 20 verse 20 says and Moses said to the people. Don't be afraid, for God's time in order to test you, and in order that the fear of him may remain with you so that you may not sin. In other words, what God is doing in and why all of the fireworks that were about to look at occur. It is so that he will create in you since there all in respect of who he is, his holiness, his Majesty and he says in order to create that respect and to have that evidence.

There are four things that I want to see you.

First of all, you must if you respect God have a willingness to obey.

Look at verse seven. So Moses came and call the elders of the people and set before them.

All these words, which the Lord commanded him that is in verses one through six and all the people answered together and said all that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord the beginning step that first step prior to the receiving of Revelation was God. Whatever you have to say.

Prior to this moment and ahead of time. We want you to know will obey. We will obey.

I wonder if God would speak to us more in our hearts through his spirit. I wonder if his word would mean more as we study it if he knew ahead of time that in us well in obedience and obedient heart.

The second thing is that there had to be an openness to listen to verse nine and the Lord said to Moses, behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud in order that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe in you forever and Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

It wasn't necessarily that they would hear. In fact, I use the word lesson, an openness to listen because we all hear many things but few things. We are literally listening to when we listen, we act upon what we have heard, but I want you to not just hear words I want to listen to the words and I want to put them in the practice. In fact, I think James has a good illustration of what I'm trying to say turn over to James chapter 1. Look at verse 22, he says, but prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves or anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer or a listener. He is like a man who looks at his natural face in America.

Once he has looked at himself and gone away, he is immediately forgotten what kind of person he was, but one who looks intently like to think that is listening intently to the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

That's the difference between listening and hearing now back to Exodus chapter 19 there's 1/3 thing that only willingness to obey an openness to listen, but an attention to instruction versus 10, 11 Lord also said to Moses, go to the people and consecrate or prepare set apart purify them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments interesting. Let them be ready for the third day and on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai inside of all of the people. It's interesting that God didn't just decide to toss 10 Commandments down to other people on clay that would soon disintegrate. He had a system that was worked out. That is marvelous in detail and I don't think will ever understand why was the third day, and why they wash their clothes and why five times up and five times down before they got what we really won't know the point is God sometimes gives specific instructions. We may not understand, but if we respect him. We follow this instruction even though we don't understand. Then there is a recognition of holiness. Verse 12 you shall set balance for the people all around the smell aware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Why is God cruel know God is impressing on them that there is a separation between the creator and the creature in this mountain is that which he is chosen to do in a sense, and well, just as the ark. Only the high priest could go in. It was an awesome thing to come in to the presence of God in awesomeness that we do not understand today because we forget that he is indwelling us but they said bill the border. He said to Moses, so that no one accidentally rubs up against it, though. Hand shall touch, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through verse 13 whether beast or man shall not live when the ram's horn sounds a long blast they shall come up close to the mountain so Moses went down from the mountain to the people and he set them apart. He consecrated them, they wash their garments, and he said to the people be ready be ready for the third day not go near a woman so it came about on the third day when it was morning that there was thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain in 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 now. Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace.

The whole mountain quake violently smoke settles in lightning begins to flash. Read on and find out then the sound of the trumpet verse 19 grew louder and louder and Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder and the Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain and the Lord told Moses do a bit in the company of people stood around although it would have been very very frightening. They were all trembling fire and lightning, crisscrossing the air shooting toward that mountain smoke perhaps confusion all silence and then God says Moses come up here. Can you imagine all of that happening in God saying come up. I would've said no way no way to the store quits. But in the middle of all of that God says Moses what you come up to the top of the mountain and the last part of verse 20 reveals his great faith. Moses went out.

Is he going to give the revelation of the 10 commands known fact is to say to Moses go down warned the people, but they break through to the Lord to gaze and many of them perish. The $0.10 term is theophany and you'll run across that as you study your Old Testament the Army is God works often. He often need means to appear.

It is the appearance of God, because God is spirit because God God is never reveal a face to man because he isvisible a personification of God is Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it's confusing as you read the Old Testament talks about seeing the face of God or the seed of God of the hands of God. Those are terms referring to him in human understanding.

When he is a avast awesome spirit. But God didn't want them to try to gaze through just to see the glory of his manifestation because they would die. In fact, when Moses will come down at a later time. His face glows for days as he is seen magnificence of God's glory.

He says don't tell them not to try to look through the parish.

Verse 22 and also let the priests who come near to the Lord. Consecrate themselves less the Lord break out against serious to approach God. Moses said to the Lord. The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai for thou didst want to say said bounds about the mountain consecrated, Lord said to him, go down and come up again. You and Aaron with you, but do not let the priest and the people break through to come up to the Lord listed break for appointment. So Moses went down to the people and told I think all of these verses basically God's point of creating in this nation that he's calling to himself a great sense of respect and all.

In fact at all would be carried through, so that when the Hebrew scribes would copy Scripture as you perhaps already know when they would come to one of the names of God, they would place their coil down and or whatever the instrument was that they were writing and they would go and they would wash their hands carefully and they would come back and they would pick up a brand-new new writing instrument and they would write out the name Elohim, else the lien LOL whatever name it was and they would put that one down, never to use it again and it would pick up the old and they would continue writing all through the Old Testament they referenced. Even the names of God, like the Old Testament job. I didn't have any valves because they didn't want anybody to pronounce it was sacred, God would share that respect develop that respect with his people. It is respect men and women that I believe we should have for him to we go to him and worship and we we go boldly openly without a mask. He knows our hearts and yet we go respecting his sovereign power. We are going to change him. We allow him to change now as I study this passage I come up with some things that I think are very necessary, that are taught to us from the Sinai Summit.

Let's call them summit meetings and these are times men and women and young people.

When you meet with God will refer to them as your summit meeting whenever and wherever that may be from this chapter. I think that there are principles to help us make these meetings profitable and inspiring. The first is this it would be good to have a place that's alone quiet where you meet with God in a specific way. I think another thing that this chapter gives me is this.

We need a prepared spirit. CS Lewis said once that the problem we have of our thoughts with God is that we have so few when we come to approach God are our minds are focus. It isn't alright and I've got to catch my writing five minutes. Go Lord and we start slip but we come with prepared spirits. We come with the idea that God is literally meeting with us to change us to conform us to motivate us. It is in 15 minutes just so I can do my duty is 15 minutes of the content and form and prepare me for the day.

I've Artie mentioned this before but I believe this is one of the key thoughts. That is, we need teachable parts, not just to hear the listen just to read but to obey. Now I'm talking to you very practically about times that you meet with the Lord.

I believe that this is a basic principle from chapter 19 but so many of never put into practice and I come up with what I believe are excuses as to why suggestions I have heard these put these down for myself and let me give you four excuses that you or someone else may use for not studying the Bible. Why is it that we are not in this book. Why is it that we will drive across town to get under the sound of the word that we will not walk across the living room and pick up the Bible and get it ourselves. Perhaps you see yourself in here. I sure fact, I think I've used all of them at one time or another. The first is the excuse of motivation.

The excuse of motivation and this would be the individual who says I get enough. The church, the truth is people are waiting to get my hair off the launching pad for blasting and I'll take off when he gets more than they sent to those people who have said, I'll meet you. I've set aside a place and I got a time and I got a spirit and a teachable heart. Now meet me here it is that individual that has motivation and let me say this to we don't hear enough of this, I believe the greatest motivator and a married man's life is his wife when Paul told women in first Corinthians 14. If you have a question.

What asked to husband all the wife said that all the men I think a boy your get me in trouble. Great.

Later you have a question that husband and saying I'm studying the Bible about this question, would you find out the answer for me. Could you imagine one of the best things you can do dear lady when you have a question is asked her husband motivation number to the excuse of priority.

This is the individual who says I'm really too busy and I've used this illustration before and I always think about this whenever someone says to me or I say to myself I don't have enough time. I think of the investment in God's given me today of 86,400 seconds that were dollars. I guarantee you I could take 900 and day and put it aside God has given you and me. 86,400 seconds. Can we invest 900 seconds for him. There was always enough time to do what we want to do, but that is an excuse. Often, the third is the excuse of technique, someone came up to Sam Sneed and asked him a great golfer. How did you become such a great putter on the greens. How can I become as as great as you, Sam Sneed said I got up fantastic solution it'll work guarantee I want you and this is how you will be a great is as great of a potter.

I want you to go put 100,000 golf balls that wouldn't work today, something quick, technique is developed by people who are already doing in the fourth I think is probably an excuse, but perhaps a result is the excuse of apathy. This is the person who says why should I let me ask you a question.

Are you tempted to sin and what is the temptation that you struggle with what is pressure at the job or at school and people are saying do this, your flesh says I want this. What is the temptation. Are you tempted of course, what we suggested a study for you of the book of Deuteronomy is it relevant yes it is, in fact, Jesus Christ. The three times that he was tempted in the wilderness, quoted from the book of Deuteronomy how well when we overcome temptation if it depended upon our knowledge of Deuteronomy. The question is not can I or should I study the Bible, the real question men and women is can I afford not to. There is a direct relationship between overcoming temptation and an understanding and application of this book are we in it for ourselves. Do you have a summit meeting. Is there place, time, teachable heart. The second point of application is this moments when God meets with you are not to be taken casually and I fear we have taken him for granted back in the book of Exodus chapter 19 it says and this is an interesting jigsaw puzzle that we find the missing piece still in the New Testament it says in verse 19, then the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then, as the smoke is coming. The lightning is flashing the mountain is quaking and then hears this trumpet and the sound gets louder and louder and louder and it says and Moses spoke. We all know what he said when we find out in the book of Hebrews turned their chapter 12 verse 21 verses before that verses 18 to 20 talk about this mountain mystery verse 18 don't come to the mountain that may be touched into a blazing fire at the darkness and gloom in a whirlwind to do a blast of the trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word could be spoken to them, for they could not bear the command even if the beast touches the mountain will be stoned and so terrible. So awesome was the site. Moses said here's what he said back in Exodus, I am full of fear and trembling. All this Is Taking Pl. in Exodus chapter 19 is as Moses spoke. What was it Moses said, I am full of fear and I am trembling. I am emphasizing appoint ladies and gentlemen, that you may think I am overemphasizing I am not forgetting the approachability of God through Jesus Christ. I am emphasizing his holiness in the all that we should have when we approach him like Moses when he saw the glory of God. He trembled, know that God would give us the kind of attitude it would revolutionize our respect for him.

I hope that you'll have a place time and an attitude where you regularly meet with God in his word. You're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi this is a series from our vintage wisdom collection that Stephen preached back in 1989. The lesson you heard today is called the Sinai Summit and it's the first lesson in a series from Exodus called down from Sinai.

Thanks for being with us to continue through this series.

Next time. So join us Iran wisdom for the hearts