The agreement at Mount Sinai.
God’s promises, or grants, covered thus far are God’s unilateral and unconditional actions on behalf of sinful humankind. However, the agreement with God that the people made at mount Sinai is not God’s unilateral and unconditional action. The agreement made at mount Sinai involved two parties. The response to the people’s request was that God speaks to them through Moses only and not directly to them. People could not tolerate the display of God’s glory and were afraid they would die if God continued to speak to dem directly. The people promised that they would obey whatever God told Moses. Therefore, the agreement made at mount Sinai was conditioned on the people’s obedience to God’s requirements. God so informed the people. “Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together; “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” Exodus 19:5, 7 – 8.
Initially, God wanted to speak His instructions and promises to Moses in the hearing by the people so they would trust Moses. Exodus 19:9. Accordingly, God instructed Moses to consecrate the people and bring them to Mount Sinai. Moses did as God instructed him. When the people assembled at Mount Sinai, God spoke to Moses the first two commandments in hearing by the people. Exodus 24:17. The people could not tolerate God’s glory and His voice. “…They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” Exodus 20:18 – 19. The people did not believe that they would not suffer harm if God wanted to speak to them directly
In the covenant book, Moses wrote down the law and precepts that God gave as a condition concerning the agreement with the people. He read it to the people so that people would understand the importance of the agreement they made with God. Exodus 24:7. Moses then offered a sacrifice to God. He took some of the sacrifice’s blood and sprinkled it upon the people. Moses confirmed the agreement that people had made with God with this act. However, the agreement at Mount Sinai was destined to fail because the people were sinners by nature, therefore. Unable to render perfect obedience.
The agreement at Mount Sinai will continue in the next blog.
