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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 In the third month of the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in this day they have come into the wilderness of Sinai, |
To meet with God – There was no priestly intervention. A55
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| 2 and they journey from Rephidim, and enter the wilderness of Sinai, and encamp in the wilderness; and Israel encampeth there before the mount. |
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| 3 And Moses hath gone up unto God, and Jehovah calleth unto him out of the mount, saying, 'Thus dost thou say to the house of Jacob, and declare to the sons of Israel, |
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| 4 Ye ye have seen that which I have done to the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles' wings, and bring you in unto Myself. |
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| 5 'And now, if ye really hearken to My voice, then ye have kept My covenant, and been to Me a peculiar treasure more than all the peoples, for all the earth [is] Mine; |
If ye will – Are you (Israel) ready now to enter into a covenant of full consecration to do my will? R5285:4
Its commands had nothing to do with any nation but Israel, then or since; nor are they applicable now to spiritual Israel. R4013:3
Obey my voice – It was God's object in making the Law covenant to prove to Israel their own imperfection and inability to live in harmony with God. R282:3
Keep my covenant – The measure of a perfect man's ability. QV428:6
If Israel should keep perfectly the Ten Commandments they would thereby demonstrate that they were perfect men, worthy of everlasting life. R5286:2, R4902:3, R5292:2, R5732:5
The Law covenant was an addition to the Abrahamic covenant and was typical. R5301:5
The mediation (through Moses) of the old Law covenant brought Israel into typical relationship to God; the mediation (through Christ) of the New Law covenant will bring all mankind into actual covenant relationship. R5292:2
The time not having come for the development of the great Mediator, God made a typical arrangement with the nation of Israel. R4902:3
It is not the Law that was important, since God always had a law over his creatures; but the covenant, according to which they were to be treated as servants, not sinners, if faithful to its requirements. R1724:4
None actuated by love have any desire to violate the law of commandments. R543:2
The Christian's responsibility is transferred from the Father to our Lord Jesus. Hence he is no longer under Jehovah's Law given at Sinai, but now "under law to Christ." (1 Cor. 9:21) R542:6
A peculiar treasure – For more than 18 centuries God's dealings were with this people exclusively. "Ye only have I known of all the families of the earth." (Amos 3:2) Q792:4
Obedience would qualify them to be the seed of Abraham to bless the world. R5732:5
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| 6 and ye ye are to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation: these [are] the words which thou dost speak unto the sons of Israel.' |
Kingdom of priests – Type of the Royal Priesthood, the Holy Nation, the Church. B246, CR485:1
God's favor to natural Israel was because they were the seed of Abraham; not because they were holier than others. R5917:3
Israel was first invited to be the antitypical Royal Priesthood. R5532:6
Israel knew they were the favored seed of Abraham, the natural heirs of the promises. R5285:4
An holy nation – Separated from other nations for a particular purpose, and therefore to enjoy certain special favors. A71
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| 7 And Moses cometh, and calleth for the elders of the people, and setteth before them all these words which Jehovah hath commanded him; |
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| 8 and all the people answer together and say, 'All that Jehovah hath spoken we do;' and Moses returneth the words of the people unto Jehovah. |
All the people – The entire nation was a consecrated people. R1742:6
All that – Jesus explained it to mean to love God with all the heart, mind, soul and strength, and one's neighbor as one's self. PD35/46
To do justice to your neighbor as you wish your neighbor to do justice to you is the essence of the Law. (Matt. 7:12) SM352:2
We will do – We agree to keep your Law and you agree to give us life. R4696:2
The Law said, Obey! and he who fails in one point is guilty of all. R614:5
The faithful among them, who earnestly endeavored in their weakness to keep this covenant, will, in the Millennial age, be "princes in all the earth." (Psa. 45:16) B207
The Ten Commandments demand absolute perfection of thought and deed for their fulfillment. R543:2
They saw only the outward aspect and not the spirit of the Law. R4013:2
It did not seem to occur to Israel that they might not be able to obey the Law perfectly. R1724:5
God was bound to give Israel eternal life if they would keep that Law. R4902:3
Alas for poor humanity's self-confidence; that which they thought would gain life emphatically condemned all under it to death. R454:6
No fallen human being could possibly keep the letter of the Law, but God dealt with the Israelites as though they could. Their sacrifices were typical. OV428:6
It served them well as a servant to bring them to Christ. R1724:5
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| 9 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Lo, I am coming unto thee in the thickness of the cloud, so that the people hear in My speaking with thee, and also believe in thee to the age;' and Moses declareth the words of the people unto Jehovah. |
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| 10 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go unto the people; and thou hast sanctified them to-day and to-morrow, and they have washed their garments, |
Said unto Moses – Type of Christ, Head and Body. R3037:5; D630
Unto the people – All those of mankind desirous of entering covenant relationship with God. R3037:5
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| 11 and have been prepared for the third day; for on the third day doth Jehovah come down before the eyes of all the people, on mount Sinai. |
For the third day – The three days of purification represent the Gospel age. Our Lord's first advent occurred early on the fifth thousand-year day, the sixth day has passed, and we are now in the morning of the seventh or "Millennial" day. R3037:5
The New Law covenant will be made during the Millennial day-the Jewish "day" and Gospel "day" being preparatory. R4570:3*
Upon mount Sinai – Type of the Kingdom of God. R3037:6, R4037:5; D630
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| 12 'And thou hast made a border [for] the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, going up into the mount, or coming against its extremity; whoever is coming against the mount is certainly put to death; |
Shalt set bounds – During the two thousand-year days just past, God, through Christ, has been marking out the bounds of the Kingdom class: who might and might not come into the Kingdom. R3037:6
Take heed – "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." (Psa. 89:7) R2002:2
Touch the border – Our God is a consuming fire to all who attempt to approach him except through Christ. R2035:6
Surely put to death – How can we escape if we disregard the voice of the great Mediator of the New covenant, and the remarkable circumstances which now accompany its establishment. R5990:4
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| 13 a hand cometh not against him, for he is certainly stoned or shot through, whether beast or man it liveth not; in the drawing out of the jubilee cornet they go up into the mount.' |
Whether it be beast – The Hebrew used the word "hands" for beast as well as for man. The Hebrew word for hand, yad, is rendered "paw" in (1 Sam. 17:37). R3044:5
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| 14 And Moses cometh down from the mount unto the people, and sanctifieth the people, and they wash their garments; |
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| 15 and he saith unto the people, 'Be ye prepared for the third day, come not nigh unto a woman.' |
Be ready – Typifying still greater purifying of all who accept the New covenant. R2022:5
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| 16 And it cometh to pass, on the third day, while it is morning, that there are voices, and lightnings, and a heavy cloud, on the mount, and the sound of a trumpet very strong; and all the people who [are] in the camp do tremble. |
Thunders – Only a typical representation of the greater glory of the New-covenant--"the glory that excelleth." (2 Cor. 3:9, 10) R1404:6
Thunder tones of judgment that "call the earth from the rising of the sun until the going down thereof." (Psa. 50:1) R5990:4, R1914:4
And lightnings – Lightning flashes of truth and righteousness. R1914:4, R5990:4
Frequent flashes of light from the storm clouds surrounding the invisible presence of our King in the daily press illuminate the principles of the Word of God. R1913:3
A thick cloud – Symbol of the time of trouble. D630; R3037:5, R5990:1, R1914:4
Voice of the trumpet – Type of the Seventh Trumpet of liberty. D630; B148
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| 17 And Moses bringeth out the people to meet God from the camp, and they station themselves at the lower part of the mount, |
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| 18 and mount Sinai [is] wholly a smoke from the presence of Jehovah, who hath come down on it in fire, and its smoke goeth up as smoke of the furnace, and the whole mount trembleth exceedingly; |
Smoke of a furnace – Symbol of the time of trouble. D630; C146
Quaked greatly – Typifying the fearful sights, terrifying sounds, in the end of this age. D630; R5990:1
Not only the earth (society) and the mountains (kingdoms), but the heavens also (ecclesiastical powers), so that only the unshakable principles of truth and righteousness may endure. R1914:5
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| 19 and the sound of the trumpet is going on, and very strong; Moses speaketh, and God doth answer him with a voice. |
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| 20 And Jehovah cometh down on mount Sinai, unto the top of the mount, and Jehovah calleth for Moses unto the top of the mount, and Moses goeth up. |
And Moses – Type of The Christ, Head and Body. D630; A79; B255
Went up – Glorified. D630
So the entire Church must go into the mountain (Kingdom) with Christ. OV286:2
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| 21 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go down, protest to the people, lest they break through unto Jehovah to see, and many of them have fallen; |
Many of them perish – It is just as impossible for men to see the unveiled qlory of the Lord Jesus as it is for them to behold Jehovah. (Exod. 33:20; Heb. 1:3) B131
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| 22 and also the priests who are coming nigh unto Jehovah do sanctify themselves, lest Jehovah break forth on them.' |
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| 23 And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'The people [is] unable to come up unto mount Sinai, for Thou Thou hast protested to us, saying, Make a border [for] the mount, then thou hast sanctified it.' |
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| 24 And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Go, descend, then thou hast come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; and the priests and the people do not break through, to come up unto Jehovah, lest He break forth upon them.' |
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| 25 And Moses goeth down unto the people, and saith unto them: |
Spake unto them – The Reformers recognized the difference between Moses as a prophet and as a law-giver; maintaining that as law-giver his authority extended only over Israel. R976:2
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