EXODUS 19
A special people. At the Red Sea, God separated His people from their old life; at Sinai, He brought them into a new life, a covenant relationship with Himself. It was like a wedding ceremony, with God as the Husband and Israel as the wife. Whenever the nation turned from God to idols, God accused them of committing adultery (Isa. 1:21;
A sanctified people. Because we belong to God, we must be separated from sin (vv. 10,
A submissive people. To impress the people with the fear of the Lord, God demonstrated His power at Sinai and warned them not to come near. It was the childhood of the nation, and the people, like children, learned from rewards and punishments. Hebrews 12:18–29 contrasts this experience with that of the New Testament believer today. We must still fear the Lord and respect the boundaries He establishes, but we are invited to “draw near” (
We Are Set Apart
To be sanctified means to be set apart for God’s exclusive use and pleasure. Christians are set apart by the death of Christ (Heb. 10:10), the indwelling Spirit (