Exodus 19

"A Kingdom of Priests"



Israel has come to Mt Sinai.

God had called Israel out of Egypt for this purpose,

to come and worship Him in the wilderness.

God has never set forth before the way in which he wants his people to worship him.

He had made it clear to Adam and Eve after the fall that blood sacrifice

was required to approach him (the animal skins of Gen 3).

The connection between the Word of God and the covenant meal had been established

even in the garden.

But Exodus 19-24 is the first corporate worship service described in detail.

Israel's worship at the mountain will provide the basis for all corporate worship

in Israel's history

Even NT worship is discussed as a contrast to Sinai (Heb 12)



Sinai is called elsewhere, the mountain of God (Ex 4:27, Ex 18:5, Ex 24:13).

This will be transferred later to Mt Zion

Mt Zion is sometimes spoken of as the temple mountain in Jerusalem

Other times it is used figuratively to refer to the city of God more generally.

By calling Sinai the mountain of God,

God is using a physical place to reveal his glory

Or to say it another way,

by revealing his glory on Mt Sinai, God transforms it into his temple.

God will frequently use mountains in this symbolic way,

for he desires us to lift up our eyes to the heavens to remember

that our help comes from above.

Hebrews 12 shows us how Sinai was a shadow of the heavenly mountain:

12:18-24



Chapter 19, however, simply describes the preparation for this first worship service.

V3-6 contain the prologue

God is establishing his right to prescribe the worship due to him.

We have seen how God considers Israel his son,

and we have seen how God called his son forth from Egypt,

so that the son of God might properly serve his Father.

I have suggested that covenant is the expression of the relationship of Father and son.

The unique relationship of Israel to God is expressed in terms of covenant (v5).

The continuation of this relationship is dependent upon that covenant being kept.

But if covenant is the expression of the relationship between Father and son,

then worship is the response to that covenantal relationship.



Perhaps some biblical examples will help:

God created his son, Adam, in a covenantal relationship with himself.

Adam was to walk in communion with God,

hearing the Word of God and partaking of the Tree of Life.

God called Abraham to be his son-to receive an inheritance from Him,

Abraham's response was to walk in communion with God.

Again we hear the Word of God coming to Abraham,

and we see the sacrifices of Gen 15 and the covenant meal of ch18

Later God will establish the Son of David as his own son (promised in 2 Sam 7:14).

When that promise comes true, and Solomon is established on the throne,

all Israel comes together to celebrate the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8).

Their response to God's covenant is worship.

Or perhaps, to put it more accurately, worship is an act of covenant renewal.

When you look at the feasts of Israel,

the feasts are all designed to remind Israel of the covenant.

Passover reminds Israel of how God redeemed them from bondage in Egypt.

Pentecost reminds Israel of how God has given them the inheritance in the land.

Tabernacles reminds Israel of how God preserved them in the wilderness.

And indeed, they are commanded to sanctify every Sabbath day-every Saturday,

to remember God's actions in creation (Ex 20) and redemption (Dt 5).

Every time Israel comes together for worship,

they are called to remember who they are.



This is why God reminds Israel of what he has done in Ex 19:4.

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,

and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself"

We are familiar with what God did to the Egyptians,

but this phrase, "eagles' wings" sounds somewhat odd.

The eagle is frequently mentioned in Scripture-generally for its speed and endurance.

But the idea of riding on eagles' wings is rather rare.

Isaiah will use it (Is 40:31) in the context of Israel in exile.

they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.

Just as God brought Israel to Himself out of Egypt on eagles' wings,

So now God will deliver those who wait for Him out of Exile.

And Rev. 12:14 also uses the image in a similar manner.

The woman (in context, the church) is being pursued by the dragon.

But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle

that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness,

to the place where she is to be nourished for a time,

and times, and half a time.

Once again the wings of the eagle bring the people of God out of danger,

And bring them to God who nourishes them.

Note carefully how the image works:

eagles' wings do not bring the people of God out of temptation.

Testing is a part of what God brings us in order to strengthen us.

Rather, eagles' wings preserve us from destruction-from bondage and captivity and Exile

The wings of an eagle have sped us out of the power of darkness

Out of the clutches of the Evil One,

and have brought us to the mountain of God.



But now that Israel has come to the mountain,

God calls his people to keep covenant with him (v5-6)



There are three things that God has chosen Israel to be:

His "special treasure"

A Kingdom of priests to God

A Holy Nation



Special treasure: (lit. "possession"-often a particularly valued one)

Dt. 7:6 (cf. 14:2)

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.

God has chosen Israel to be "His" in a way that no one else is.

All the earth is God's (Ex 19:5), but Israel is especially His.

Malachi 3:16-17 expresses this ("jewels"=possession).

(Note the connection between covenant, sonship, and worship in this passage)



Israel is also to be a kingdom of priests:

The people of God as a whole are called to worship

before the priests are set aside

to devote themselves to the ministry of the tabernacle

The principle of the priesthood of all believers is found here.

Israel is to be a kingdom of priests.

As the son of God, Israel has a priestly function.

He is to mediate the blessings of God to the nations.

Abrahamic blessing

mixed multitude out of Egypt

Caleb, Rahab, Ruth, Naaman

This is reflected throughout the prophets (esp Isaiah)

as Israel becomes the source of blessing for all mankind.

Israel is therefore to be a holy nation.

The nation is set apart for the service of God.

If they are God's possession-his special treasure-then they are, in fact, holy.

And now they must live as that holy nation that God has constituted them to be.



But, for Israel to be God's possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,

there are conditions:

"if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant"



The NT also uses this passage to speak to those who are in Christ.



The word "God's possession" or "special treasure" (periousios from the LXX)

is used in the NT only once: Titus 2:14

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, 2:12 training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, 2:13 awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.



We who are in Christ have been constituted a peculiar people (to use the old KJV).

We are his own special treasure.

All three images: possession, kingdom of priests and holy nation are found in 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:4-10

Peter is blending together images from Isaiah 40, Psalm 118 and Hosea,

(All of which utilize the Exodus theme)

And the language of verse 9 can refer only to Exodus 19,

because no other OT passage refers to the people of God as a priesthood.

So Peter uses the call to Israel as a call to us.

But notice the difference:

Israel is called to be a kingdom of priests.

You are declared to be a royal priesthood.

What is the difference?

I Peter 2:7

"Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious;

But to those who are disobedient,

the stone which the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone,

and

a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed."



What has happened to the conditions?

What has happened to the "if you obey and keep my covenant"?

We must hear this call as the Father calling his Son to obey him.

Israel is the son of God, and so is called to succeed where Adam failed.

It is a call to perfect, perpetual obedience.

And as such, it is a call that we can obey no better than Israel did!

In this way we need to see Christ as the true Israel.

He is the Son who obeyed his Father perfectly.

He is the kingdom of God in Himself.

He is the priest who offers the perfect sacrifice and intercession for his people.

He is the holy nation in himself.

He is all that Israel was supposed to be!

Jesus Christ is the Son come to maturity.

All that was promised to Israel has been fulfilled in Christ.

Therefore, those who believe in Him partake of his royal priesthood.

All who trust in Him become, by virtue of His obedience, a holy nation.



Therefore we must live holy lives.

Not so that we might become something we are not,

but so that we may simply be who we are.



Now remember, all of this language about becoming a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,

was spoken to Israel in the context of establishing a covenant, and preparing for worship

(the ratification and renewal of the covenant).



In verse 7-8, Israel accepts the covenant that God has established.

Note this: the terms of the covenant are non-negotiable.

God has established his covenant with its conditions and requirements,

blessings and curses.

And by the grace of God, Israel accepts the covenant.

Here we see sovereignty and responsibility working itself out.

God does not force Israel to accept his covenant.

He graciously redeems Israel from slavery,

provides all that they need in the wilderness,

and still leaves his people free to answer as they choose.

(Now it has become plain that left to themselves, they would return to Egypt,

but God grants them the grace to accept his covenant)

Now they must prepare to meet this God who has brought them to himself!



So what does Israel being brought to Sinai on eagles' wings teach us about our worship?

Remember who you are.

Remember where you are!

Let's go back to Hebrews 12,

because while Hebrews 12 shows us a contrast between Sinai and the heavenly Zion

it also makes a connection.

Too often we stop reading at v24 and fail to see what the author of Hebrews is saying:

Hebrews 12:18-29

Yes, the glory that has been revealed in Christ is far greater than the glory of Moses.

But Hebrews also points out that the fiery mountain of Sinai,

was only a dim reflection of God himself.

"For our God is a consuming fire."

Our worship has greater glory than Moses' worship at Sinai.

Therefore there is also a greater warning.

If God struck down those who did not heed the law,

how much greater his wrath

against those who reject the gospel!

If refusing the earthly voice of God through Moses brought judgment,

How much greater will be the judgment

against those who refuse the heavenly voice of God in Christ!

When we enter worship,

we are entering a place of judgment,

because we are entering the place where God dwells ("to God the Judge of all").

But God's judgment toward us who are in Christ is "come, beloved"

v24-because Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,

whose blood of sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel,

has himself brought us to God.

You have been brought into the very courts of heaven.

You have come to the heavenly Jerusalem.

You participate in something Moses and David and Isaiah could only dream of.

Something they could only dimly imagine.



See that you do not refuse Him who speaks!

Hebrews 12 is all about spiritual discipline.

It is all about how God chastens and corrects us as sons,

so that we will walk in the right way.

It is fitting, therefore, that Hebrews uses the example of Sinai,

because God was testing his son in the wilderness.

God was teaching Israel the way in which he should go,

and tested him to see if he would walk in that way.

And now God is testing you-you who have come to the heavenly Mountain.



Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,

let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

For our God is a consuming fire.