“Bound by Love”
Unit I: Tabernacle, Sacrifices, and Atonement
PRINTED TEXT: Exodus 19: 1-14, NIV
March 2, 2025
Key Verse: Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19: 5b-6a, NIV)
Lesson Aim:
- Review and evaluate the obligations implicit in covenant relationships.
- Commit to corporate worship to proclaim Yahew’s sovereignty to the world.
- Express your identity as a member of a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation.”
Unifying Principle and Why this Lesson Matters: People know that relationships come with responsibilities. How can we best honor our relationships? Yahweh called the people a “treasured possession,” a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Reference Material: Faith Pathway Bible Studies for Word, Student Book and Teachers Guide, The Townsend Press Sunday School Commentary, The Student Bible Dictionary, The Holy Bible, King James Study Bible 1985.
The Introduction, Lesson in Focus, and Biblical Context:
The Old Testament Book of Exodus tells about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and to the Promised Land. However, their journey would take 40 years. The title, Exodus, means departure, and it records the events of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage and its development as a nation. Exodus was written in the wilderness during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinia Peninsula, and spans about eighty years. It describes the book’s central events: Israel’s divinely orchestrated deliverance and departure from Egyptian slavery, the Ten Commandments, Israel’s sin, and Moses’ intercession for them, along with the building of the Tabernacle. The themes of worship, altars, songs, and sacrifices run through the scriptures this spring quarter. We must understand the old covenant, sacrifices, and offerings because it is essential to understanding the New Testament view of Christ’s sacrifice. The Book of Exodus also holds immense significance as it documents the commencement of God’s fulfillment of His promises to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The overarching theme of Exodus is liberation, vividly portraying God’s miraculous intervention to free Israel from bondage in Egypt and establish them as His treasured possession. Additionally, the book of Exodus is a historical account of Israel’s transformation from an oppressed group in Egypt to a nation under God’s covenant. Chapters 16-18 recount the Israelites’ recurrent grumbling in the wilderness and rebellion despite God’s continuous provision of sustenance and unwavering goodness. The events of Exodus 19 are pivotal in laying the foundation for the Mosaic Covenant and underscore God’s call for Israel’s complete devotion to Him. This covenant defined the relationship between God and Israel and set the stage for the subsequent laws and instructions that governed their covenant community.
As recorded in Exodus 19:1-2, Israel entered a covenant with God at Mount Sinai three months after escaping Egyptian bondage and their journey through the wilderness. Later, in chapter 19, plans for the Tabernacle are detailed, symbolizing God’s presence. These events are pivotal in laying the foundation for the Mosaic Covenant and underscore God’s call for Israel’s complete devotion to Him. This covenant defined the relationship between God and Israel and set the stage for the subsequent laws and instructions that governed their covenant community. God chose Israel as His special possession, a priestly kingdom. He made it clear that this privileged status required both physical and spiritual preparation to enter His presence and maintain an intimate relationship with Him. As believers, we must understand that entering God’s presence is still a serious matter and should never be taken lightly. Worship is more than ritualistic practices or “feel-good” experiences; it is deeply influenced by a mature understanding of God, more than what He does for individuals. Believers should prioritize aligning worship practices with divine standards involving attitudes and actions that reflect reverence, sincerity, and deep respect for God’s person and His holiness. This involves heartfelt expressions of faith, unconditional love, and devotion to Him. God selected Israel out of love and a promise to their ancestors. And obedience would make them God’s prized possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.
A Call to Commit (Exodus 19:1-6, NIV):
1. On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that
very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.
2. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:
4. ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
5. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
6. you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Three months after being freed from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai, also known as the mountain of God and Horeb. It is important to note that “desert,” here likely signifies a remote grazing land rather than a barren wasteland. The precise location of Mount Sinai remains a mystery, though it is traditionally placed in the southern Sinai Peninsula. The people’s arrival here was significant; this encampment fulfilled a divine prophecy to Moses, affirming his leadership and role as the Israelites’ liberator. While encamped, God summoned Moses to the mountain to propose a covenant with Israel.
God’s agenda is to redeem His children back to Himself, and Moses was employed as the mediator or, instead, the messenger of the covenant, which was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s proclamation scripted in Exodus 3:12: And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” In Exodus 19:4, God began by reminding Israel of their emancipation from Egypt, likening their journey to a mother eagle guiding her young and illustrating God’s love and care in leading Israel to freedom. In referencing the children as “the house of Jacob,” God links them to the last of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs. Verses 5-6 detail the covenant’s stipulations and rewards; there was a requirement of devotion and obedience to His voice and covenant, which includes the Law. Israel was to adhere strictly to the covenant’s moral requirements in exchange for God’s promise to elevate them above all nations, making them His prized possession. Israel was given this status above all people, and they alone were chosen to be God’s esteemed and favored. His valued treasure, His peculiar people, would be major participants in His plan of salvation. God was not ignoring the earth, for all the world was His, but He valued Israel as the vehicle for reaching all the earth. This choice was an act of His sovereign will, underscoring that any nation could have been chosen for such a privilege. However, God extended this choice to Israel in keeping the covenant: obey and be blessed or disobey and be cursed. Commitment to this covenant meant that Israel would have a particular purpose. Each member would enjoy a deep relationship with God, wholly dedicated to His service. This redemption story is rooted in God’s love and His promise to Israel’s esteemed forefather, Abraham. Similarly, believers called from darkness into light are expected to embody this unique, priestly role, demonstrating total devotion to God and His purpose.
Agreeing to Commit (Exodus 19: 7-9, NIV):
7. 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.
8. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So, Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
9. The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
Moses, the mediator, took on the role of a priest, came down from the mountain, and summoned the people’s elders. By design, the priest was a man who stood before God on behalf of the people and stood before the people on behalf of God. God chose Israel as a kingdom of priests representing Him before the people. Moses faithfully and dutifully relayed everything the Lord had commanded him. At this point, the people were unaware of the specific terms and conditions of the covenant, yet they wholeheartedly pledged to follow all that God had declared. This commitment was a personal dedication to God and a vow to adhere to His guidance, which, historically, the subsequent generations of Israelites struggled to keep. Understanding the depth of this commitment, God saw the need for a profound display of His presence to encourage their obedience and reinforce Moses’s role as the intermediary between the people and Himself. The plan was for God to appear in a dense, dark cloud, enabling the Israelites to witness the reality of His communication with Moses. This extraordinary event would confirm Moses’s prophetic role and leadership. The concealment was necessary because humanity could not bear the brilliance of His manifestation. God calls people into deeply personal, obedient, and committed relationships with Him in the same spirit of unconditional love and care for humanity. The authenticity of this call is evident through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who resides in those who accept this invitation of faith. Unlike Israel, we can know what God expects of us in advance. His divinely inspired Word and the guidance of pastors and teachers equip us to understand and fulfill His
requirements.
Called to Consecrate (Exodus 19: 10-14, NIV):
10. And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes,
11. and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
12. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.
13. They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”
14. After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
God called Israel into a covenant rooted in His love, emphasizing that He must not be approached casually or irreverently. To prepare for His descent on Mount Sinai, Moses was instructed to consecrate the people, underscoring the event’s gravity. Experiencing this unique opportunity required two days of thorough external and internal preparations, reinforcing the need to respect God’s holy presence. Moses responded by urging the people to sanctify themselves, symbolized through washing their clothes. This act represented the inner purity and humility required to enter God’s presence, acknowledging His holiness and the covenant’s responsibilities. In addition, the heart has to be ready for the presence of our omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God. On the third day, the perfect God was going to reveal Himself on the mountain to an imperfect people who needed to understand that there were boundaries that must be met. In verses 12-13, God’s command to Moses was clear: God directed Moses to establish boundaries around Mount Sinai to prevent anyone from violating the sacred space, promising the death penalty for those who disrespected this rule. Should any person or animal meet the fate of death, others were forbidden to touch them, or they, too, would be met with the same fate. The restraints were set because of the holiness of God, but also, possibly to establish the need to sacrificially deny personal desires and succumb fully to God’s law of obedience. The signal for approaching God was a long blast from a ram’s horn, further magnifying the seriousness of this event. Therefore, it is crucial to remember and stress that God’s standards for entering His presence remain unchanged. Believers must demonstrate respect for God’s holiness in appearance, behavior, attitude, and motivation, in their preparation for worship, and, most critically, in the spiritual state of the heart.
Point to Remember: God’s call was and is not a call to privilege but to responsibility.