The Mediator on the Mountain (Exodus 19-24)

(1) Sermon Script

(Coverage: Exodus 19-24; Reading: Exodus 24:1-18)

Introduction: Meeting your Maker

“When you get to heaven, what do you think you’ld say. I think you would say g’day!” I think it was the Mormons who ran this public relations campaign in the late 70s and early 80s. Smiling children saying g’day to everyone.

It was meant to give you warm fuzzies about their organization. We Mormons really belong in Australia, we say ‘G’day’ too. And the message was pretty simple. Heaven is for everyone. And God is someone you can say ‘G’day’ to.

It was an ad that tried to capture what Aussies think about meeting God. You hear it sometimes. When I meet get to heaven and meet God (everyone assumes they should go to heaven), we’ll have a beer. I’ll treat him like one of the boys. Talk over some stuff. We’ll agree to differ over a few things. But God can have his opinion, and I can have mine. I’m sure he’s a good bloke.

Now, the Australian attitude might be anti-authoritarian and egalitarian. But it’s downright dangerous. Let’s treat a crocodile or a lion like a kitten or a cockatiel. These people have no idea about the God of the bible. You can’t just rock up, treat him like a mate, and expect him to conform to your standards. He is the one who ‘lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see’ (1 Timothy 6:16 NIV). Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the God of the New Testament, is the same as Yahweh, the God of the Old. He hasn’t changed. The God who met Israel at Sinai is the same God who will meet each of us meet at the Judgment day. So we need to pay attention so we come to him properly.

Israel has just arrived at the foot of Mt Sinai about two months after leaving Egypt via the Red Sea (Exodus 19:1-2). And God has kept his word to both Israel and Moses. Yahweh has been faithful.

Yahweh has been faithful to Israel, because he’s remembered his promises to the fathers. Faithful to Israel, because he has brought them out of Slavery. Through all the plagues, Through the death of the firstborn, Through the waters of the red sea, Through their wilderness wanderings and whingings, And now Israel stands at the foot of the mountain, ready to meet God.

And Yahweh has been faithful to Moses, because all 2 million Israelites now stand with him at the foot of Mount Sinai. Way back in Exodus 3:12, while he was still shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep, God said to Moses at this location from the burning bush:

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." (Exodus 3:12 NIV)

And now Moses has returned, not shepherding a flock of sheep, but a nation of 2 million people. God has been with him. And Moses is now keen once again to meet God. So on the day they return, Moses goes once again up the mountain. Israel’s invitation: International Intermediatory, if … (Exodus 19:3-6) And at the foot of Mount Sinai, through Moses, God invites Israel to a privileged position:

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.' (Exodus 19:4-6 NIV)

God has rescued his chosen people. Yahweh has brought them out of the land of Egypt and slavery. And he has brought them ‘to himself’ (vv3-4; cf 20:1). In other words, he has given them ‘himself’, and brought them into a special relationship with him.

Now he calls on the people to obey the covenant. The covenant is an agreement between God and the people. Now there were different covenants in the ancient world. And there are different ways to think about this covenant. One way is to think of it as a powerful leader adopting someone into his family. It has wonderful privileges, but also serious obligations[2]. Another way is to think of a treaty between the powerful emperor who rules the world and a small kingdom that seeks his protection, care, and offers him loyalty. No matter which way we think of this covenant, it imposed obligations to obey. Whether to obey Yahweh as family leader or head of the household. Or the obligation to obey Yahweh as the mighty Emperor and Lord of the earth. If you obey me fully and keep my covenant. Either way, it is not a bargain between equals, a contract in the sense that you get a valuable thing in exchange for valuable consideration. On God’s side, there is a great and mighty person generously offering a relationship of privilege and a position of responsibility. On the other, there is a poor, helpless person, previously kicked about and despised, now offered an honourable and respectable estate. But Israel must still fulfil its responsibilities. Israel must obey and observe. And if and only if Israel keeps their condition that you do this, she will become Yahweh’s special possession, verse 5, Yahweh’s holy nation, verse 6, different, and distinct from every other people. Yahweh’s kingdom of priests, verse 6. Israel as a nation will be the intermediary between Yahweh and the rest of his world. And someone who wants to know the true God will have to come to Israel. Israel becomes God’s mediator and ambassador and go-between. Then Israel stands between God and the rest of the world to enable the relationship to happen (v6). So all nations on the earth would be blessed through them (Gen 12:3)[3]. But this would be the case only if Israel obeyed Yahweh’s covenant.

The people ask where they sign up. Exodus chapter 19 verse 8:

⁸ The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." (Exodus 19:8 NIV)

Meeting God Means Preparation (Exodus 19:9-15)

So now what remains is that the people have to get ready to meet God.

Has anyone here met anyone important? Has anyone met a sports star? A test cricketer. Or a footballer in the NRL? What would you do to get ready to meet them? Put on all your supporters jerseys. Make sure you’ve got your footy cards and your autograph book.

What about a pop star or a rock musician? Take your record albums – sorry, you don’t know what records are – take your MP3 players and Ipods, your CDs. Get your T-Shirt signed.

Anyone met the Queen? What would you do to get ready to meet the Queen? I’ve never met the Queen, but I have met her representative in Australia. When I was in Scouts I met the Governor General once. We were at the 1982 Jamboree at Ipswich, Queensland. And the Governor General was being helicoptered in. I was all of eleven. I’d been there at the camp for maybe a week, through the rain and the flooding and all the boyish activities. And I don’t think I’d had a shower. They were cold, hard concrete, and no doors. What were they thinking, that we were camping or something? But because I’d got chosen to meet the Governor General, off I went. I found them, had a shower. Put on the best clothes, comb my hair, best woggle, shoe shine, all that. Perhaps that was why they chose me to meet him. They wanted to get me in the shower at least once.

And I managed to avoid all the mud and dirt, I didn’t fall over. And I made it to where I was supposed to be. Of course, he was running late. But I remember the big moment when I first set eyes on the Queen’s Representative in Australia. A retired judge, a quiet small thin man, grey suit, grey hair, glasses. Hey, I’m as tall as him! And he was ushered down the line, dutifully shaking those well scrubbed hands. And then he moved on. That was it. No speech, no conversation, no discussion. We didn’t even get breakfast. Not more than a few muttered words. Completely underwhelming. Ripped off. That was a shower under false pretences. And I don’t think I had a shower for the rest of the camp in protest. Israel had to get ready to meet God.

And if it is appropriate to have a wash to meet the G-G, how much more so to meet God. We don’t know all the details of their purification (19:10, 14-15). And we know there’s not lots of water around. But that’s no problem for God (cf Exodus 15:22-27, 17:1-7). And what God commands, he enables. So the people washed their clothes (Exodus 19:10, 14) and abstained from sexual relations (Exodus 19:15)[4]. Not because there’s anything wrong with dirt or sex, after all, God made them. But there’s a time and a place. And now is the time to focus on God.

Part of the preparations also involved setting up a no-go zone. Mount Sinai was in lock-down mode. At God’s command, Moses placed a barrier around the mountain (Exodus 19:12-13, 21-23). For the people had to approach God on his terms[5] (19:13, Exodus 24:9-11)

Meeting God at the Mountain (19:16-25)

So the big day arrives. The people are scrubbed up and ready. There wearing their Sunday Bests. The crowd control barricades are in place.

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, ¹⁹ and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. (Exodus 19:16-19 NIV)

Definitely not Jack and Jill went up the hill. More like Frodo and Sam ascending Mount Doom. It’s like Vesuvius. But it’s not a volcano. The fire doesn’t come from the ground below, but the Lord above. And the earth shakes. But it’s not an earthquake they are experiencing. For these are simply God’s calling cards. Yahweh is coming close, visiting his world. Thunder, lightning, cloud, earthquakes, fire, smoke, a deafening crescendo of trumpets. This is just the ripple effect when God touches down on his earth.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the people shuddered (19:16). After all, the mountain was shuddering (19:17-18). The writer to the Hebrews even adds:

²¹ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear. (Hebrews 12:21 NIV)[6]

Even Moses was afraid. Which should not surprise us, because he was told to walk straight into it all. Alone, through the wall of smoke, sound, fire, as incendiaries land around him. And when Moses does get up there, God tells him to keep the people safe. Keep them safe by keeping them away from the Mountain. God kindly commands Moses to go down and warn the people. He is to issue an obvious but important command. As obvious as, no, don’t touch the fire to see if it’s hot. Or do not put your head in that hot oven. No children playing in the blast furnace. No loitering at ground zero of the nuclear weapons test. And don’t come up this mountain uninvited.

It reminds me of a line in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. When one of the children realizes Aslan is a huge lion, they ask, ‘Is he safe?’. Oh no, comes the reply. He’s not safe. But he’s good. There is nothing safe about Yahweh. You cannot approach him uninvited. But he is good.

Meeting God = Meeting his Word (Exodus 20:1-17)

So Moses comes back down the Mountain and stands with his people. And from the summit, God speaks to the people. This is the climax of the invitation of Israel to meet God. And for the nation, Meeting God meant meeting his word. For God speaks, and we listen, and that’s how we meet God in his world.

Yahweh is at top of the Mountain. At the foot of Sinai are Moses, Aaron and the Israelites. And then Yahweh spoke in their sight and hearing the 10 Words, which we call commandments (see v22). Yahweh uttered them directly, without using Moses as a mediator. And thus they could not doubt God’s presence amongst them. Now, the 10 Words are like the Constitution of Australia. They aren’t just a way to be nice to God and others. They actually are the basis of God’s nation, Israel.

Now, we of course don’t have time to step through the 10 Commandments. Each command really requires a talk on it’s own. Moreover, the 10 commands are really a way into the rest of the law. Just as the two greatest commands teach us what the 10 commands are about. The 10 commands teach us what the rest of the Old Testament Law is about. In chapters 20 to 23, we don’t just have 10 commandments. We’ve got 4 chapters of diverse commandments from Yahweh. Only the 10 commandments were spoken directly to the people. The other commands were given to Moses to give to the people. They include religious duties, like what sort of altars to build or feasts to observe. They governed social relationships, like behavior toward leaders or parents, care for the vulnerable, like slaves, foreigners, widows and orphans. They speak about things we think of as civil law, like negligence or industrial relations. And things we think of as criminal law, like murder or kidnapping. And included are some things we just don’t understand: Like ‘Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk’ (Exodus 23:19 NIV)[7]

But let me make 11 observations about the laws that we find in Exodus chapters 20 to 23. These aren’t the 10 commandments. They are 11 principles that I think underlie them. For behind the commands are consistent principles from which we can learn.

First, Yahweh claims a right to impose these demands. God can make these demands because he has rescued Israel from slavery. They are freed from serving Egypt not so they can do what they want. They are freed from serving Egypt to serve Yahweh. People in the ancient world believed that if they were saved by someone, they became obliged to that person for life[8]. A bit like Ja Ja Binks in Star Wars I, The Phantom Menace. Qui Gon Jin saves Ja Ja’s life. Now Ja Ja owes Qui Gon a life debt. He belongs to Qui Gon now. Again, in Lord of the Rings, Return of the King. Boromir dies saving Pipin from the Orcs. So Pipin offers his sevices to Boromir’s father, Denethor, the Lord of Gondor. And Pipin saw his lifelong service of Gondor as payment of the debt. This relationship is more than mere gratitude for help. Now the one saved is indebted to the rescuer for life.

Israel has been saved by Yahweh from slavery. They now owe God their very lives. Gratitude is part of it, but doesn’t exhaust it. The saviour owns the saved. The saved become the saviour’s servants. Hence what Paul says of Christians: ‘You are not your own, you were bought with a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies’. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) So Yahweh can demand that Israel live his way. Which incidentally, is the best way to live anyhow.

Second, Yahweh is the only God there is. There is only one God, and his Old Testament name is Yahweh. So there is no place for ‘it’s all the same God, it doesn’t matter what you call him’. You call him Allah, I call him Zeus, they call him Shiva. No. Or worse, ‘I don’t like this god, Yahweh, I’ll think of another god.’ No, there is only one God, and you know my name, Yahweh. There is no other god, so don’t go renaming or creating another one.

Related to this is a third point, that Yahweh alone says how he is to be worshipped. Our response to God must not be novel, original, or creative. No, they must be very unoriginal. They should only reflect Yahweh, his will, and his word. So there is no, ‘If I were God, I would want this’. And Israel must worship God the way that God says[9].

Fourth, there is a strong principle of respect for human authorities. As Aussie egalitarians, we have a natural contempt for authority. And this is different to God’s attitude, so we need to take heed and change. God commands respect and honour for those in authority, whether for parents or government[10]. And so does the New Testament (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-18).

Fifth, there is a strong theme of sabbath or rest. Israel is called to take time to rest and not work as slaves. One day in seven they are to rest from work. And so are their slaves and animals. Even the land is to rest one year in seven from tilling. This reminds us that God is a kind master. He imposes an easy yoke and light burden. And also, it reminds us that everything is a gift from God. Ultimately, no matter how hard you work, it is only God who feeds us. So while we have to work, we don’t have to be workaholics[11].

Sixth and related to the rest principle, Israel must not oppress the vulnerable. They must act fairly and justly, and with compassion and concern. They know what it is to be oppressed. So they must make provision for the foreigner, orphan, and widow. They are called to be generous and fair. And this is important for us to remember, in a dog eat dog society, where cost cutting by sacking staff gives the executives big share bonuses. Or where our consumer electrical goods are only so cheap because workers in Asian countries are paid very little to make them. Or where a ‘fairness test’ is only an afterthought, added as the election looms.

Seventh, the basis of punishment for crimes against other people is strict retribution. Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, life for life. And while we might recoil at this idea, retribution is really the only fair basis for punishment. Capital punishment was accepted for murder. Human life is so valuable that the murderer’s life must be taken. I think there are good reasons for not having the death penalty for murder. But I don’t think one of them is that it is ‘unfair’. It is in fact strictly fair as far as murder is concerned[12]. And a principle of the New Testament is that ‘mercy triumphes over judgment’. However, to work out how to be merciful, we first need to work out what is fair. And the principle of retribution allows us to work out what is fair.

Eighth, we see that personal property is respected[13]. Key to the protection of property was the principle of restitution. The one guilty of theft or negligence had an obligation to compensate the victim. To pay back what he took, and more on top. Further, there were also positive duties. So if you saw an animal in trouble, you had to help it, even if it belonged to your enemy. You had to love your enemy, just like God is good to both the righteous and the unrighteous in sending sun and rain and his common grace.

Ninth, Israel was to respect and protect sex. They did this by keeping it within marriage. So adultery was punishable with death (20:14, 17). And the man who had pre-marital sex had important obligations to the woman. Either he married her, or paid the bride price as if he married her (22:16-17); Furthermore, bestiality (sex with animals) was condemned (22:19). Now, we might just think of that as ‘Yuk’. But it was a practice of the Canaanite nations.

Tenth, we learn that truth matters[15]. Bribes, corruption, and deceit are all abominable in God’s sight. Worldly wisdom says ‘lie if you can get away with it’. But Yahweh loves the truth and hates lies.

And eleventh, the final principle I observe in these chapters, is that the law is a matter of the heart. The law is not satisfied with outward obedience. It demands hearty, inward assent. Our thinking, our motives, our heart, our internal life, all count before Yahweh, who searches our hearts and knows our inmost thoughts. So the 10^th commandment is do not covet, do not lust, do not want what is not yours. It is completely internal and a matter of the heart. When Jesus called lust eye adultery and anger mouth murder, he wasn’t saying anything new. He was simply expounding the 10^th commandment. Remember that Jesus says the two most important commandments are ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. These are inward, heart commands. They are not satisfied with simply our words and works. They must also be satisfied by our thoughts and attitudes, invisible to men but laid bear before God.

These are the 11 principles on which the 10 commandments are based. And the one God revealed as Yahweh in the Old Testament is the same Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the New Testament. And we will apply these principles differently that Israel did. But these principles are key to the way God thinks, and thus must be key to our thinking and action.

Meeting God means making a choice (Exodus 23:20-33; cf 15:26)

Well, in chapters 20 to 23 Yahweh sets out what he requires of his people. He details what it will take for Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a royal nation. If Israel wants to mediate Yahweh to the world, these things are what they must do.

And Yahweh presents them with the consequences of their choice. If they obey the covenant, they will prosper. But if they disobey, they will experience God’s anger and curse.

Now, put that way, it is not as if Israel has much choice. Obey me, and live, or disobey me, and die. That’s the choice. And we might think that’s unfair.

But that’s life really. We are often confronted with realities in this life we don’t choose.

Gravity, for example. We like gravity, most of the time. It keeps our feet on the ground. It enables us to do lots of things we couldn’t otherwise do. Run, walk, sit down, play sport.

Now someone can choose to disobey the law of gravity. Jump out of a plane without a parachute, or jump off a cliff. And he can protest all he likes on the way down. “This isn’t fair, I didn’t choose a world with gravity. If I was God, I’d be lighter than air.” But no matter how loud he protests, it won’t stop a messy landing. Gravity is a reality. And so is God. It’s a given, and it’s no good protesting about it. We don’t choose many of the important things in our lives: To be born, our parents, our siblings, our mother language, our culture, our place of birth, our nationality, our genetic makeup, our physical appearance (Acts 17:26). These basic realities are beyond our control. And God stands behind these realities.

God has chosen Israel. This is a reality they should not fight against but embrace. It is also a privilege they should treasure. Now, all that remains is for them to wholeheartedly agree to it.

And they do agree to it, willingly, unanimously, repeatedly. Three times in chapters 19 to 24, Israel gives it’s informed consent. Before God gives the 10 commandments, Israel says: ⁸ The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." (Exodus 19:8 NIV) And after Moses tells them all the laws, they respond twice with one voice: Everything the LORD has said we will do; We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey." (Exodus 24:3, 7) We‘ll do what God wants. Where do we sign?

Now the story of Israel is one of at best partial obedience. Really, it is the story of human disobedience and failure. A refusal to live life in the light of the reality that is God. So Israel’s story is the same as our story. We like them are sinful.

That’s why we needed a Mediator! (Exodus 20:18-21; compare Deuteronomy 5:22-31)

But what I want us to take away from these chapters is the need of a mediator. A mediator is a representative (Galatians 3:19-20[16]). A mediator stands between the two parties, and lays a hand upon them both (Job 9:33) .[17] He represents one party before the other. He’s a go-between, a middle man.

And that was Moses (Exodus 19:19-25, 20:18-21; 24:1-2; 24:12-18). It’s what Moses has been doing ever since he obeyed God’s commands at the burning bush. He takes Yahweh’s word to the people. And he represents the people before God.

But then we come to Exodus 20. And Israel, for the first time, hears God’s thunderous voice directly. They now understand and experience first hand Yahweh speaking to them. For it was God himself spoke the 10 commandments to the people. And then Israel sees why Yahweh has been using a mediator.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ 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 NIV)

Previously Moses as Mediator had been Yahweh’s idea (Exodus 19:9, 19). Then Israel hears God’s voice directly. And they are terrified. Then Israel understood that Yahweh knew their needs better than they did. The people confirm Moses as their mediator. They now see that God’s way is best. They need a mediator.

This is probably the reason Aaron is brought up the Mountain (Exodus 19:25). Aaron will soon receive the hereditary High Priesthood. So Aaron is now a Mediator in Training. And joining Moses up the mountain is part of Aaron’s ‘MTS’, that is, his 'Mediator Training Strategy'. But mediation doesn’t merely involve a walk up the mountain.

Mediation means mess. For the mediator must offer sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. And this means death, and blood, and guts, and smells, and sights. We see this in Exodus 24:4-8

⁴ … . Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. ⁶ Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey." ⁸ Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, "Look, this blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these instructions." (Exodus 24:4-8 NIV)

Mediation for sinful people requires sacrifice and blood. Blood is splattered on the side of the altar. And the blood is thrown over all the people. The mediator is a priest, who offers sacrifice on behalf of the people.

Meeting God means a Meal to Eat (Exodus 24:9-11)

But by offering a sacrifice, the Mediator opens the way for fellowship with God. So after Moses throws blood on the people, out come the seventy elders. They are still covered with animal blood on their faces, in their hair. Their freshly cleaned clothes now bear fresh blood stains.

⁹ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11 NIV)

Without the blood, the seventy were dead men. But with the blood, God stays his hand. These blood soaked leaders had deep fellowship with God. They had a feast in Yahweh’s presence, eating the roasted meat and drinking.

They even saw[18] something of God. Now this account shows the bible’s typical reserve where humans see something of God[19]. What is described are the things around God, rather than God himself. Here, the description is of the sapphire pavement under Yahweh’s feet. The reserve would be like that shown to a glamourous and majestic royal figure. The commentators are blown away by what they see. They are lost for words. They cannot describe the figure. So instead they praise the splendor of the red carpet on which the royal feet walk.

Meeting God at a Mountain Still Means a Mediator (Hebrews 12:18-24)

Now we are New Testament people. We are not under the law of Moses. We have a new and better testament. But we can only understand our New and Better Testament by understanding the Old Testament which we are looking at tonight.

For we like the people of Israel need to meet the God that they met. And our meeting place will be a Mountain, as for Israel. And we need a mediator, like they did. Someone to represent us to God, and God to us. This mediator will need to offer God better sacrifices than Moses did. He too will need to sprinkle blood over us, to stay God’s hand from destroying us. That is the only way that God and man will sit and sup together.

And that mediator is Jesus. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all men (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV)[20]. There is only one mediator between God and man because only one is both God and Man. That is Jesus. As God, Jesus stoops down to become one with us. God becomes one of us in the person of Jesus. And as one of us, God shows us what it is to be truly human. Jesus is the only true and complete human being that has ever lived. Because he alone is without sin. And as Man, he offers God the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice. A sacrifice big enough to cover the sins of the whole world, because he is God. Only mankind owed it and became liable to pay it. But only as God could man pays it, such was the cost. And as both God and Man, the death of Jesus sufficient for every sin that humans could ever imagine or commit.

And so this mediator leads us to another mountain. The heavenly mountain:

²² But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. ... You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV)

We too have come to a mountain. The heavenly Jerusalem. It is a mountain that is in a different dimension, in heaven, the place where God is. It is even more glorious than Mount Sinai. And we are there, the bible says. We are raised with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2). Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. And in coming to the mountain, we’ve come to God. And the only way we’ve come to that mountain, is through our mediator, Jesus. His blood was the blood that was sprinkled over us. And as blood which seals the covenant, there can be no better.

It is therefore not surprising that God’s offer to Israel now applies to us. The offer to Israel was that if they obeyed, they would be a royal priesthood. They would be God’s ambassador’s to the nations. Well, that is now fulfilled with us in Christ.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-11 NIV)

Every believer in Christ is a priest. And we exist to declare the praises of Father and Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit. For we have received mercy and be drawn together as a people. We are priests, who point to the great high priest. Our great mediator and intercessor. Through whom we now pray.

Footnote

[2] The model of a family relationship is adopted by Stuart, Exodus, 422ff

[3] Stuart, 423

[4] ‘The holy God of the covenant demands as preparation a separation from those things which are normally permitted and good in themselves. The giving of the covenant is different from an ordinary event of everyday life.’: Childs, 369

[5] ‘The issue is not whether God is a stuffy monarch, who does not think enough honour has been shown him. This picture is a total misunderstanding. Rather, the warning is given for the sake of the people, who have no experience as yet of the dimensions of the divine holiness, and lest warned will destroy themselves. Moses argues by citing the earlier command. But God overrules his mediator and insists in a further warning. Not even the priests who normally have access into God’s presence are permitted to approach. Aaron alone is allowed to approach.’: Childs, 370.

[6] The report of Moses’ fear is not found in Ex 19ff, unless Moses is included in the note, ‘Everyone in the camp trembled’ (v16). Hughes and Bruce says that it ‘probably reflects a haggadic tradition: Hughes, 543; Bruce, 372. It is consistent with his fear to look at the burning bush (Ex 3:6; Acts 7:32). Dt 9:19 speaks of Moses fear, probably for the Israelites in the face of God’s anger at the Golden calf. Guthrie remarks the occurrence of the trembling in the circumstance is not difficult to imagine: 260. Ellingworth thinks the author has fused the different aspects of the Sinai account together: 676.

[7] Stuart understands this to be a prohibition against adopting Canaanite magical fertility practices

[8] See Stuart, 447

[9] Examples of these commands are Exodus 20:1-7 (YHWH alone, no idols made or worshipped, YHWH’s name honoured); 22:20 (YHWH only God); 23:13 (not invoking other gods); 20:22-26 (idolatry, altars); 22:18 (sorceress); 22:28 (don’t blaspheme God, curse leaders), 22:29 (giving offerings, firstborn); 23:19 (firstfruits); 21:31 (food); 23:19 (goat in mothers milk); Three yearly festivals (23:14-17).

[10] Parents are to be honoured (Exodus 20:12; 21:15, 17) and a leader is not to be cursed (Exodus 22:28).

[11] The principle of sabbath rest and care for the vulnerable is seen in the provisions enforcing the Sabbath day for humans and animals (Exodus 20:8-11; 23:12), the Sabbath year for land (23:10-11), Treatment of slaves (21:1-11); Treatment of foreigners, widows, orphans and the poor (22:21-27; 23:9).

[12] Human life and amenity is to be respected (20:13; 21:12-14 (manslaughter),16 (kidnapping), 18-32 (personal injury and the principle of retribution and compensation).

[13] Other people’s property is to be respected (20:15,17, 21:33-36 (animal losses); 22:1-4 (theft of animals); 22:5-6 (crop protection); 22:7-14 (bailment); 23:4-5 (stray and helpless animals)

[15] So in the provisions for truthful witnesses (Exodus 20:16; 23:1-3) and in those provisions providing for integrity and avoiding corruption in lawsuits (Exodus 23:6-8).

[16] The administration of the law by angels (Acts 7:53, Gal 3:19, Heb 2:2) seems to derive from Dt 33:2:

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. ² He said: "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes. ³ Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction, ⁴ the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.’ (Deuteronomy 33:1-4 NIV)

Note there is textual uncertainty, reflected in the ERV, KJV, NKJV, ‘And He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law (qere reading) for them.’ Compare also, ‘God's chariots are tens of thousands, thousands and thousands; the Lord is among them in the sanctuary as He was at Sinai’ ( Psalm 68:17 CSB).

‘The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one’. Paul here is saying that ‘The Law of Moses’ had two ‘middlemen’ or ‘go-betweens’. On God’s side, the law was put into effect by angels (compare Deut 33:2; Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2 on the role of angels in the administration of the law). On the human side, Moses mediated the law to the people (see for example Exodus 20:18-19; Deuteronomy 5:23-31; 18:16-17). Thus, the administration of the law was two steps removed from the two parties, who are God on one side, and the people on the other. The fact of the ‘mediator’ shows that the law is in the nature of a contract between two parties, and will only be kept as long as both parties fulfill their side of the bargain. The contract is therefore contingent and conditional. However, God directly gave the promises to Abraham. These promises are absolute and unconditional, depending on God’s word alone as the one and only party on whom the fulfillment of the promise depends. In the promise, therefore, there are not two contracting parties, but one, and that party is God. The fact of the mediation of the law shows it is inferior to the promises made directly beforehand (See Lightfoot, 146-7, Ridderbos, 140, Stott, 90). Compare the New Living Translation, ‘¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. ²⁰ Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham (Galatians 3:19-20 NIV).’

[17] Compare ³² ‘He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. ³³ If only there were someone to arbitrate between us ( MT: hiphil ptcp, to decide, mediate, argue) to lay his hand upon us both, ³⁴ someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. ³⁵ Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. (Job 9:32-35 NIV). Compare Job 16:21 ‘on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend’, also Job 31:35.

[18] They saw some sort of general shape, but only vaguely and partially. See Stuart, Exodus, 556. Compare looking at the sun. Can you really see it?

[19] Eg Ez 1:26-28; Ex 33:23 (Moses saw Yahweh’s back).