BE PREPARED - a message

This message was preached on June 28, 2009. It is available to listen to at: www.gbcwestlake.org It has been challenging to preach through the book of Exodus, because there are many passages that are very unfamiliar, some that seem to make no sense, and some that are just hard to accept. This chapter of Exodus is hard for many, because of how God is represented here, as a God of anger and wrath. And yet, for me, it was a good reminder of the righteous character of God. It is something we don't hear very much about, because it is very uncomfortable. May you heart be encouraged and challenged by this message from God's Word.


BE PREPARED
Exodus 19

Please turn in your Bible to Exodus 19…the 2nd book of the Bible, Exodus, and chapter 19. If you are using the Bible in front of you, it is on page 60.

It is the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. It is to be a general exhortation, to be ready for any circumstance, and certainly, to be ready to help others. I don’t know if he was a boy scout, but soldier Daniel Pharr, as reported in February of this year, probably never thought of preparing for the experience he had. As reported by Fox News:

“Strapped to his dying instructor a few thousand feet from the ground on his first skydive, Daniel Pharr found himself floating toward a house and some trees. The military taught the 25 year old soldier not to panic. And Television taught him to pull the toggles on the already-deployed parachute to steer. So Pharr grabbed the right handle and pulled to avoid the house and tugged again to miss the trees, landing safely in a field about a third of a mile from their intended landing spot. Pharr said he wrestled out of the harness binding him to his instructor, George “Chip” Steele, and started CPR trying to save him from an apparent heart attack.

Steele was later pronounced dead, but the tragedy could have been worse: Other instructors at the skydiving school told Pharr if he had pulled the toggle too hard, the chute would have spun out of control, and he could be dead, too. Pharr said: ‘This is my survival instinct at that point. I just kind of did what I had to do’…”

I’m sure Daniel Pharr didn’t expect to have to land himself and his instructor on that day; but the real question of course, the biblically important question is: Was he ready, was he prepared to meet God that day? This morning, in our study of Exodus 19, we are not really challenged with meeting God when we die; but with this challenging question: Are you prepared to meet with the sovereign, holy, one and only God, with an attitude and worship of life that is acceptable to Him?

When we think of being prepared, we many times think of being prepared for anything that might happen, like the incident with the skydiver; or we think of being prepared to die. But, what we need the most, right now, according to the Word of God this morning, is to be prepared to approach God, understanding better who He is and how we are to relate to Him. What we are going to read this morning is unfamiliar to most of us; but is very important for us to wrestle with and understand.
Exodus 19:1,2 – “On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain”

On the third moon, which was probably 3 months, they arrived at the mountain of God. We are told, that it was exactly 3 moons from the time that they were delivered from Egypt. This is Mount Sinai, where the rest of the book of Exodus will take place. The wilderness of Sinai is also called Horeb, where Moses had first met with God at the burning bush. This is a fulfillment of one of the promises God made to Moses back then:

Exodus 3:12 – “He said, But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

There is a major controversy as to where, exactly, Mount Sinai is located. Nevertheless, In the book: God’s Wilderness, there are several pictures of where many believe Sinai to be. One photo of the southernmost area of the Sinai range carries the following caption: “the awe-inspiriting granite peaks at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula seem to form a gigantic fist of God proclaiming Here! Here! The ever-changing, ever-deepening colors of the mountains in this part of Sinai invest this indescribably beautiful region with an aura of sanctity, and one can well believe that here God appeared to Moses.”

And then the book adds, “Israeli scholars, who explored the Peninsula in the brief period of Israeli occupation, came to experience a holiness pervading Sinai’s mountains, and they believe that it was in this region that the Israelites encamped when the Law was given.”

This is the setting, as far as timing and placement, where God is going to prepare Moses and His people to meet Him and to make a covenant promise to one another. The end of verse 2 says: “There Israel encamped before the mountain…”

This is all about preparation: being prepared, as the people of God, to receive the covenant promises and responsibilities that come with it. So, this morning, I want us to consider what the people of God needed to do, in order to be prepared to receive what God had for them; and for us to consider how this applies to us today.
I want to communicate this as Exodus 19 does: as words of encouragement and exhortation, from God, to His people. It begins with this:
Recognize God’s love (vs.1-4)

Just in the fact that Israel was still alive and no longer in Egypt, should have been enough to make them realize how much God loved them. To be at the mountain of God, where He first appeared to Moses, and to be a part of a kept promise, let alone the fact that it was exactly 3 months to the day that they were delivered from Egypt, should have been a loud and clear message of God’s love. But, God also tells Moses to tell Israel something, so that they would hopefully recognize how loving God has been to them:

Exodus 19:3– “While Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel”

We sometimes get the idea that Moses went up the mountain, received the 10 commandments and came down the mountain. But, he actually took several trips up and down the mountain as He spoke with God and delivered messages to God’s people. When you read about “the house of Jacob” or “the people of Israel”, it is using different terms to identify the same people. Jacob was, of course, the one who had 12 sons, after whom the tribes of Israel are named.

Before He gives the benefits of keeping their part of the covenant through obedience, God reminds them of how much he loves and wants a relationship with them:

Exodus 19:4 – “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

Moses used this same imagery as he taught Israel a song near the end of his life:

Deuteronomy 32:10-12 – “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him…Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them… the LORD alone guided him...”

Warren Wiersbe explains the significance of the use of Eagles’ wings as the picture of how God took care of His people: “At a certain stage in the development of their young, the parent eagles break up the comfortable nest and force the eaglets to fly. The young birds may not be anxious to leave the security of the nest, but they must learn to fly if they’re going to fulfill their purposes in life. The adult birds stay near the fledglings and, if they fall, carry them on their strong wings until the young birds learn how to use their wings, ride the air currents, and enjoy the abilities God gave them.”

This is certainly what God was doing for Israel. He was carrying them, as He delivered them from Egypt, and then at the Red Sea, from the pursuing Egyptian army. He has been, even in these short 3 months, teaching the people about Himself, and how they need to trust in Him; even that He knows what is best for them. They needed to recognize that God did indeed love them and was caring for them, even during the most difficult experiences they faced.

SO WHAT? This is no different for us, really. We also must recognize God’s great love for us. But, instead of focusing on redemption from bondage in Egypt, we must recognize how he demonstrated His love for us:

Romans 5:8 – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

· He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from our bondage to sin

This is what is different for us, than for the people of Israel. This is how we are to recognize God’s love for us. That, whoever would place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, would come into this special relationship with Him…forever!

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I Peter 1:18,19 – “Knowing that you were redeemed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

This is a decision you must make, because it doesn’t happen automatically. You must receive this free gift that God offers through Jesus Christ. If you any questions about that or would like help in receiving that gift, just come and ask.

And based on His love, he said this:

Exodus 19:5,6 – “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

After reminded them of what He had done for them already, and of His love, He now says this:

Obey and Enjoy the Blessings (vs. 5-8)

In the next chapter, with the 10 commandments, there will be more details for what the covenant entails and how obedience to God will look, specifically, in our relationship with Him and with others. But, for now, the command is very simple, so to speak: Obey. That, in this chapter, summed up their basic responsibility: to obey. In a little while, He will get more specific in how they were to respond to God, in the giving of this covenant. The emphasis in these verses, however, is not on the obedience details, but on the blessings that will come from this covenant:

If you obey, here are the blessings. The first one is in verse 5:
· You will be treasured more than any other

Now, let’s be clear about this. Although the people of God had the responsibility to obey, to receive the blessings of this covenant, the reason they are the recipients of this covenant has nothing to do with how great of a people they are, but has everything to do with God’s sovereign choice. Here, in verse 5, God stated: I will make you my treasured possession, “for all the earth is mine.” In other words: “I own everything and I have chosen to make you my treasured possession!” How great is that! The Bible tells us:

Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD’S and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

All the earth and everyone in it is God’s, since He is the Creator. However, He especially chose the people of Israel to be His people. But, it was not based on their merit, or their ability to earn God’s favor.

Deuteronomy 7:6, 7 – “…The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the people who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all people, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers…”
SO WHAT?
· Our blessings are all by the grace of God

Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Grace is something that is undeserved. Israel didn’t deserve God’s blessings; and it is important to always remember, that neither do we. And as we look at some more of these blessings, as well as being a special treasure to God, they must be seen as those that come by God’s choice, not because we have earned them. In verse 6, we have the next blessing:

· You will be a kingdom of priests

Yes, Israel would have particular priests that would handle the sacrificial system and lead spiritually before the people. But, all of Israel were to have the privilege of knowing God personally and worshipping Him. God intended that this would be a very personal relationship with each of His people.

SO WHAT? does this have to do with us today?
· You have full access to God.

Did you know, that all of those who are Christians are now priests? Back in the day, only the priests could go into the presence of God; but according to the Bible, we are all able to enter His presence with confidence, based in what Jesus has done for us:

Hebrews 10:19-21 – “Therefore brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”

Back then the priests did the worshipping, representing the people as they gave sacrifices. And the High Priest went into the very presence of God. Now, all of us can enter God’s presence with confidence, because our High Priest, Jesus Christ, has paved the way with His blood. Not only this, but he said, in Exodus 19:6:

· You will be a holy nation
6 times in Leviticus, God says to His people: “Be holy, for I am holy.”
God wanted His people to pursue holiness, just as He was holy. God would see them that way, as a blessing for His people. They would be dedicated to Him. And that is really, how we take this blessing and apply it to ourselves today:

SO WHAT?
· You will be completely dedicated to me

The fact is, that even though we fail in holiness often, because of Christ, God sees us in the position of holiness; and we will be delivered to Him as holy one day. But, for now, we can see our pursuit of holiness as being completely dedicated to God. In other words, this is not about a one day a week worship in church kind of thing. This is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, worship of a life dedicated to God.
In case it is hard for you to accept that these are promises for us, and not just for Israel, let me share these verses with you. The Apostle Peter was writing to Christians, not just the nation of Israel, when He said this:

I Peter 2:9,10 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Did you notice those same phrases used in Exodus are used here, for all believers? We are chosen by God, just like the treasured possession that Israel was to Him. We are a royal priesthood, all of us priests, and we are to be a holy nation of believers, wholeheartedly dedicated to Him.

This reminds us of our theme through Exodus: Redeemed for Relationship
God had brought them from Egypt to have a special relationship with them.
This is what God wanted Moses to communicate to the people of Israel.

Exodus 19:7,8 – “So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.”

The first thing that needed to happen was Moses communicating God’s Word to His people. So he spoke to the elders, the leaders, all that God had said and it was communicated to all the people. And this was the key step, on the people’s part: Would they commit to obeying whatever God asked of them? It was a resounding yes: “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And then Moses gave this report back to God.

Will you stand with me for a moment? I know we are not 2,000,000 people, but if we were united to say this, every week, to God, in response to His Word. Let’s practice, shall we? Let’s say, together: All that the LORD has spoken we will do. All that the LORD has spoken we will do.
All that the LORD has spoken we will do. Thanks – you may be seated.

That was a great start: God said this is how I have already loved you and I want this incredible, unique relationship with you. All you need to do is obey. And the people said: We will do it.

Finally, this morning, we come to some of the details God was giving them, so that they would know how to approach Him, and respond, correctly to who God is and what He has done. Here is the third aspect of being prepared:

Respond to Who God is (vs. 9-25)

Exodus 19:9-11 – “And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I am coming to you in a thick could, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever. When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

To “consecrate” means to: set people aside as holy. He had already said that they would be to Him a “holy nation”. Now, in the midst of giving His covenant to them on Mount Sinai, He would reveal His holiness in specific ways and require the people to respond to His holiness rightly. The first thing the people were to do, to respond to who God was, in this case, was to:

· Wash your clothes (vs. 10,11,14,15)

Back in those days, they did not get daily showers or baths or be able to wash their clothes often; and certainly did not have several sets of them, as many of us do. So, when they did wash their bodies or garments, it was a special deal; as it was here, to signify being set apart as holy. It marked a new beginning. Skip to:

Exodus 19:14,15 – “So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

This was a 3 day purification process, which included washing their clothes.
Not only that, but there were to:

· Abstain from sex (v.15)

Verse 15 states it this way: “do not go near a woman.” It means that they were not to have sexual relations as they prepared to meet with God. This is how the Life Change Bible study series, that some of you purchased for our own study through Exodus explains this phrase: “It means to abstain from sexual relations: not because sex was sinful. Sex epitomized the physical, earthy side of man. To prepare for encounters with the holy, ancient people abstained for a time from all sorts of normal activities. This symbolized turning temporarily away from the commonplace and toward the holy. Abstaining from food, sex, and so on also helped a person concentrate fully on preparing himself inwardly.”

This may sound very strange to us, but keep in mind that in principle, this also appears in the New Testament, and has some application to us today. The Bible is full of teaching about fasting, and how abstaining from food for a time, especially accompanied by prayer, is an appropriate way to approach God at certain times.
And, we are also told that husbands and wives should have regular sex, and not frustrate one another; except for a time of putting it aside for intense prayer:

I Corinthians 7:5 – “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

This is probably a good time to ask and answer the question: SO WHAT?
According to all the Bible teaches, I would say the best way to apply this portion of Scripture is to: pursue purity of life, in how we live. The Bible tells us that this is one of the purposes to which He redeemed us; but we have a great responsibility in it as well. Listen to:

Titus 2:14 – “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

God is all about purity, in every area of life; and these physical restrictions in the days of Israel give us principles to go by today. How else were they to respond to who God is?

· Experience God in awe (vs. 16-19)

This is a way to respond to God that we rarely hear of today; but the people of Israel knew it very well:

Exodus 19:16,17 – “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.”

The presence of God was pictured with incredible sound and a cloud. When the trumpet (a Ram’s horn) sounded, they were to approach God by going to the foot of the mountain. Understandably, when they heard this sound, they trembled. They were to notice the holiness and awesomeness of God.

A school teacher injured his back and had to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. It fit under his shirt and was not noticeable at all. On the first day of the term, still with the cast under his shirt, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in school.
Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, he opened the window as wide as possible and then busied himself with desk work. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the desk stapler and stapled the tie to his chest.He had no trouble with discipline that term. There’s something about a teacher that’s able and willing to staple his tie to his chest that can get the attention of a class. And this teacher got that attention because… in that simple act… he proved that no matter how tough they thought they were - he was tougher!Now, at the foot of Mount Sinai, God has essentially stapled His tie to His chest. He’s come down on the mountain with fire and He has made it to smoke like a furnace. His presence has caused the earth to tremble so violently that it shakes the ground where the Israelites stand. And then there’s the sound of the trumpet grew louder and Louder and LOUDER in their ears

I’m not sure we can even imagine what this was like. Perhaps people who have experienced an earthquake or found themselves in the middle of a tornado, maybe. But the feel, the sounds, the things they saw and felt just continued to grow in intensity. They were in the presence of God. The picture gets greater:

Exodus 19:18,19 – “Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.”

Even Moses trembled also:
Hebrews 12:18-21 – “For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned. Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I tremble with fear.”

In preparing to enter the promised land 40 years later, Moses reminded the people of what a unique experience they had here, as they heard from God:

Deuteronomy 4:33 – “Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live?”

It is hard for us to imagine this, since God doesn’t choose to appear in a cloud and speak in thunder today. But, this doesn’t take away the fact that we have an awesome God, who is serious about His Word and our responding to it correctly. When we come into His presence, one of the things we must accept is that He is an awesome God and is to be experienced as such. For us today, that might have to be our acceptance of what God’s Word says, as well as recognizing how awesome God is in His creation, weather, and just in the amazing things that take place in our world every day. Perhaps when you sang How Great is Our God with us earlier, you sensed and thought about the awesome God that we worship. The SO WHAT is the same as it was for Israel:

· Experience God in awe

There is one more way, in which Israel was to respond to who God was:
· Do not test the LORD (vs. 12,13,20-25)

Exodus 19:12,13 – “And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

“One man told of the time that his company’s factory had received an ominous package. It arrived at the loading dock with this warning printed on it: Danger! Do Not Touch! Management was called and we were told to stay clear of the box until it could be analyzed. When the foreman arrived, he donned gloves and safety glasses, and then carefully opened the box. Inside were 25 signs – each of which read: Danger! Do Not Touch!”

So, maybe, that package wasn’t as dangerous as it seemed. But, God was not joking. And although God was loving and kind, He is also dangerous. He doesn’t play around. If he says that He expects something, then he expects it. And in this case, we see the seriousness of it because of the consequences: death.

This is preparing them, also, for the time when a specific place of worship, the Tabernacle, would be built and have specific limitations in terms of where the people could go and still honor God. Notice, here, that:

1. No human or animal was to even touch the mountain

If any human or animal did touch the mountain, guess what? A fine, a written reprimand, a good tongue lashing? Nope: DEATH! In fact, no one was to touch the person or animal that touched the mountain. They were to stone or shoot (with an arrow) the person or animal to death as a judgment from God for disobedience.

Why so many details – why so serious the consequences? God was making it clear that something very, very important was about to happen. He was about to deliver to them 10 Words of commandment, that would last forever for the people of Israel and are still applicable to all the people of God today. But, first, they needed to be prepared to hear from God.

I probably need to take a moment, here, to talk about the holiness and harsh judgment of God. This characteristic of God and the kind of circumstances we see here in Exodus 19, give people all kinds of problems in relating to God. It is hard for people to accept God in the way that is displayed here; even having humans or animals killed just for touching something that God said not to touch. But, we have to see all the revelation of God throughout the Bible to realize that God is God; and is able to reveal Himself how He chooses; and that He is always…always…right.

We can be thankful that, although we have some instances later in the bible where God strikes someone dead for disobedience, he has chosen to reveal Himself differently today, in most cases. Now, some of us might wish God would strike certain people down dead if they disobeyed. Of course, we don’t want God doing it to us; but we kind of wish he would do it to some others, right? Certainly, God’s command for governments to take the life of those who take others is a subject of debate also, even among Christians. It is difficult, for we imperfect human beings to correctly judge like God does. In most cases, God tells us to leave the judging to Him. If we are in positions of authority, such as a parent, we are to try and discipline in love, as God does with us; but we still fall short.

This is a God thing. Don’t try to figure it out; and certainly don’t argue against God’s actions. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts. Back then, He revealed Himself often with loud noises and an imposing presence. Later, he would reveal Himself through Jesus Christ, who was every part human (except for the sin nature part) and still every part God. Now, He reveals Himself through His Word: The Bible; and as the Holy Spirit, lives within all those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

This is incredible. God is known to abide in Heaven (I Kings 8:30,49); but unlike all other gods that people believed in, this God, the one and only true God, came down to meet with His people (on the mountain). And of course, one day, God was going to do even better: He would become flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, and offer salvation by laying down His own life.

Exodus 19:20-22 – “The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the LORD said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them.”
2. Anyone who tested the LORD was put to death

Only Moses and Aaron would be permitted on the mountain. Once again, there was a warning that the people and even the priests were not to just come near without going through the purifying process. Though the priesthood was not officially established, as of yet, there were those who functioned as such.
Exodus 19:23-25 – “And Moses said to the LORD, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it. And the LORD said to him, Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them. So Moses went down to the people and told them.”

God was teaching His people that there was a separation between He and them, and that rushing into His presence was not acceptable. Later, God would kill Nadab and Abihu, priests, because they went against His commandments as they offered sacrifices. When the tabernacle gets built, later, there is a place where God was seen to dwell, and the people were not to go in there.

But in the New testament, we have the emphasis on the nearness of God.
John 1:14 – “God became flesh and dwelt among us.
Matthew 1:23 – “Immanuel – God with us”
By His death and resurrection, Jesus opened a new and living way into the presence of God (Hebrews 10)

But, this does not mean that God is not serious about obedience; and will, at times, discipline, severely, those who decide to test Him.

Bill Cosby, some 20 years ago, would joke about a mom, who was at the height of her frustration with her son, would say to him: I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!

God is the giver of all of life; and it is fully within His rights, to take away life if He so chooses. I know that is difficult to understand; but as Creator, God can do whatever is right and will bring glory to Himself. He is serious about obedience. We do have some specific examples, even from the New Testament, of people who tested God, and He took their lives.

In Acts 5, husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira promised to God and the Apostles that they were giving a certain amount to God; but they kept some of it back. God took their lives, right then and there, because they said they were worshipping God in one way, but lied and did something else. The Apostle Peter said to them, before they were struck down:

Acts 5:4 – “…Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
In I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul said that some who had died, were dead because they dishonored God in the taking of communion:

I Corinthians 11:30 – “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”

We have to be careful, here, to try to figure out how God is doing this, and when. We will not be able to do it, so don’t even try. Not every disease or “bad” thing that happens is a judgment from God; and to call things a judgment that God doesn’t call a specific judgment is very dangerous. We don’t have to live in fear that any sin might push God over the edge that He would kill us. In fact, if you are that concerned about God and that sensitive to wanting to please Him, then you are not in an attitude of rebellion. Well, how is it that we can apply this part to life?

SO WHAT?
· Establish a healthy Fear of the LORD

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”

I know that it is popular, today, to think of the fear of the Lord, simply, as a respect for God. Respect is one aspect of it. But, we cannot take away, completely, that part of that respect is the type of respect you must have for fire. Fire is awesome and has many great uses. I’m afraid of it, so I don’t even like to light a candle. My family loves to make fun of me because of it.

However, you must respect the fire. Because, if you don’t, that same fire that is beautiful and warming in a fire place, that same fire that can cook your food and roast your marshmallows, is the same fire that can take your life, if you are not careful. God is the same way. He is beautiful and awesome and does so many great things in our lives. But, He is not to be tested, or played around with. He is to be respected, revered, feared in the right way.

So, are you willing to take the challenge, to apply Exodus 19 to your life, this week? It won’t be easy. You are going to need to think about it, probably, read it over, meditate on it, and pray. Then, unless you already know what He wants you to do, you will need to focus on specifically, how God wants you to apply His word, here in Exodus 19, to your life, and then follow through and do it.

In a couple of moments, we will be singing together in worship to this awe-inspiring, incomparable God. And let that singing, from your hearts, regardless of your voice, let that singing be your first response to God’s Word this morning. But, first, let me give you a moment to tell God, just between you and Him, of your commitment.

Let’s pray.