Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Study Questions for Exodus 19

Exodus 19

What is the context?

A short word about God: 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15-16; Heb 12:28-29. Of course the people are just learning all of this for the first time. They have had a pretty wild last couple of months.

Notice the relationship here between the law and grace. God has already saved the people, now he’s giving them the law. It does not come as a way to earn his pleasure of his blessing. They are already blessed and have his pleasure. They have already been freed from bondage and are free. Now they are learning what to do with the freedom in the light of living with the one who set them free and wants to joyfully spend eternity with them.

Notice throughout the relationship between the individual and the nation.

Vss. 1-6

V. 1—How long after Israel left Egypt did it take them to get to the wilderness of Sinai? 7 weeks.

v. 2—Where had the people been? What all happened when they were there?

What mountain did they camp before?

Where have we seen this mountain before? Mt. Horeb 3:1; see 3:12.

v. 3—What happened when Moses when out to talk to God?

What did God tell Moses to do with the information he as about to give him?

v. 4—What did God tell the people?

What had they seen?

How had God treated the Israelites since they left Egypt?

What does the reference to eagles mean? Deut. 32:10-11 Eagles catch their falling babies mid air and take care of them.

Where did God bring the Israelites?

Three things in this verse God did for the people:

1. Wiped out Egypt 19:4—plagues and deliverance.

2. Carried them on eagles wings. Protection in the wilderness.

3. Brought them to himself. Spiritual component to salvation. Frees them from bondage to God. From something awful to something/someone wonderful.

v. 5—Why is the therefore there in verse 5?

What does God require of Israel?

What will he give them in return?

What is a covenant?

What is the difference between obeying and keeping the covenant? Obedience (agreement) is necessary for enjoyment of the covenant relationship.

Who is God/Moses speaking to? The nation as a whole or the individuals in the nation?

What will God give Israel if they obey God? Gen 12:1-3

What does it mean to be a treasured possession? Eccl. 2:8; 1 Chronicles 29:3 Deut 7:6; Psa 135:4; Tit. 2:14

What is the relationship between the treasured people and the whole earth belonging to God? God is interested in saving the whole world, but he will be doing it through the nation of Israel. The purpose of saving Israel was always to save the whole world through them. All the world will be blessed through your seed, God said to Abram.

v. 6—Is the ‘You’ a plural or a singular?

Who will be the kingdom of priests? Again world oriented. The nation is the priest and the nation has priests.

Is the kingdom going to be a priest or are the individuals going to be priests?

Who will they serve, or represent to God? John 4:22

What does it mean to be a priest, holy nation? Lev 19:2

What was Moses supposed to do with this information?

v. 7—Who did Moses call together to give this great information?

Why the elders and not everyone?

Where did the elders come from?

What did Moses tell the elders?

What does it mean to “set before them”? Deut 4:44; Deut 5:28-29 (did Israel make a rash decision to join with God in his covenant?)

v. 8—How did the people respond to this news?

v. 9—What else did God tell Moses?

How was God going to come to Moses?

Why do you suppose God decided to come to Moses in this way? Clouds often appeared when God appeared—Ps. 97:2; Matt 17:5. They suggest majesty and protection. They protect people from seeing God. If they saw him, they would die.

v. 10, 11— What was Moses to do with the people?

What does it mean to “consecrate” the people?

What were they supposed to do on the third day?

Be ready for what? Meet with God is no easy, simple, laid back affair.

What was God going to do for/to the people?

v. 12—What was Moses supposed to do for the people?

What is a limit?

Where and why was Moses supposed to set limits for the people?

What would happen if the people went past the limits? It was pretty serious stuff to wander, sashay, or meander into the presence of God.

v. 13—How was anyone who went past the barriers to be killed? Num. 15:30-31; Heb 10:26-31

Why shouldn’t/couldn’t they touch the trespasser?

When were they to come up to the mountain?

v. 14—What did Moses do as a response to what God told him on the mountain?

What did the people do?

What does washing their clothes have to do with preparation for God’s coming and for worship?

v. 15—What besides washing their clothes, were they to do in preparation?

Why were sexual relations one of the things that made people unclean? Lev. 15:16-18

v. 16—what happened on the third day?

Who blew the trumpet blast?

What happened when the loud and long trumpet blast sounded?

v. 17—Where did Moses bring the people?

Thick can also mean heavy and glorious.

v. 18—What happened to the mountain?

Why was it wrapped in smoke?

What was the mountain doing while the smoke was there? Isa 6:4, 5

v. 19—What happened as the people got closer to the mountain?

Why did the sound get louder and louder?

Moses spoke and God did what? Deut 4:12

v. 20—God came down and Moses went up?

How many times in the chapter did Moses go up?

What’s going on?

v. 21—What did God tell Moses to do next?

What is he to warn the people about? 2 Sam 6:7-8; Lev. 10:1-3

v. 22—What were the priests to do?

Who were the priests at this point?

How were they to consecrate themselves?

What would happen to them if they didn’t do it right?

What does it mean that the Lord would break out against them?

v. 23—What did Moses say to the Lord in response?

v. 24—What did God tell Moses to do, since the people couldn’t come up?

Why Aaron?

Why did God speak in 3rd person here?

v. 25—What did Moses do next? Heb 12:21

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