Israel Sanctified for God

Following is a search of Exodus 19:

On the same day of the third month of their exodus out of Egypt, the children of Israel camped in front of the mountain in the Wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 19:1,2). "And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people : for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3-6).

"And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord" (Exodus 19:7-8).

God wanted the children of Israel to hear Him when He spoke to Moses so they would believe Moses forever (Exodus 19:9). God was coming in a thick cloud and instructed Moses to sanctify the people and 'let them wash their clothes' in preparation for the visit (Exodus 19:9,10). Moses was given two days to ready the people "...for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai" (Exodus 19:11).

Boundaries were also set for the people to heed or suffer death (Exodus 19:12). They were not allowed to go "...up into the mount, or touch the border of it...[t]here shall not an hand touch it...whether it be beast or man..." (Exodus 19:12,13).

Following through on God's instructions, Moses "...sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes" (Exodus 19:14).

"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the [lower] part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly" (Exodus 19:16-18).

"And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and [grew] louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them" (Exodus 19:22).

"And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them" (Exodus 19:23-25).

God's Hand in the Matter: Israel agreed to obey God's voice and His covenant; therefore, they were set apart from all other people as a 'peculiar treasure' to the Lord. God wanted to be heard by the people so Moses would be believed forever.