INTRODUCTION:

(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV])
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV])
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All of the studies found here, whether book studies or topical studies, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history recorded in the Word of God and in any ancient records from many, which records support it, plus archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, nor lexicons, nor concordances, nor commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief, apostasy, and a falling away from God Himself. We do not need them. That Word of God, written and preserved for us in our own language, is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and as the New Testament was for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc.

Tyndale Bible
Coverdale Bible
Matthew's Bible
Great Bible
Geneva Bible
Bishop's Bible
King James/Authorized Bible

There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:

(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV])
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!

Introduction/Start of study

Exodus Chapter 19: THE ARRIVAL AT SINAI, THE SINAITIC COVENANT

In this chapter, God comes down to Moses and the Israelites. Whenever God comes into the world, it is nearly never a light thing, like a neighbor or friend coming over to visit. Adam and Eve saw the LORD in the garden and hid themselves. God is coming here in a cloud, with lightning, thunder, smoke and fire. Jesus came in a miraculous birth, left in a spectacular way and will come back to earth in an unmistakable way to judge it, being seen of all mankind at that future time.

(Exodus 3:12 [KJV])
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

(John 1:17 [KJV])
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

It must be known and remember3ed that God's covenant with Abraham was one sided, unilateral, and could not be broken by God because He is God. This covenant was for the land promised and is an "IF" covenant, which Israel broke and went into captivity, over and over again. That is the difference. This law is for the good of that nation, and is a standard for all of mankind, to keep order in the marriage, in the family, order in society, etc. It never saved; merely brought us into fellowship or out of it is all. This whole chapter is the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:12

EXODUS, REVELATION

Grace of God was always what saved man, then as now, in all dispensations

Thunders
Lightnings
Earthquakes
Smoke
Cleaned clothes
Trumpet, the last trump
The LORD coming to the top of the mount

THE LAW, STATUTES: GIVEN PRIOR TO EXODUS 20

(Genesis 26:5 [KJV])
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

(Exodus 15:26 [KJV])
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

(Exodus 18:16 [KJV])
When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

(Exodus 19:1 [KJV])
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

The wilderness....specifically the desert wilderness in Egypt, where dependence on God is fully needed for survival as a person, not to mention a nation of millions of people

(Exodus 19:2 [KJV])
For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

Camping would become their lives now, for all of the wandering in tents
This will be their forty year life, wandering place to place until God settles them down
This forty years is a tenth, a tithe of the four hundred in captivity

(Exodus 19:3-4 [KJV])
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.

God allowed them to leave, without a war, without bloodshed of theirs because of the passover lamb
They truly had no choice but to wait four hundred years on the LORD to release them (Isaiah 40:31, below)

(Isaiah 40:31 [KJV])
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

(Exodus 19:5-6 [KJV])
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.

From Old Testament to New Testament, this has remained steadfast
The church never, ever replaced, never does replace, nor will it ever replace Israel
That said, we also, as a different people are a kingdom of priest and a holy church to God, as another treasure in His Eyes
This kingdom of priests and being an holy nation continues today in Israel, in their land
Positionally, to God, He chose them and they always were His peculiar people to mankind, but being above was a position on earth among men, as when they disobeyed, they went into the captivity of mankind, then repented and were released, as in Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persians, Greece, under the thumb of the emperors of Rome, etc.

(1 Peter 2:9 [KJV])
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

(Revelation 1:6 [KJV])
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

(Exodus 19:7 [KJV])
And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

What does this tell us? Moses wrote them down on paper to show, to teach, instruct as doctrine for them
He read them aloud and before all to hear from this paper, later bound into books, then into one book of the law (Joshua 1:8)

(Exodus 19:8 [KJV])
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.

And they meant it.......for that time
Because he was a mediator of that covenant, Moses spoke to God about this in prayer

(Exodus 19:9 [KJV])
And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

Moses told God, not because God did not know already what they said, but it was for his job purpose, to be the go between for Israel, and this would settle it in his own mind, hearing, repeating, so that he would recognize it
No man hath seen God the Father at any time in the flesh on earth, except the God man, God the Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, Who all on earth, near Israel, then, saw face to face
Moses saw His Glory, His Brightness, and saw the LORD face to face, as did Jacob
Believing Moses forever means the written Word of God, the preserved Word of God, forever

GOD WITH MAN, FACE TO FACE

(John 1:18 [KJV])
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

(Genesis 32:30 [KJV])
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

(Exodus 33:11 [KJV])
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

(Numbers 14:14 [KJV])
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

(Deuteronomy 5:4 [KJV])
The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

(Deuteronomy 34:10 [KJV])
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

(Ezekiel 20:35 [KJV])
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

(1 Corinthians 13:12 [KJV])
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

(Exodus 19:10-11 [KJV])
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

One needs lots of water for a million plus people to wash their clothes, so God has provided enough to drink and for washing their clothes-IN THE SINAI DESERT!
It took three days to do this and would take that long, water or no water, even in today's world

(Exodus 19:12-13 [KJV])
And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

"Against" the third day means FOR, merely an old English usage, and the word "FOR here means because, often used in poetry,
This trumpet blast would come with no warning beforehand, like the last trump before the Rapture hits
This mountain is Holy, so if God does not call one to touch it, He being Holy, they are to die
This is like Heaven, when those who think they will go meat and stand before Jesus and He says, "I never knew you"
Moses was chosen as the prophet of God to go, so no one else was allowed
Every method of judgment and death here illustrates to us one thing... "in the light of eternity, once we are gone, it makes no difference how we died"

AGAINST, prep. agenst'.

In opposition; noting enmity or disapprobation. His hand will be against every man. Gen 16. I am against your pillows. Ezek 8.
In opposition, noting contrariety, contradiction, or repugnance; as, a decree against law, reason or public opinion.
In opposition, noting competition, or different sides or parties; as, there are twenty votes in the affirmative against ten in the negative.
In an opposite direction; as, to ride against the wind.
Opposite in place; abreast; as, a ship is against the mouth of a river. In this sense it is often preceded by over. Aaron lighted the lamps over against the candlesticks. Num 8.
In opposition, noting adversity, injury, or contrariety to wishes; as, this change of measures is against us.
Bearing upon; as, one leans against a wall.
In provision for; in preparation for. Urijah made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus. 2 Ki 16. In this sense against is a preposition, with the following part of the sentence for an object. See After, prep. def. 2. In short, the sense of this word is opposition, variously modified according to its application to different objects.

(Matthew 7:21 [KJV])
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(Exodus 19:14 [KJV])
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

God blessed Moses, Moses blessed the people, they cleaned their clothes
It must be understood that this was symbolic, and (1) by faith alone, followed by (2) obedience was what would cleanse the soul
That is the gospel, not the works salvation heresy
God told them that cleaning with soap did not clean their sins, just the Blood of the Lamb

(Isaiah 1:16 [KJV])
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

(Jeremiah 2:22 [KJV])
For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

(Malachi 3:2 [KJV])
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

(Exodus 19:15 [KJV])
And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

Even having relations with their wives would make them unclean, so better to wait
"Against" here meaning "for"

(Exodus 19:16 [KJV])
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.

This series of events is the same, equivalent as the events of Revelation, for the same reason, (fear), with a different result
The result here is to warn the nation, show Who God is, but to warn to save lives
In Revelation it is to warn them that they are facing certain judgment, soon coming from the LORD

(Exodus 19:17 [KJV])
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

Their meeting with God was meeting the lightnings, thunders, smoke, cloud, noise and horrible, terrible and awesome power of God, not God, face to face, as Moses was especially called to the mount Sinai, the top, not them

(Exodus 19:18 [KJV])
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.

Mount Sinai is not a volcano, so this was supernatural

(Exodus 19:19 [KJV])
And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

God answered the Israelites by trumet blast, as a warning; Moses with His own Voice, to communicate to him to communicate to Israel
Louder......and LOUDER, because they were coming, getting closer, not called by God to do so, but to go through Moses only to hear what God wanted of them
In that same way today, God wants us to go to His Word, not look for signs and His audible voice, for wisdom and guidance, not because He cannot speak to us, but because He DOES speak to us through His Word, not through signs, wonders, a direct voice-unless perhaps we are in a place where there is no Word of God available (Hindu, Buddhist, Communist, Islamic country, etc.)

(Exodus 19:20 [KJV])
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.

Encircled in mystery, a cloud, invisible to man, Moses meet with God, not the nation of Israel
God calls Moses back for another meeting, about to show, tell of, extend grace to the nation to save their lives

(Exodus 19:21 [KJV])
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.

This is grace, for God knows people will want to follow Moses out of curiosity, out of impatience, lack of obedience, lack of faith
"to gaze", to see what Moses saw, to see what they were not allowed to see, because God wanted them to obey by faith, not by sight
The world says, "Seeing is believing". God says, "believing is seeing"

(Exodus 19:22 [KJV])
And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

This is all about God and His Holiness, not ours
This is about presenting ourselves before God, being in a fallen state as evil, wicked sinners, unable to see God, stand before Him
We must prepare to speak to God by confessing sin, as the priests did here, in their physical way and in their hearts
In the end, our sinful nature itself, all being sinners (Romans 3:23) keeps us from God, since the fall of Adam and Eve

(Nahum 1:6 [KJV])
Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

(Exodus 19:23 [KJV])
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.

People in their fallen state, our fallen state, seek knowledge, curiously wanting to know what is happening, just want to know so that they can know and say they know. Adam and Eve fell into that trap ad here we are, with sin and death, destruction and disease
God wants to deal with Moses personally, them through Moses
God deals with us through His Word, not through the priests today, as Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, king of Salem (Hebrews 5:10)

(Exodus 19:24 [KJV])
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.

Unless God called them to personalyl see and talk to Him, if they showed up in this quest, in their fallen state, doing their own will, they would die
This is where all pagan religions originate, man's desire to seek God their way, as little gods, or as worshiping false, pagan gods their way, which leads to death

(Exodus 19:25 [KJV])
So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

It is certain that Moses said, "Stay back! observe from here and do not come too close! This is our God, a terrible God Who is Holy!"

Links to studies by book or topic are on the top menu.

Exodus Chapter 20