Or, in a voice.

In fellowship with God we know not only His grace (v. 4) but also His holiness. Mount Sinai was a holy mountain because God descended upon it (v. 20; cf. Exo. 3:5). Thus, a boundary was set which the children of Israel were not permitted to cross (vv. 12-13, 21-24). If we as God’s people would remain in His presence in fellowship with Him, we must sanctify ourselves and everything related to us (vv. 10, 14, 22; cf. Heb. 12:14). To be sanctified is to honor the boundary of God’s holiness. Sanctification is the experiential aspect of holiness. When God’s holiness becomes our experience, that is sanctification. See note Heb. 12:14^1b and note Rom. 6:19^2b.

The mountain where the law was given has a twofold significance. First, as Mount Horeb, it is the mountain of God (Exo. 3:1, 12; 4:27; 18:5; 24:13; Num. 10:33; 1 Kings 19:8), the place for God’s seekers to meet with one another (Exo. 4:27; 18:5), to meet with God (Exo. 24:13, 15-18; 1 Kings 19:8), to serve God (Exo. 3:12), to receive God’s revelation and vision (Exo. 3:1-3; 24:12-13; 1 Kings 19:8-9), and to be infused with God’s substance (Exo. 34:28-29). Second, as Mount Sinai (vv. 11, 18, 20-24; 34:2-4; Gal. 4:24-25), it is the place where the sinfulness of God’s people is exposed and the boundary of God’s holiness is revealed (vv. 12-13, 21-24; Heb. 12:18-21).

The third day signifies resurrection (1 Cor. 15:4). God’s people were brought into His presence in resurrection. To be in resurrection means that everything of the old creation, which is altogether natural, has been terminated, and the new creation, which is altogether in resurrection, is germinated (2 Cor. 5:17).

To be sanctified is to be separated from the world unto God (see note John 17:17^1a). Through such a sanctification God’s people can have fellowship with Him. See note Exo. 19:12¹.

This seemingly positive answer, given here and in Exo. 24:3, 7, was offensive to God, for it indicated that the children of Israel knew neither God nor themselves and did not have a heart for God (cf. Matt. 15:8). They presumed that they could do whatever God required, not knowing that they were unable to fulfill His commandments and that they stood in need of His mercy. Even before the decree of the law had been completed, the people fell into the sin of idolatry, breaking at least the first three of the Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:2-7; 32:1-6 and notes). After the people spoke this word, God changed His attitude toward them and also caused a change of atmosphere (vv. 9, 12-13, 16-25; 20:18-19; cf. Exo. 19:3-6).

God’s eternal purpose is to have a people to be His counterpart, His expression, and His dwelling place. In order to fulfill this purpose, God must impart Himself as life into His chosen people and work Himself into them. From the very beginning it was not God’s intention to give man commandments to keep or to have man do things for Him (see note Gen. 2:17^1a in Gen. 2). Likewise, in bringing the children of Israel to the mountain of God, it was not God’s intention to give them a list of divine commandments as requirements for them to fulfill. Rather, His intention was to bring His people into His presence so that He could reveal Himself to them and impart Himself into them through His speaking to them (cf. Exo. 34:28-29 and note Exo. 34:29¹). God’s people, however, did not understand His intention. Their natural, fallen, and religious concept was that God wanted them to do certain things for Him, and they thought they were able to do these things. Since this was their concept, it was necessary for God to give them commandments to show them how high His requirements are and how unable to fulfill these requirements they were (Rom. 8:3, 7-8).

The law decreed by God on Mount Sinai has both a positive and a negative function. On the positive side the law functions as God’s testimony, revealing God to His people (see note Exo. 20:1¹).

The law is also God’s living word as His breath (2 Tim. 3:16) to infuse His element into His loving seekers (see note Deut. 8:3¹). On the negative side, the function of the law is to expose sin (Rom. 3:20; 5:20; 7:7-8, 13), to subdue sinners (Rom. 3:19), and to guard God’s chosen people and bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:23-24). Whether in our experience the law is positive or negative depends on the condition of our heart in receiving the law. If we love God, humble ourselves, and regard the law as His living word through which we contact Him and abide in Him, the law will become a channel through which the divine life and substance are conveyed to us for our supply and nourishment. Being infused with God’s substance through the law as God’s word, we will become one with God in life, nature, and expression and will spontaneously live a life that expresses God and corresponds to His law (Rom. 8:4; Phil. 1:21). However, if in coming to the law we do not seek God in love but rather separate the law from the living God as the source of life (cf. John 5:39-40), the law, which was intended to result in life (Rom. 7:10) but cannot give life of itself (Gal. 3:21 and note Gal. 3:21¹), will become a condemning and killing element to us (Rom. 7:11; 2 Cor. 3:6-7, 9). See note Psa. 119:2^2a, par. 1.

See note Exo. 19:6¹.

As God’s people remain in His presence, they become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 1 Pet. 2:9). As priests, God’s people live in God’s presence, enjoying Him as their portion, even as He enjoys them as His treasure (v. 5). The mutual enjoyment between God and His people separates His people unto Himself from everything other than Him, making them a holy nation.

The Hebrew word has a double meaning; it means both personal possession and peculiar treasure. Cf. Titus 2:14. This shows that an intimate affection exists in the fellowship of God with His redeemed people (see note Exo. 20:6²).

The eagles’ wings signify the grace and power of God in Christ applied to us (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 1:19). In the fellowship of God we first come to know the grace of God, which accomplishes everything for us and carries us onward with God. Cf. Isa. 40:31; Ezek. 1:6, 8-11.

The book of Exodus was written to show God’s full salvation for the building up of His dwelling place. Chapters 1—18 portray God’s redemption and salvation (1:1—14:31), God’s provision (15:1—17:7), the victory over the flesh (17:8-16), and a picture of the kingdom (Exo. 18:1-27), inserted by Moses to show the issue, the result, of the foregoing items. After the experiences recorded in these chapters, the children of Israel were brought into God’s direct presence at the mountain of God (Exo. 3:1; 18:5) to have fellowship with God. There God appeared to His people and spoke to them (vv. 3-6, 11) to give them the knowledge of Himself (chs. 20—24) and the vision of the pattern of His dwelling place (chs. 25—30) so that they might build it according to that vision (chs. 35—40). See note Exo. 3:8^1b, par. 2.