SPEAKER 1
Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to Let God Speak. We often think of the Exodus story as a journey from Egypt to the promised land. It is true that the migration was geographical, but it was also theological. When Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, God said that he had brought them to himself. We can be glad that our best destination is God. We search for meaning in life. We seek it in money, power or pleasure. But it is found in a relationship with our Maker, God himself. At Mount Sinai, God said, I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Our panel will shortly explore the God man relationship. Well, on our panel today, we have Lazio Crescentini and Kaysie Vokurka. Good to have you with us today.
SPEAKER 2
Thank you.
SPEAKER 3
Thank you.
SPEAKER 1
I'm looking forward to our discussion. But before we get into that, let's take time to pray. Our dear Father in Heaven, we just want to thank you that you have given us the Bible. And these old stories are not just musty stories. They are relevant for today. And we pray that as we discuss this topic today that we might be sensitive to the power of your Holy Spirit. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen. Well, I'm going to begin by reading a text from Genesis 3. This is going back a little bit before the Exodus story that we'll be focusing on today. And in Genesis 3, verses 8 and 9, I read and they that's Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, where are you? I think, Kaysie, we've got a case here of God taking the initiative, isn't he?
SPEAKER 2
Definitely. And you know, this was obviously after our first parents sinned. God was the one who made the first step to come looking for them and to try and restore that relationship. And it's elsewhere, similar thing has happened where, like Jesus has said to us, for instance, to come to him. He invites us to come to him. You see, over and over, when people are in trouble or have fallen away from him, God is the one who is trying to seek to draw them back.
SPEAKER 3
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1
And Lazio, what was significant about God bringing Israel to Mount Sinai? Why did he bring them there?
SPEAKER 3
Yeah. So Mount Sinai, this is where the angel of the Lord or the preincarnated son of God himself revealed himself to Moses and gave him a promise as well. If we turn to Exodus chapter 3 in verse 1 and 2 says, Now Moses was tending the flock of Jephthro, his father in law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire and the bush was not consumed.
SPEAKER 1
Interesting term there, isn't it? The mountain of God.
SPEAKER 3
Absolutely. And so that Hirop is known as Mount Sinai as well. And it makes that reference mountain of God. If we go to verse 12. So Exodus 3:12 says, so he said, I will certainly be with you, and this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain. So it's referring back to that mountain where Israel will eventually be taken to. And we even see later in First Kings where it's Elijah went to that mountain as well.
SPEAKER 1
Okay, so jumping forward to the children of Israel, getting to Mount Sinai, Kaysie, how long were they there was weeks, months, or what was it from when they left Egypt?
SPEAKER 2
Well, we can find the answer in Numbers, chapter 10, verse 11. It says now it came to pass on the 20th day of the second month, in the second year that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the testimony. So back in Exodus, in chapter 19, it talks about that they arrived in Sinai in the third month. And then this is saying in the second year, in the second month. So it's almost a year later. That's when the cloud is moving up and moving away. So they were going to move on. So they were there in front of that mountain for almost a year, which is quite a long time. But there was so many important things that happened at that place that were foundational before they moved forward. And we're going to discuss more of that in this lesson.
SPEAKER 1
Okay, so Alessio, back to you. What would set apart Israel from the other nations? Like they come out of Egypt, for example. You know, what made them different from the Egyptians as far as their beliefs are concerned?
SPEAKER 3
Yeah, absolutely. So if you look at like the Egyptians, like I mentioned, they believed in a lot of gods, multiple gods kind of thing, where with Israel it was a monotheism. It's one God and it's the true God, it's the God Creator, he created the universe and it's not some man made idol. And we can read that in Exodus 19, verse 3 to 6. And Moses went up to God and the Lord called him from the mountain, saying thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, you have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, I will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant. Then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of prince and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So here was where God instituted on Mount Sinai, the covenant with Israel. That's where it started. And through that, we can see that communication happening. It's where obedience brings that blessings and where disobedience brings that retribution. So and we can see that in Leviticus if we quickly go there as well. And that's Leviticus 26:12. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people. And that's the ideal is a relationship with God. And that's still today, that's the same case. God wants to be among us.
SPEAKER 1
Mm. I'm just going to turn back to Exodus 19 and a little further on from what you were reading Last year, verse 9. And the Lord said to Moses, behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak to you and believe you forever. So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. So here's God's really preparing Israel to meet with him. How were the people themselves to prepare? Cayce?
SPEAKER 2
Well, this was such an important occasion. God was really helping these people who had been. Who had really lost a lot of knowledge about him, to gain that knowledge again. And so this was so important that they readied themselves. And in verse 10, it says the Lord said to Moses, go to the people and consecrate them them today and tomorrow and let them wash their clothes. So two things there consecrate and also wash their clothes. So inward and outward cleansing that would be prepared for this time where they were going to meet with God. And, yeah, meeting God was going to be like an impressive, awesome occasion. It's like you would do this if you were going to go and meet the king or something like that. And it's very interesting. It was a very grand event. In verse 16 of chapter 19, it describes the circumstances. It says then it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. So this was basically the setting was such to help people to get an experience where they would have awe and respect for what God was about to tell them. And so everything that they did to prepare was designed to really impress that on their mind.
SPEAKER 1
Now I'm thinking of Nasi, I'm thinking of the baptism of Jesus, for example. Jesus is the one who would perfectly keep the law. And the voice of God was heard on that occasion. What about here at Sinai?
SPEAKER 3
Yes, it was heard at Sinai too. It's quite prominent. So if you turn to Exodus 19, verse 19 and 20, it says, and when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai on the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses on, on to the top of the mountain. And Moses went up here we can see as it follows into that chapter as well. It's a dialogue between Moses and God. God actually spoke to him right there. And we often think of the Ten Commandments as just written in stone, but God actually spoke the ten Commandments first and shared that with them. And sometimes we look at, as we go through scripture, we can see that the Ten Commandments is referred to different things. It's the covenant, it's a testimony, it's a decalogue. So it's a communication thing. So it wasn't just one way. And it's quite interesting as you go through it that in these chapters that the commandments was written in stone in verse 20, so Exodus 21, and God spoke all these words saying, so God said it before it came into that stone. And like Genesis 26, 5, Exodus 16, 27, all emphasis is on the fourth commandment. Even before it was written on stone, when the Israelites went out, they had to pick up the manna. It was picked up on the six days, but not on the seventh day. And that was even before it was written on stone. So we can see, see how the stones was when God actually codified it, what he previously said to them.
SPEAKER 1
Okay, well just over in Exodus 34, 28, there's an interesting expression here. It says, so he was there with the Lord 40 days. Moses it is. And 40 nights he neither ate bread nor drank water. And that's interesting because sometimes Jesus referred to as the second Moses. But 40 days and 40 nights, he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant. The ten Commandments. It says in my Bible. Cayce, is that what it literally means in the Hebrew ten Commandments?
SPEAKER 2
Interestingly, in the Hebrew, it means ten.
SPEAKER 1
Words, from which we get Decalogue.
SPEAKER 2
Ten words, exactly. Yeah. So it's very, very straight to the point, I guess, in the Hebrew. And interesting, though, Jesus refers to them as commandments. In John 4:14, verse 15, it says, if you love me, keep my commandments. So it was supposed to be something that is done because of a love relationship with God, and obedience was a sign of that, that love that you had for him. And this is also affirmed In Romans, chapter 13, verse 9 and 10, where it's talking and actually quoting the Commandments. It says, for the Commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, all are summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. So the commandments express love to God, they also express love to man. It covers everything in terms of our relationships.
SPEAKER 1
Yeah. You know, I've been in some of the old parish churches in England and I've seen actual Ten Commandments up on the wall. And my wife came from the Brossa Valley in South Australia. And in the old stone church, which has since been demolished, they actually had the Ten Commandments up there too. Every Sabbath when you came there, you could see these Ten Commandments. And, you know, it's not a matter of legalism, but the commandments are a reflection of the fact that the law of God is a transcript of his character. Moving on, there's a second outline of the Ten Commandments in the book of Deuteronomy. Elizio, are there any differences? What differences are there, if any.
SPEAKER 3
Yes. So you're referring to Deuteronomy 5:1, which. And Moses called all Israel and said to them, hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. And then we find basically a copy of the Ten Commandments. They are very similar. There's just minor differences in those two. But what is quite interesting here, this is that Exodus is when God spoke it, but now in Deuteronomy is, Moses is now speaking it. And this is just before they go into the Promised Land. And Moses is reminding them of the blessings that is awaiting for them if they state to these principles or these commandments of God. And if we read Deuteronomy 5, 33, it says, you shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. And we can see that the minor variation is basically in the fourth commandment, which is slightly different, but is that promise where they go into which is Moses trying to.
SPEAKER 1
Yeah, so that fourth commandment I'm reading there, and it says that you remember that you were a slave in Egypt. So, Cayce, is this idea of being redeemed from Egypt reflected in the Exodus version, Exodus 20?
SPEAKER 2
Absolutely. In fact, it's right at the beginning, before any of the commandments are stated, it said how God is their redeemer. And in Exodus 22 it says, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. It's stated right up front and it's very interesting. This is what gives the people the motive for wanting to obey God because of what he's done for them. He's done so much to save them from a terrible situation. And it's a reminder of God's grace. And the Andrew Study Bible actually makes an important point here. And I quote from it. It says the Old Testament as well as the New Testament emphasizes God's grace as the basis for obedience. And that is a very important point.
SPEAKER 1
An expert in the law asks Jesus a searching question. I'm looking at Matthew, chapter 22 and verses 35 to 40. Then one of them, a lawyer, in terms here means someone who's versed in the laws of God. This is not a lawyer, as we think somebody represents you in court today. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him and saying, teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.
SPEAKER 2
And.
SPEAKER 1
And then in verse 39 it says, and the second, the second commandment, that is, is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So, Lassio, was Jesus actually saying something new here when he summarizes the commandments this way?
SPEAKER 3
Absolutely not. He was actually quoting the Old Testament. And I want to take you to two verses. So this is Deuteronomy 6:5. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. And the other verse is Leviticus 19:18 says, you shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudges against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord. So Jesus reminds us that over here that the basis of the relationship is love. And it's a love with God. It's our love of our love for our neighbor, to each other as well. And that brings us. Reminds me of what you said, Kaysie, as well. You just read it in Romans 13:10. Paul says exactly that same thing.
SPEAKER 1
Love. Love is the fulfillment of the law. Now, Kaysie, when I look at the commandments, I think there are only two of them, the fourth and the fifth, that begin with a positive, whereas the others are also you shall not. You shall not. Does that sound negative to you, expressing the commandments in that way?
SPEAKER 2
Well, it's interesting because context means everything here. And we've just been talking about the context of God being a God of love in giving this. And it's very important because when God is saying these commandments, yes, he's saying it in a negative way, but he's actually creating a clear boundary. He's saying for this to work in terms of a relationship with me and for you to be happy as well. There's a boundary here. Don't go that way. Like, don't go that way. Stay this way. And when you do it deal that way with kids, it actually gives people security, like children feel security when there's a clear boundary. And it's the same for adults. When we have a clear boundary, it can make a big difference. But the other thing is, it's really about helping us to have a real sense of respect and honor for God. Not going after other gods or not taking his name in vain, all of these kind of things. It's about respecting him for who he is and for other people as well. Respecting their things, respecting their relationship, respecting their family, not taking their stuff, respecting their life. This is what it's about, respect and honor for God and for one another.
SPEAKER 1
Yeah, sure. So what does this tell you about the character of God, Lassio?
SPEAKER 3
Yes. To me, it's God is loving, God is just and good. And this is a transcript of his character. And it also tells me it's unchangeable, it doesn't change. And that reminds Me of Romans 7:12, which says, Therefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. And I've got a quote here which I want to read as well. It says, the law of God from its very nature is unchangeable. It is the revelation of the will and the character of its author. God is love and his law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and love to man. And that is from Alan White, a great controversy between Christ and Satan and found on page 467.
SPEAKER 1
Hmm. Yeah, good quote there. Thanks for sharing that one. I'm looking at James chapter 2 and verses 10, 11, where he says, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. Now, he who said, do not commit adultery, so we know which law is talking about, the Ten Commandments also said, do not murder. Now, if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So here's James writing about obedience to the whole law. How does he regard the Ten Commandments? Kaysie?
SPEAKER 2
Very interesting how he describes it in verse 12. The very next verse it says, so speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. Yes, that's pretty interesting to think of the law as something liberating, because often people think of law as restrictive. But this is saying, no, this is actually going to make your life feel liberated. And it's because it's a protective fence around us to prevent us from doing things that will be destructive. And that's if we obey for it. So it helps to bring security, love and respect for one another, for God, all of those things. And it also points us to Jesus. And we can read about that in First John 1:7:9 says, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How does the law point us to Christ? It shows us where we have sinned and it doesn't give us a solution. But Christ has the solution. So that's how the law is a stepping stone to Christ as well, the one who cleanses us.
SPEAKER 1
Okay. Do you think last year that the law of God is like a standard? You know, when we're building, we want a use your spirit level to see whether something is upright or horizontal and so on. Do you think the law of God's a bit like that?
SPEAKER 3
Yes, I want to say, in a way it is. And many people sometimes mention it and actually get from Scripture, I'll get there. Where they mention it's like a mirror and it's James. If you go to James, chapter one, verse 23 says, for if anyone is A hearer of the word and not a doer. He is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror in verse 25. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not for a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the works, this is one who will be blessed in what he does. So it's like a mirror looking into the mirror. The mirror shows my face is dirty, but a mirror can't clean it. And it's the same with the law. It shows where our faults are, but it cannot clean us. It is only God's grace, his power that can cleanse us. If we put God into our hearts, if we become a doer, if we do these things, then God can bless us and change us from inside. But it's putting the law in our hearts that actually makes that difference then. And that's when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, that he will do that change in us and will change us. So it's not the law itself, but it's a reflection, like you say in that.
SPEAKER 1
Yeah. And I think Paul said if he hadn't known the law, he wouldn't have known what sin was, didn't he, in Romans 3:20. Therefore, by deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. That's pretty clear, isn't it, Kaysie?
SPEAKER 2
Definitely. We are not justified by the law, but what we are justified in. It goes on to say that in that passage in verse 21, it says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, and continuing 22 and 23, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so our hope goes beyond the law to Christ and his righteousness, which is what justifies us when we believe in him by faith.
SPEAKER 1
Okay, now just quickly, we've just got a few seconds left. When Paul says Christ is the end of the law, did he mean getting rid of the law, or what did he mean?
SPEAKER 3
No. So when you look at that ant. So the ant actually refers to Christ himself, doesn't mean the law. And Jesus is that person which. The law, or which points then to the law. And so the law points out that we are sinners, but it also points to Christ, our righteousness, and. And we need to believe in him. And the good news is, which I want to leave everyone is that that righteousness which God gives us has no limits. And it's for everyone. Like Paul puts it, it is for everyone who believes. It's not just for certain. Yeah.
SPEAKER 1
Yeah. Well, my guests today were Lazio Crescentini and Kaysie Vokurka. Good to have you with us. And my name is Clive Nash. You know, when it came to the. To the covenant, it was God who took the initiative. Israel had been in captivity in a pagan country for hundreds of years. They had to learn once more the principles of the Decalogue. I wonder whether it would be good for us to go back and read Exodus 20 every now and then. Perhaps we need to be reminded of the love of God, his grace and his lofty ideals for us. Why not join with me in saying, by God's grace, all that the Lord has said, we will do? We're glad you joined us today on Let God Speak. If you're blessed by this program, why not tell your friends? Remember, all past programs plus teacher's notes are available on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. Email us if you wish on
[email protected] why don't you join us again next time? And until then, God bless.
SPEAKER B
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