Law & Grace - A mountaintop experience - Part I (the ten commandments)

Good morning. A blessed and happy new year to you. I'll thank you for bearing with my voice. I'm not growling. Okay. Now that we've made it through this holiday season, I hope you've had time to enjoy the various delights and wonders of the season, whether it's gift exchange or the Christmas decorations and lighting, things of that sort, the getting together for Christmas dinner and other holiday meetings and that sort of thing, office parties. I hope you survived that delightfully.

I know this time of year can be especially difficult for ladies and a lot of their role in these things. It can get them tied in knots. And I know gals with all the things they have to be done, they just feel like they have to be flying out of bed. I know it's difficult. The other thing is that's not the end of it. You get out into all the hustle and bustle. parking situations, it can be a little bit exasperating. So anyway, that's just the way it is.

But I hope in the midst of that, that you've had a chance to put the focus upon the birth of our Savior and the real significance of this time that we celebrate. And ultimately, not just a sweet little baby born in a quaint historic place, but in fact, the savior of the whole world. And so as we kind of turn the calendar page here into not just a new month, but a new year, we hope that this time has been a rich one for you.

What we began actually in November was a study in Law and Grace, and you may recall we presented Moses at the burning bush. The fact that Moses was told, do not come near. Moses hid his face from God and was afraid to look at God. We presented that and some of the contrasts and comparisons between that and where we stand in our position of grace.

We went through the plagues and how that finally came about with Pharaoh telling Moses and Aaron, yes, go, get out of here. And finally having Pharaoh relent and let God's people go out from Egypt. There the Israelites found themselves camping alongside and what turned out to be pressed against the sea. And so we talked about that and presented that, presented how Moses held out his rod and God, in that action, parted the waters and provided for the Israelites to go traveling across the sea there. Then the other thing we presented is while a lot of the art and movie presentations of this are daytime or something of that sort, the reality is the text makes it pretty clear it was nighttime. And so the appearance might have been something more like this. since from the outset the Jews had a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. It was the Lord leading them with the one exception that this pillar stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians at this parting of the sea to hold the Egyptians back while the Israelites cross.

The Israelites did in fact come across and all of them passed through. We don't know the exact number based on some figures that we have. It may be on the order of two million Israelites coming across there. They all came across. There's no indication that any of them were lost along the way or that any of them died in the process. But what was made clear is that the Egyptians didn't make it across. None of them survived. The Egyptians, hoping to attack the Israelites and take them out, In fact, the Egyptians ended up being killed by the very means that God used to deliver the Israelites.

And the Israelites, starting with Moses and on into the others, sang songs, celebrated the victory that God had given them. From there, We see that the Israelites followed a path that followed generally along the west side of the Sinai Peninsula. There have been some other suggestions for where this Mount Sinai was. I'm not finding the explanations very convincing. At any rate, so this was the likely location of Mount Sinai, the southern Sinai Peninsula. One thing is it would get them away from an area that the Egyptians held power. Right along the Mediterranean, there was a place where the Egyptians had a line of forts. This would get them away from that line of forts. So they came to Mount Sinai, this rather formidable mountain in a desert area.

What we'll be seeing as we look through this month is we'll be looking today and next Sunday at this mountaintop experience that is where Moses alone goes up on Mount Sinai and receives both verbally and in writing the Ten Commandments, what we've come to call as the Ten Commandments.

And particularly we're going to put focus on what's the character of the relationship of the people to God under those circumstances, contrasting that with our own relationship with the Lord. We've got a title here two weeks out, Whacking and Watering. We'll see what that's about. And then a couple more, who are you looking at? Looking at the serpent in the wilderness. And then finally, the last Sunday of this month, beginning of next month, talking about Balaam. And so that's when God's talking to you, but it's not good. All right. You have on the first page of your handout an item that we included a few weeks ago.

And our main point in this is looking at the similarity in the timing and the events, as well as some contrast, between the introduction of the law to Israel and the introduction of grace to the church. What's interesting is that there is an almost locksink in timing of key events and quite a bit of correspondence of those key events. The key point we wish to make now is it has now come to 50 days from the Passover feast to their time out there where the Lord is giving the law. It was also 50 days between the time Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples and the giving of the Spirit in Acts 2. So interesting parallels between those two, and I think it's more than accidental. So we'll be looking today at this passage that Courtney read for us, and what it presents is frankly a very awesome sight. As the Israelites were being introduced to here's how it's going to happen, here's what you need to do and not do, They were looking at, okay, Moses was going to go up on this mountain that only he could go on.

And it was quite apparent that something extraordinary was happening. Thunder and lightning and clouds and the ground shaking. It was frankly quite shocking. There was also, as Courtney read, a loud trumpet blast. Now, I want to underscore, it says very loud. Now, when you say very loud, it was kind of like plug your ears. This is really loud. So real interesting, this entire event was a little hard to handle, a little hard to handle. We can't go up on the mountain. The sounds and light coming from this mountain are on the brink of intolerability. So we find here, here's Moses on the mountain. We're about to see the event in which Moses was given what we have come to call the Ten Commandments.

Interestingly enough, the Bible itself does not call these the Ten Commandments. They are simply a part of the total law of Moses. as we'll take a closer look at. So these 10 are not the first given in sequence, and neither are they the last. They are ones that are given directly by God.

What's interesting is that all 613 of the laws were revealed to Moses, and this was one way in which God revealed the 613. The New Testament, and we'll see in a little bit, next week likely, The New Testament makes clear that most of the law of Moses was actually revealed to Moses by angels. The New Testament is pretty clear on that point.

This passage here, Exodus 19, 10-25, introduces how the people of Israel, including the priests, now notice, including the priests, are to stay away from the mountain. Even animals were to stay away from the mountain. Don't come near. Only Moses will be allowed to go up on the mountain to meet with God, to hear the Ten Commandments, as we've come to call them, and to receive the tablets that contain them. Only Moses, period. Any other, either animal or human being, is going to be killed. And I'm sure that with the trumpet blast, with the thunder, with the lightning, with the ground shaking, that going up on the mountain wasn't something that seemed like a very good idea to begin with, right?

Now, here you have on one slide all 613 laws. Read them quickly. Okay. That is, in fact, all 613 laws. I'm not kidding. It is all on that slide. I'd be glad to send it to you or print it out if you like. It includes every single one. Not one is accepted. It even includes what we've called the Ten Commandments among the 613 laws. There's even number 144, is not to eat a worm found in fruit. Not even if it's a baby worm.

So really it's all there, trust me. Now this passage calls for consecration. Now we're going to talk about what is consecration, but the question is who does it? Who does the consecrating? To consecrate is to set apart and dedicate for a holy purpose. Probably a more common New Testament word would be to sanctify. to sanctify, to make holy, set apart, and dedicate for a holy purpose.

Under the law, it was, and we see in this passage, the entire responsibility of the people to set themselves apart. It's your job. You do the consecrating. You do the sanctifying. You guys keep it cleaned up. Right? That's your job under the law. You do it. You pull it off. You are the ones that are to stay away from the mountain. You are the ones that are to wash your garments. You're supposed to do this and not do that. It's your job, you do it, and you bear the consequences if you don't.

Under grace, it is God who has sanctified and set us apart in our eternal position in Christ. We give several different references there. That's the short list. In fact, it is God who accomplishes these things under grace. He also continues to sanctify each one of us.

Hebrews 10.14 is an interesting verse in that right after Hebrews 10.10 where it says you have been sanctified already, Hebrews 10.14 says you are also being sanctified. There's a process taking place. We're addressing that in the elective that began here this morning. So under grace, it's God who does it all. God who pulls it off. God who takes the entire responsibility.

Here in 1 Corinthians 1, 2 through 9, to the church of Christ, which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified. that the original word there in the Greek is in the perfect tense, which is not designed to make you perfectly tense, but is in fact designed to let you know it's a completed action.

And one of the characteristics of that kind of word is it's intended also to let you know that unless the context says otherwise, it's permanent. It's a completed action. It has ongoing results into the future, and it's permanent. God doesn't say, whoops, you're unsanctified, right? It's a permanent event. How does that happen? In Christ Jesus. You've been placed into Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1.30, later in this chapter, says it is by God's doing that you're in Christ Jesus. God did it. God pulled it off. It was His responsibility.

Hebrews 2 11 for both he who sanctifies so it's this is he and notice that's capital H it's not ours to do it's his and those who are sanctified are all from one father and here's something else are all from one father for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren does that sound different from stay away from the mountain don't get close or you'll be killed does that sound a little different Yeah, it does and it's supposed to be. So we have this comparison and contrast.

Under law, all of the people, Moses the one exception, were to keep away. Not because people will think badly of you, they'll wonder what you're doing, you'll spend some time in jail. No, keep away or you will die. Keep away from the mountain where God was to give a portion, 10 points, of the Law of Moses. Stay away. Keep your distance. Don't come close. It'll cost you. The same keep away, don't come near was what Moses heard at the burning bush. Don't come close. Moses hit his face. Don't look at it.

But under grace, we are in fact called, told to draw near to God. We are given access to God and He does it. Draw near. Come close. And all we did was believe. You see, under law, you've got to keep yourself clean and you'd better do it or you're going to die and it's all your job to do. Under grace, all we did was believe.

And God says, come near. Even even as that Hebrews 2 11 said we're called brethren even the father is Papa Papa a name of intimacy and all we did was believe God is the one who does the consecrating God is the one who says come near come close And let me ask you this how close is Being seated with him in the heavenlies Ephesians 2 6 that's pretty close, isn't it? Under law, don't you dare get close to where God is. Under grace, God is the one who himself makes you close, invites us to come close.

In Exodus 19, 12, and 13, it's either keep your distance or you'll get death. You shall set bounds for the people all around saying, beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it. Don't get even close. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. No hand shall touch him. In other words, don't you yourself get killed too, right? But he shall surely be stoned or shot through, whether beast or man. He shall not live. Do not let him get close. It'll cost you.

In great contrast to that, we have in Ephesians 2.18 and 3.11 and 12, for through Him, that is through Christ, we both have our access in one spirit to the Father, Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

Boldness. On the one hand, under law, don't you dare come close. Matter of fact, be afraid. Be very afraid because there's huge noises coming off that mountain. Lightning and thunder. And if you get close, the threat of death. In great contrast to that, bold and confident access through faith in you. See the distinction? See the difference? It's really big. It's major. Another contrast we see is death.

Is it threatened as bad or accomplished as a good thing? On the one hand, don't do this or you might die. But guess what? Under grace, if you believe you are dead, you've already died. And that's a good thing. How about that? Right? It's a good thing. I've got great news for you. You're dead. You died. Isn't that wonderful? And it's a wonderful thing. It's a gracious thing. Under grace, we're made holy and sanctified in Christ, having already died with him as an accomplishment of God himself. Do you remember when you were there with Christ and they drove the nails in? I mean, you were there, right? You remember that? No? No, you probably don't.

It was accomplished by God, and all we did was believe. He pulled it off. He was the one who made it happen. The people had no part. You and I didn't say, here, give me that nail there. Yeah, that's good. I'll put that in. Give me the hammer. And one thing about crucifying, you can only get the first, you know, hand nailed. And after that, you're done, right? If you're going to do it yourself. No, it has to be done to you. We died with him. It wasn't our doing. It wasn't our accomplishment. We didn't have a part, but God did, and he did it all, and it was gracious, and it was a good thing.

Under the law and the giving of it, the people were given the threat of death if they came close to the mountain. And guess what? If they violated the laws that came down from the mountain, they got death too. There's a threat of death under the law. But under grace, we who believe have already died. Under the law, threat of death. Under grace, no threat. Absolutely, you're dead. Absolutely, you've been crucified with Christ.

And one of the consequences of that, and there are three, one of the consequences of that is that we die in relationship to the law. The three consequences are we die to the sin nature, we die to the law, and we die to the world. Did the sin nature die? No. Did the law die? No. Did the world die? No. They're all still there.

We died in relationship to it as we died with Christ. Under the law, death is a threatened thing that you want to avoid. Under grace, death is exactly what needs to happen, and God does it universally for all who believe. And it's a good thing. And we die to the law in that. Under the law, dying was not a good or desirable thing, but under grace, our death with Christ was a phenomenally good thing. Huge contrast, great difference. In Galatians 2, 19, 21, Paul puts it like this. For through the law, because that is in fact what Jesus was doing when he was in his ministry upon the earth, he was under the law.

Matter of fact, it was except for a brief excursion in Egypt as an infant, He lived in Israel, the land that was under the law. He stayed in Israel after that time. He was constantly among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He sent the disciples among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Through the law, I died to the law. Why? I died with Christ to the law. So that I might stay dead? No. So that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It's, and I'm going to rephrase this, I think for better, clearer understanding.

It is no longer I who do the living here on this planet, but Christ does the living in me. You see, the living that you're going to do in this new year, you're not responsible to do that. That's Christ's job. You're done. You've been crucified. It's now his job. You're through. You can go home. Not yet, but you can understand what I mean. Okay.

But Christ does the living in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, that is, this mortal body, I live it out by faith in Him, because He's the one who's going to do the living. Got any difficult circumstances you're facing this year? Maybe some you don't even know about yet? It's okay, you don't have to worry about it. Christ is the one who has to deal with it. It's His life. It's not yours. He loved me and gave himself up for me. Ephesians 5, chapter 5 says that two more times. He loved and gave, he loved and gave, he loved and gave.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly. If I can actually finally do it with the law, if I can actually be righteous because I have the law, if I can actually pull it off, then there's no need for Christ to die. But the reality is, while the law is good, the law is good and righteous, it is as moral as can be.

The problem is, on the human side, I can't do it. And neither can anybody else. So Christ had to die. That was the only way it could happen, and God is the one who did it. Righteousness does not come through the law, so Christ did not die needlessly. He died for a very important purpose, and we with Him.

Let's pray. Lord, as we look at this passage, as we look at the things that are in here, We thank you for the contrasts. We look at the warnings to the Israelites, do not come close. And we see such great contrasts where you in fact have invited us to come near. You want us to come near. You want us to call you Papa. You want us to be right there with you seated in the heavenlies. We just thank you so much, Lord, for what you've done all out of grace. We thank you for your most amazing grace in Jesus name. Amen.