...I have a plan for you...

“9 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you ever after.’

When Moses had told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses: ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, “Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows; whether animal or human being, they shall not live.” When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain.’ 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, ‘Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman.’

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder. 20 When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people not to break through to the Lord to look; otherwise many of them will perish. 22 Even the priests who approach the Lord must consecrate themselves or the Lord will break out against them.’ 23 Moses said to the Lord, ‘The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself warned us, saying, “Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.”’ 24 The Lord said to him, ‘Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the Lord; otherwise he will break out against them.’ 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them” Exodus 19:9-25.

Dear friends, Moses learned of God's intention to make personal appearances to Moses by means of a cloud, out of which the people could hear him speaking to Moses. God did this to make plain to the people of Israel the fact of His communication to Moses, and this reduced the likelihood that the people would doubt Moses when he claimed to be delivering to them words from God.

This is the amazing story of Moses going to the people and telling them of the awesomeness of God, and to speak of the danger of trying to breach God's holiness. This story also speaks of the readiness of Moses and the people together at the bottom of Mount Sinai to hear God's Ten Words of covenant thundered at them from the top of the mountain—God's very words audible comprehensibly to all from the great height of the Mountain of God. So this story sets the table for Israel to receive the Ten Commandments of God from Moses!

This ends the first half (chaps. 1–19) of the narrative of Israel's miraculous rescue from slavery in Egypt and successful flight to Mount Sinai, all in fulfillment of God's promise. The second half introduces the Sinai Covenant in the next chapter (in 20:1–31:18), a formal, solemn expression of God's relationship to his people and theirs to him, and then continues on to describe Israel's rebellion against that covenant, and their subsequent renewal to it, as well as the fulfillment of its stipulations concerning the tabernacle (32:1–40:38). So this ending of the first half of Exodus is all about rescue from forced service to a pagan nation, and the second half is all about the proper or right kind of service for the one true God by keeping his covenant.

How many times in our life has God brought us through a period of years of our own life just so that He can direct us in another aspect of our lives! Good is constantly doing this, moving us in a new direction in order to move us where He wants us to go in our lives. And like Moses, what God is looking in each of us is how faithful we will be. So take some time today and pray for faithfulness, so that as God moves you in new directions in the remaining days and hours of your life, you may be prepared for whatever God has in mind for you. Stay in the Word, stay in daily prayer, and when tempted, remain faithful with the grace of God. See in Moses’ life an outline of the way God acts in all of our lives.

Remember these words that the Prophet Jeremiah spoke centuries ago:

“11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” Jeremiah 29:11-14.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.