The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 116

him•· (2 Sam. xiv. 14.). The choice of tkis time for me.king the revell\tion wA.S con- ucdcd with God's whole design in the calling of Israel. (2) That men might hl\vo the knowledge of sin. The law must be made known that men may understand tho number e.nd extent of their transgrnssions. The lawgiving at Sinai, therefore marks a di~tinct stage in the progress of God's revelations. 'l'he design WM to give I;rael just impressions of what the law really WM-this law which they were binding themselves to keep-to force upon them the oonviction of its great awfulness and sanctity. Fitly therefore, was it promulgated with every circumstance which oould arouse· the torpid conscience, and give ,impressiveness and force to the revelation. 2. Most of those to 101,om the law wa,; given, whil,e outwardly the people of God, and about to take on them the obligation.s of a solemn covenant, were really 'IJ/f1,regenerate. This circumstance which lay in tM troth of their relation to God as distinguished from mere profession' was fitly signified by the manner in which the le.w was given. 'l'he la.w shows by it~ form that it was not made for a righteous man (1 Tim. i. 9). 3. For the sin which the i,,w brought to light, no proper expiation was as yet provukd. Typical atonements might indeed be offered; but not till the great propitiator came could the guilt be actually removed.. ~•s forgi~-~ne6806, und~r this first covenant, were ~ot remission proper, but 1•rueterm1ss1on (Rom. m. 25). Chnst came for the redemption of the transgressions th:it were under the first testament" (Heb. ix. 15), which, therefore, were standing over uuexpiated. 'l'his fact, that the law had claims age.inst the sinner, no proper means of ,lischarging which as yet existed, had also its recognition in the manner in which the law was promulgated. 4. The law, in tlte peculiar way in which it entered into tl,c Sinaiti.c covenant, was not a SO,ving and blessing power, but, on the contrary, could ,ml!/ condemn. The law, as it entered into the covenant with Israel, could neither justify nor sanctify. It concluded all under sin, and left them there. It proved itself unequal even to the lower task of restraining outward corruptions. Its curb was in- effectual to keep sin in check. It could give commandments written on stone, but had uu power to write them on the fleshly tables of the heart (cf. 2 Cor. iii.). 111. THE BENEWED WARNING (vers. 19-25). God, probably by a voice audible to the whole congre,,"11.tion (cf. ver. 6), called Moses to the top of the mount. No sooner, llllwcver, had he ascended than he was sent back again to renew the warning to the people to keep strictly within their bounds. The reason given was-" Lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish . . . . lest the Lord break forth upon them" (vers. 21, 22). The passage teaches, 1. That the heart is naturally disobedient. Even under these most solemn circumstances the Israelites could Lardly be restrained. The very prohibition was a provocative to their self-will to transgress the boundary. To gratify this impulse they were disposed to risk the con- seq ucnces. Had the danger not been very real, Moses would not have been sent back :-o promptly as he was. Cf. what Paul says on the law-" I had not known sin but by the law," etc. (Rom. vii 7-14). 2. That temerity in Divine things exposes the trangressor to ,.cvcre punishment. Cf. the men of Bethshemesh and the ark (1 Sam. vi. 19), Uzzah, Uzziah, etc. 3. That it is hard even for good men to credit the extent of the rebellious- ucss of the human heart. Moses thought it extremely unlikely that the people would do what God told him they were just on the point of doing. He relied upon his "bounds," aud on the strict charges he had given them to keep them back (ver. 23). Alas! it was "'.JOO to be discovered that even stronger bounds than his would not restrain them. One Jesiro of the economy of law was to demonstrate the futility of every attempt to restrain wickedness by the system of mere " bounds." What is needed is not "bounds," but rn1.1ewaL 4. God's near presence is periloW! to the sinner.-J. 0. Vers. 9-25.-The ,nanifestation of Go<ls glory at Sinai, I. THE PURPOSE OF THIB l!ANIFEBTATION. God made this purpose known beforehand I and it was that the people wl,u saw and heard these dreadful phenomena might belieye Moses for ever, might per- 1ua1Jently acknowledge his authority as a messenger and representative of God. When Muses was at Sinai before and then entrusted with a Divine message to Israel, he urged it as one of bis difficulties that Israel would not believe him. "They will say, the Loni J,ath not appeared unto thee" (eh.iv. 1). Now without appeal in any way from Moses, Je110val, pruvides a suLlime demonstration ()f his presence, which he expressly mentions llll l.,ci1,g i.11t<c1.1d~t.l to c~tabli~h tLc position uf Moses. Testimony must always be chosen  Cll. XIX. 0-'.:5.] THE DOOK OF EXODUS. l '.'.l