What is the meaning of Exodus 19:15? Be prepared for the third day God had just told Moses, “Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day” (Exodus 19:10-11). Moses now passes that charge straight on. •Preparation here is total—body, clothes, heart, and priorities—which echoes later moments when Israel had to ready itself for God’s mighty acts (Joshua 3:5; 2 Chronicles 29:5). •The “third day” marks a fixed appointment: God will descend on Sinai, His holiness visible and audible. Nothing may be casual when the Holy One draws near. •This same pattern—set time, clear warning, call to purification—runs through Scripture, whether in the Passover preparations (Exodus 12:11), the re-consecration under Samuel (1 Samuel 7:3), or the believer’s ongoing call to “purify himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). •The literal timeline also foreshadows later “third-day” interventions of God, climactically in Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 16:21), underscoring how divine appointments are certain and hope-filled. Do not draw near to a woman This phrase tells married men to refrain from sexual relations during the consecration period. •In the Law, sexual intimacy was good and blessed, yet temporary abstinence could be required for ceremonial purity (Leviticus 15:16-18). •Moses applies that principle here so the nation approaches God with undivided attention and ritually clean bodies, much like David’s men who abstained while on holy duty (1 Samuel 21:4-5). •The emphasis is not on demeaning women but on setting aside even rightful pleasures so nothing distracts from meeting the Lord—a principle Paul cites when couples mutually pause intimacy to devote themselves to prayer (1 Corinthians 7:5). •The underlying lesson: holiness touches every corner of life; drawing near to God calls for conscious, disciplined separation from normal routines when He commands it. summary Exodus 19:15 stitches together two practical commands that spotlight a single truth: when the living God schedules an encounter, His people must deliberately cleanse, concentrate, and consecrate themselves. Washing garments, marking a three-day countdown, and refraining from marital relations all drive home the same point—He is holy, and meeting Him is never business as usual. Those who heed this pattern today live alert, purified, and eager for the next appointed moment when the Lord will again reveal His glory. |
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