What is the meaning of Exodus 20:19? Speak to us yourself “Speak to us yourself…” (Exodus 20:19) • The people have just witnessed thunder, lightning, trumpet blast, and smoke on Sinai (Exodus 20:18). • Overwhelmed, they beg for an intermediary. Moses is already God-appointed for this purpose (Exodus 3:10; Numbers 12:7-8). • Their request foreshadows the one Mediator between God and humanity, ultimately fulfilled in Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). • Scripture later recalls this desire for mediated revelation (Deuteronomy 5:24-27), underscoring how holiness exposes human frailty. and we will listen “…and we will listen…” • They profess willingness to heed God’s word—once filtered through Moses. • Repeated later: “All the words the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exodus 24:3,7). • Genuine obedience proves whether such promises endure (James 1:22). • The phrase stresses that revelation is meant not merely to impress but to be obeyed (Psalm 95:7-8). they said to Moses “…they said to Moses.” • Moses stands as covenant mediator, prophet, and shepherd (Deuteronomy 34:10). • By addressing Moses, Israel acknowledges God’s chosen leadership structure (Hebrews 3:2-5). • Their dependence on Moses anticipates the greater Prophet like Moses whom God would raise up (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22-23). But do not let God speak to us “But do not let God speak to us…” • Terror at God’s direct voice (Hebrews 12:19) reveals awareness of sin and divine majesty. • God affirms their reaction: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me” (Deuteronomy 5:28-29). • Yet God’s desire is relational; later He promises a new covenant where His law is written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). or we will die “…or we will die.” • The conviction that sinful humans cannot survive unmediated holiness runs through Scripture: – Jacob: “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared” (Genesis 32:30). – Manoah: “We are surely going to die, because we have seen God” (Judges 13:22). – Isaiah: “Woe to me… for my eyes have seen the King” (Isaiah 6:5). • God’s presence unfiltered is “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29); without atonement, it means judgment (Hebrews 10:31). • Their fear points forward to the need for sacrificial covering and ultimately the cross (Hebrews 9:24-26). summary Exodus 20:19 captures Israel’s instinctive plea for mediation in the face of God’s overwhelming holiness. They trust Moses to convey God’s words, promising obedience, yet shrink from direct encounter lest they perish. The verse underscores humanity’s need for a mediator, prefiguring Christ, and reminds believers that holy fear, rightly directed, leads to humble obedience rather than avoidance of God. |
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