Why did Moses instruct the people to abstain from sexual relations in Exodus 19:15? Immediate Scriptural Context Moses said to the people, “Be prepared for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.” (Exodus 19:15) The command is embedded in a three-day preparation for the Sinai theophany (Exodus 19:10-16). The entire chapter moves in ascending solemnity: washing garments (v. 10), setting boundaries (v. 12-13), and sexual abstinence (v. 15), culminating in Yahweh’s descent (v. 18-20). Ritual Purity Under the Sinai Covenant Leviticus 15:16-18 classifies seminal emission as requiring bathing and remaining “unclean until evening.” Sexual abstinence ensured every Israelite approached Sinai in a state of ritual cleanliness, free from any sunset-bound impurity that might overlap with the third-day meeting. Comparable precedent: David’s men affirmed sexual abstinence to receive consecrated bread (1 Samuel 21:4-5). Holiness and Separation The narrative stresses śāqad (“be consecrated,” v. 10) and qāḏōš (“holy,” v. 6). Abstaining from lawful pleasures underscored that meeting the thrice-holy God (Isaiah 6:3) demands total devotion. The physical refrain dramatized internal consecration: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). Symbolic Reorientation of Desire Sexuality is a covenant blessing (Genesis 1:28; 2:24); its temporary suspension symbolizes subordinating even good gifts to the Giver. Paul later applies the same principle: “Do not deprive one another except by mutual consent and for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer” (1 Corinthians 7:5). The pattern reveals a biblical theology of fasting—whether from food (Exodus 34:28), speech (Psalm 39:2), or intimacy (Exodus 19:15)—to heighten spiritual attentiveness. Ancient Near-Eastern Parallels and Polemics Hittite “purulli” festival texts (Boghazköy tablet KBo 6.29) demand abstinence before divine audiences, showing a regional motif. Yet, Sinai’s prohibition is monotheistic and moral, not magical: purity is unto Yahweh, not to manipulate deities. Archaeologist K. Kitchen notes that Exodus’ chronology and rituals fit 2nd-millennium context without mythological syncretism (On the Reliability of the Old Testament, 2003). Temporal Scope and Mercy The ban lasted three days—contrast with perpetual Nazirites (Numbers 6). God does not despise marital intimacy (Song of Songs 5:1) but temporarily redirects it to teach reverence. When the theophany ends, normal family life resumes, implicitly affirming the goodness of marriage. Theophanic Gravity Thunder, lightning, thick cloud, and trumpet blast (Exodus 19:16) mark an eschatological preview echoed in Hebrews 12:18-24, where believers approach “Mount Zion” through Christ’s mediation. The Sinai boundary and abstinence anticipate the New Covenant call to “pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Typological Glimpse Toward Christ The Sinai abstinence foreshadows the Bride (Church) awaiting the Bridegroom (Christ). Revelation 19:7 announces, “His bride has made herself ready.” As Israel washed and refrained, so believers purify themselves “just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Summary Moses’ instruction served (1) ritual cleanliness, (2) devoted focus, (3) symbolic holiness, and (4) covenant preparation. The command was temporary, covenantal, and instructive—directing Israel’s deepest affections toward the approaching presence of the living God. |
    |