24 And Jehovah saith unto him, `Go, descend, then thou hast come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; and the priests and the people do not break through, to come up unto Jehovah, lest He break forth upon them.'
for the law doth work wrath; for where law is not, neither `is' transgression.
For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them, for they were not bearing that which is commanded, `And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,' and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.' But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers, to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to a mediator of a new covenant -- Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel! See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking -- much less we who do turn away from him who `speaketh' from heaven,
Having, therefore, brethren, boldness for the entrance into the holy places, in the blood of Jesus, which way he did initiate for us -- new and living, through the vail, that is, his flesh -- and a high priest over the house of God, may we draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having the hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having the body bathed with pure water;
we may come near, then, with freedom, to the throne of the grace, that we may receive kindness, and find grace -- for seasonable help.
Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator --
for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, `Cursed `is' every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because `The righteous by faith shall live;'
and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face -- which was being made useless, how shall the ministration of the Spirit not be more in glory? for if the ministration of the condemnation `is' glory, much more doth the ministration of the righteousness abound in glory;
`And thou hast made a border `for' the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, going up into the mount, or coming against its extremity; whoever is coming against the mount is certainly put to death;
for the law through Moses was given, the grace and the truth through Jesus Christ did come;
`Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able;
`And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,
And unto Moses He said, `Come up unto Jehovah, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and ye have bowed yourselves afar off;'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 19
Commentary on Exodus 19 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 19
This chapter introduces the solemnity of the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, which was one of the most striking appearances of the divine glory that ever was in this lower world. We have here,
Exd 19:1-8
Here is,
Exd 19:9-15
Here,
Exd 19:16-25
Now, at length, comes that memorable day, that terrible day of the Lord, that day of judgment, in which Israel heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to them out of the midst of the fire, and lived, Deu. 4:33. Never was there such a sermon preached, before nor since, as this which was here preached to the church in the wilderness. For,