When someone moves to a new location, they often need instructions on how to fit in. There are customs, expectations, and ways of thinking that might need to be adjusted for the newcomer to enjoy fellowship with this new community. In the same way, Israel needed to learn how to live God’s way.

God brought Israel out of Egypt so they could be free to worship Him and enjoy His fellowship. But to be in that kind of relationship, they would need to become the kind of people who could enjoy a holy God (v. 6). So, He took the initiative to prepare them. Step one: teach Israel what holiness looks like.

After the Exodus, God met the nation at Mt. Sinai (v. 1) and gave instructions on how they should live. We first encounter these teachings in the book of Exodus. The purpose of these “rules” was to prepare Israel to be the kind of people who would enjoy fellowship with God. These instructions reflect His character. If the people want to be with Him, they must understand what He is like and change appropriately. They needed to become more like Him.

How could a mass of human beings who had lived without God’s revelation for 400 years attain that standard? God didn’t leave them to guess or figure it out on their own. Instead, He clearly told them how to behave. In the Ten Commandments and the many other instructions we find in Exodus, He taught Israel to value what He valued. He expected them to change the way they thought and acted (23:13). It is important to realize He was not imposing rules for His sake. Rather, He was showing them His character for their sake, so they could have fellowship with Him. Not surprisingly, they agreed to do it (19:8).

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