Prepare: Reverence for God is the basics of our relationship with Him.
Read: Exodus 19:16-25
God's words, whether spoken by angels, nature, conscience or providence, always demand humanity's careful attention. Though the Ten Commandments are unique among God's communications with mankind, they are not His first such utterances. Adam, Noah, Abraham, and many others had received various oracles before this. The conscience of man already had been trained to a degree, but sin had so defaced it that it was necessary yo refresh man's memory of God's will in audible and written form.
A Submissive people: To impress the people with the fear of the Lord, God demonstrated His power at Sinai and warned them not to come near. It was a nation, in its infancy and the people like children, learned from rewards and punishments. Hebrews 12:18-29 contrasts this experience with that of the New Testament believer today. We must still fear the Lord and respect the boundaries He establishes, but we are invited to "draw near" (Heb.10:19-25). The obedience of the Israelites enabled them to enjoy all the blessings God had for them.
To be sanctified means to be set apart for God's exclusive use and pleasure. Christians are set apart by the death of Christ (Heb.10:10), the indwelling Spirit (Rom.15:16) and the Word of God (John 17:17). Jesus considered holiness to be the basic quality in man's approach to God, and made it the first petition in the Lord's prayer, "Hallowed be Thy Name". It is surprising how many people in their ordinary conversation, continually blaspheme the name of God, and use it in a light and trivial way.
Respond: The concern for the Power of the Holy presence of God.
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