Sabbath: Covenant at Sinai
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 16th of August 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Exodus 19:1-25; Exodus 20:1-17, Revelation 21:3, Deuteronomy 5:6-21, James 1:23-25, Romans 3:20-24, Romans 10:4.
Memory Text:
“ ‘ “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” ’ ” (Exodus 19:4-6, NKJV).
Where did God lead Israel after He had liberated them from Egypt? To the Promised Land—where else? However geographically correct, that answer is theologically wrong. God Himself answers it: “ ‘ “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself ” ’ ” (Exodus 19:4, NIV; emphasis added). Thus, the biblical-theological answer to the question reveals God’s priority and goal: the Lord brought them to Himself.
When humans depart from God, He searches for them and calls them back to Himself. The best model of this profound truth is in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, disobeyed His command, and hid from Him. He took the initiative and called: “ ‘Where are you?’ ” (Genesis 3:9, NKJV). He always makes the first step. Jesus states this eloquently: “ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest’ ” (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV).
God calls out to all of us; our eternal destiny depends on our response.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 23.
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When I was a kid I pulled a clock apart and tried to put it back together again. I almost succeeded, but each time I tried, there were one or two bits left over. An almost complete clock simply doesn't work! What I needed more than keen interest and enthusiasm was the hand of a master clockmaker.
We may need to remember that as we study the Sinai experience this week. Enthusiasm and interest lasted about six weeks for the Hebrews. What were they missing?
Thank you, Mr. Maurice, for this "thought question". I would like to attempt to answer it.
The children of Israel were missing a lot of things; there's no question about that. But the one thing that stand out for me, because they repeated it so many times in their Sinai experience, "Familiarity".
They were missing the "familiar things", they were missing the things they liked, the things that they could not bring with them from Egypt. When "we were in Egypt, we had..." is repeated over and over again. Seriously!!
However, I am tempted to say that I would not miss anything that was in Egypt. The price of my Freedom is more important than anything that I could have, or did have, in Egypt.
I said I'm tempted to say that, but as we all know, we humans are creatures of habit, and we want what is "Familiar" to us. Most of us like the same food, the same type of beverages, the same clothes, etc, etc.
And when our mind, heart, and soul has been in a backward system (slave mentality system) for 400 hundreds; there is a need for a Real Change, and sometimes, we have to change the way we eat and drink.
Bottomline, this is why God had to take them the route of the wilderness to get to the Promised Land, to give them a New Perspective, to teach them how to live, to prepare them for a successful cohabitation in the Promised Land.
Maybe, that is some of our own problems. God has given us "freedom from sin", but we have not learned God's perspective for living in His Promised Land; we subconsciously want to return to our old "familiar" world, to our fleshpots.
We need to patiently allow Jesus to teach us His ways (to transform us). We need to:
Trust and Obey,
For there's No Other Way,
To Be Happy in Jesus,
But to Trust and Obey.
Have a Blessed Week everyone!!
Why did God initiate covenants that He knew would not be kept by human beings? All covenants (Old Testament covenants) were broken from the human side, and even though God kept His part perfect. For instance, the following covenants were broken by the human side:
o Adamic covenant (Gen. 2:15–17)
o Noahic covenant (Gen. 9:1–17)
o Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12, 15, 17)
o Sinai/Mosaic covenant (Ex. 19–24, Jer. 31:32).
o Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7)
There is only one covenant that is not broken: the New Covenant.
"I will make a new covenant… It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors, which they broke…” (Jer. 31:31–32).
This covenant was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20). This covenant cannot be broken because it is sealed by the blood of Christ. This covenant is the fulfillment of all covenants God had initiated before. All previous covenants were simply pointers to the plan of salvation, whose final destination was Jesus on the cross.
In all covenants, including the Mount Sinai covenant, God was seeking to establish a relationship with mankind so that He could demonstrate His love, faithfulness, mercy, patience, and forgiveness. God’s intent to save mankind was steadfast regardless of the unfaithfulness on the human side. God knew the Children of Israel could not keep the law to show them the need for grace.
“Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” (Galatians 2:16, NLT).
What is grace?
When speaking to young people, I often begin with a thought-provoking question to spark reflection.
Recently, I posed a question that I'd like you to consider as well:
"Why do you want to go to heaven?"
Take a moment to ponder...
Even though this question is simple and direct, many Christians have never asked themselves this very question. This can cause some people to become defensive and try to give an answer that sounds "religiously correct."
However, children seem to quickly give answers with a lot of sense, but the most immediate is "Because I don't want to burn in hell... or... I don't want to burn forever."
Surprisingly, this answer comes naturally even amongst us - the older Christians, but we have more selfish or materialistic answers too. "So that I receive a crown of gold with stars!!" "To walk the streets of Gold" "Because there shall be no death nor sickness!!" Notice how these answers point toward self-preservation.
At no single time have I received an answer like "Because God will be there and I want to be with Him!"
Now let's look at our memory text again:
"...You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself..."
God's intent is to have us with Him -bring us to Him-, where He has so much love to give us.
What do you think? Isn't being with God in Him just enough - just worshipping Him, adoring Him, and loving Him back? Or, are you afraid of the evalasting fire of hell too?
I’m definitely not young (at least according to my birth certificate) but if you asked me it would be that I want to be with Jesus and my Father. To say thanks and ask why and just be near them.
So perhaps the thought process based on age, experience and study is a big part of the answers you get.
And perhaps we need to teach our younger ones to focus more on the Lord and His goodness and less on the consequences of sin.
But very interesting information - thank you.
I love the history part of the bible and since there are certain things that are not explained in detail, I'd like to ask Him for all the details and stories behind them.The flood, tower of Babel, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna recipe and so on
I have pondered this very question. My answer is I cannot bear the thought of being separated from Him. I actually think that is hell here on earth.
If you asked me why I want to go to heaven when I was 15 years old, I would have said because I want to be with Jesus. I want to see him face to face and give him a big hug.
Several decades later, nothing warms my heart more than the thought of sitting in the warm embrace of my Lord Elroy, The One Who Sees me. I get so excited when I think of worshiping with the heavenly choir before God's throne.
I grew up with Adventist teaching so I had no fear of an "everlasting fire" in the way some churches may teach it. I've never been as attracted to the streets of gold, mansions or crowns. But then again, thank God, I've never experienced a hunger so deep my body was in pain. Or the dehumanisation of homelessness. I've never been subjugated to abuse to the extent that I doubted my own worth as a human being. I've never had to see my entire family killed in the ravages of a brutal war.
When Jesus promised he would come back and receive us unto himself, he choose to add that there would be many mansions. He must have been thinking about that child of God who would need to hold onto the picture of that mansion when things got tough down here. When he promised that there would be no more tears, he must have been thinking of that son or daughter who had known nothing but tears. So, whatever promise of God my brother or sister chooses to hold onto, hold on tight! At the end of that promise is a loving Father waiting to hold you in his embrace. Whether we started off longing for the choir, or the dignity of a crown, when we all get to Heaven we will all be there because we accepted the Saviour who loved us so dearly and because we choose to love him in return.
Beautifully daid.Thank you so much, Isabel!
Jocelyn! This is a truly honest answer and thank you so much giving us this dimension.
The reason I want to go to heaven is to thank and praise Jesus for what he did for me on that cross.
The Covenant at Sinai records the continuation of guidance to build and maintain a relationship between God and man; that which was lost at the beginning is being reestablished. He laid out the New Way when He called upon the children of Israel to trust Him, reintroducing Himself to all of them, and through them, to all mankind.
Now mankind knows that there is a Creator who claims to make an effort to ‘bring His children to Himself’. It appears to me that this is the very essence of God’s efforts regarding our Salvation; outside of this purpose, there is really nothing else to consider. Bringing us to back to Himself, accomplishes that which was lost in the Garden of Eden.
Eventually, everything will again be united under His ‘feet’. Humanity has God’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to thank Him for this greatest of all miracles. It is in Him that the Way leading us back to Life in God is secured; the fulfillment of God's promise given to all who love Him – Rev.21:3.
Thanks Stanley for that wonderful question!
Yes, I want to got to heaven to be with Jesus forever! To sit at his feet and listen to all the stories of love and compassion!!
God is wonderful! He acts even before I deserve it. What I see as a curse, He turns into blessings; what I call suffering, He turns into refinement; what I feel as pain and death, He turns into rest and hope!
JC, Amen.
What a blessing it is to know that the God who rules the entire universe chose to draw us close to Himself! He reminds us that we are not ordinary in His sight, but His “special treasure.” This truth should fill our hearts with gratitude and humility. Our response to such amazing love is to live in obedience to His voice, keeping His covenant, and reflecting His holiness in our daily lives. By doing so, we show our love for Him and honor the initiative He took to redeem and call us His own.
As christians we need to review our lifestyle everyday such that we don't resemble to Egyptians
I think I know what you mean but it us useful to get our focus right. Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus, not a comparison with Egyptians.