Daily Lesson for Monday 18th of August 2025

God gave specific instructions for what the Israelites were to do in preparation for the giving of the law at Sinai. Their external purity was to reflect their total dedication to God.

Rules to Govern a New Society

They needed to be ready for the splendid manifestation of the Lord’s glory that was about to come. And when it did, it was accompanied by “thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16, NKJV).

The Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) is the heart of God’s revelation and biblical ethics. It forms the substance and foundation of divine standards for all humanity; its principles are eternal and universal.

According to the biblical account, the Decalogue was announced by God (Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:1; Deuteronomy 5:4-5,24) and was written by Him (Exodus 24:12, Exodus 31:18, Deuteronomy 5:22). It was twice given to Moses as a special gift (Exodus 32:19; Exodus 34:1; Deuteronomy 10:1-2).

In the book of Exodus, the Decalogue is called “the Testimony” (Hebrew: ‘edut; Exodus 31:18); or it is named “the words of the covenant” (Hebrew: dibre habberit; Exodus 34:28). In the book of Deuteronomy, they are written on “the tablets of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 9:9,11,15, NKJV). Neither book in Hebrew uses the term “the Ten Commandments” (Hebrew: mitzwot, “commandments”). Instead, three times they call it “the Ten Words.” The Hebrew is ‘aseret haddebarim, from dabar, meaning “word, sentence, matter, thing, speech, story, promise, utterance.” (See Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 10:4.)

There are two versions of the Decalogue with very slight dif­ferences; the first one is recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and the second in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The second version, presented orally by Moses to Israel, occurred almost forty years after Sinai, just before the people entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:3-4; Deuteronomy 4:44-47). These circumstances explain the slight differences between the two.

When Paul summarized the law as being love, he quoted from the Decalogue (Romans 13:8-10). Love is, indeed, the sum of God’s law because He is a God of love (1 John 4:16).

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-08-preparing-for-the-gift/

Daily Lesson for Sunday 17th of August 2025

God led the Israelites to Mount Sinai, where He would soon give them the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue). Jebel Musa (elevation: 7,497 feet, or 2,285 meters) in the Sinai Peninsula is likely where Moses met with God several times (for example, Exodus 3:1, Exodus 19:2, Exodus 24:18), and, years later, Elijah encountered God here (1 Kings 19:8). This is the same mountain where God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1,10). At that time, God informed Moses that he would worship God with libera­ted Israel in this same location, which would be a sign for Moses that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was leading them (Exodus 3:12).

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After two months of traveling, the Israelites arrived at Sinai (Exodus 19:1), where they would remain for about one year (compare Exodus 19:1 with Numbers 10:11-12). During this year, many laws were issued, as described in Exodus 19:1-25; Exodus 20:1-26; Exodus 21:1-36; Exodus 22:1-31; Exodus 23:1-33; Exodus 24:1-18; Exodus 25:1-40; Exodus 26:1-37; Exodus 27:1-21; Exodus 28:1-43; Exodus 29:1-46; Exodus 30:1-38; Exodus 31:1-18; Exodus 32:1-35; Exodus 33:1-23; Exodus 34:1-35; Exodus 35:1-35; Exodus 36:1-38; Exodus 37:1-29; Exodus 38:1-31; Exodus 39:1-43; Exodus 40:1-38, Leviticus 1:1-17; Leviticus 2:1-16; Leviticus 3:1-17; Leviticus 4:1-35; Leviticus 5:1-19; Leviticus 6:1-30; Leviticus 7:1-38; Leviticus 8:1-36; Leviticus 9:1-24; Leviticus 10:1-20; Leviticus 11:1-47; Leviticus 12:1-8; Leviticus 13:1-59; Leviticus 14:1-57; Leviticus 15:1-33; Leviticus 16:1-34; Leviticus 17:1-16; Leviticus 18:1-30; Leviticus 19:1-37; Leviticus 20:1-27; Leviticus 21:1-24; Leviticus 22:1-33; Leviticus 23:1-44; Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-55; Leviticus 26:1-46; Leviticus 27:1-34, and Numbers 1:1-54; Numbers 2:1-34; Numbers 3:1-51; Numbers 4:1-49; Numbers 5:1-31; Numbers 6:1-27; Numbers 7:1-89; Numbers 8:1-26; Numbers 9:1-23; Numbers 10:1-10. Israel’s stay at Mount Sinai is the central piece of the narrative found in the first five books of Moses. Here is the foundation of their becoming God’s chosen people, the only nation not steeped in paganism and idolatry.

God takes the initiative and establishes the covenant between Himself and Israel. On the condition of the people’s obedience and their maintaining a relationship with Him, God promises to make them a special treasure, a kingdom of priests, a holy people.

To be a holy people means to be dedicated to God and to reveal His character to others, especially to the nations around them. They were also called to function as a kingdom of priests who would connect other people with God, leading them to Him and teaching them His ways and His laws. They were to be God’s special treasure because He wanted Israel as His channel to illuminate the world with knowledge of Him and His character.

This covenant was the legal establishment of a relationship between God and His people. The general covenant formula, which slightly varies in different texts, is: “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (see Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10, Revelation 21:3).

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-08-at-mount-sinai/