“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people…” Exodus 19:10-12
Following a string of events where the Lord showed His provision and power to the people of Israel, God led them to camp in the Desert of Sinai in front of a mountain. Moses went up this mountain to speak with God and then back down again to relay the messages to the people. I imagine Moses had some strength and stamina, because this happens quite a few times.
“Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all the nations you will be My treasured possession.”‘” (Exodus 19:3-5)
Moses descends the mountain and tells the Israelites, to which they respond, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” (Exodus 19:8) Once Moses returns back up the mountain, the Lord tells him to consecrate the people because He will come to speak with Moses where the people can hear His voice and place their trust in God.
The Hebrew word for consecrate is “qadash,” which also means to sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. (I know nothing about Hebrew, but have an app that helps me look up words. I will be sharing some resources soon that I have found helpful. These will be located under the “Other Construction Resources” link.) Consecrate may be the best word I can think of when describing what New Year’s means to me. I see this ending of one time frame and beginning of another as a time to reflect on what sins or bad habits I have slowly let creep into my life, affecting my fellowship with the Father. I want the Lord’s conviction- for Him to highlight these areas to which I have turned a blind eye. Then I want to be consecrated. Whereas in the Old Testament, they had to wash their bodies and garments, now all we have to do is confess to God and allow Him to do the work of cleansing us. Voila! A new beginning!
What is this new beginning? It is a chance to place myself in a position to hear from the Lord, experience His presence, and let Him lead my life. It is a fresh opportunity to experience the blessings of joy and peace that don’t come when I am clouded in chaos and sin. By the time December ends, I welcome this time to be intentional about confession and time alone with God.
After the consecration, God tells Moses to set limits for the people. They are not allowed to touch the mountain that He will descend on in a show of thunder, lightning, and dense smoke. If anyone touches it or crosses the limit, he or she will die. God so cares for these people that He warns them multiple times. In fact, on one trip up the mountain after just warning the people, Moses meets with God, only to be told to go BACK down again and warn the people one more time. Limits are extremely important, and our Father knows we are prone to try to step over them.
When I was talking to my girls about this, the question came up, “Well, what if someone accidentally crossed the limit?” Isn’t that just like us to question the fairness of God? I admit I’ve wondered this before as well. As I began to reason it out loud, the thought came to me that we should have enough fear of the Lord that we don’t even get CLOSE to the limit. If I saw the mountain tremble and shake and saw the same wonders these people did, I imagine I wouldn’t ever want to flirt with any boundary God set. And yet, I am constantly tempted to live as close to that line of sin as I can get. I don’t want that kind of life. I want to cling to the good and hate what is evil. I want to run to Christ and model my life after Him rather than be as much like the world as I can be without stepping over. I want to love the Lord so much that my every thought is toward pleasing Him. Hasn’t He given up His very life for me?
So I am beginning 2020 by praying the Lord will consecrate my life- set me apart for His use- turning from evil and abiding within the limits God has set for me.
“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'” Joshua 3:5
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9
Dear Father, I am so sorry for those times I have crossed and even come close to the limits You have set. Highlight my sin, convict me, and allow me the strength and perseverance to follow hard after You. Consecrate my heart and life that I may draw close to You, listening to You and understanding the way You have marked out for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.