“So Adonai said to Moshe, ‘Go to the people; today and tomorrow separate them for me by having them wash their clothing; and prepare for the third day. For on the third day, Adonai will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. You are to set limits for the people all around; and say, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or even touch its base; whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death.‘” -Exodus 19:10-12
In order to properly prepare the people for a meeting with the Lord, God commands Moses to tell the people to purify themselves and their clothes.
They are to wash themselves and their garments with water and then on the third day, the Lord will appear to them.
What does this symbolize?
It teaches us that one can only approach the Lord in a cleansed state.
The principle being expressed here is that ADONAI is so Holy, He absolutely cannot allow any defiled or sin-stained thing into His Presence.
We must be cleansed.
However, notice that even after their purification, the people are not allowed to enter into God’s dwelling place, in this case, the Mountain of God or Mount Sinai.
Why is this?
Because the ritual washing they performed was only SYMBOLIC of internal and spiritual cleansing.
It was just an EXTERNAL cleansing.
I believe it was a foreshadowing of the only ONE WAY mankind can become internally and spiritually cleansed.
That is by being washed in the blood of Yeshua.
This really brings home the reality that there exists a huge barrier and gap between God and Man and Heaven and Earth that only the Savior can bridge.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Yeshua his Son cleanses us from all sin.“
-1 John 1:7
“And from Yeshua the Messiah,
the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us
from our sins by his blood.“
-Revelation 1:5
“Let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience and
our bodies washed with pure water.”
-Hebrews 10:22
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