Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 19-21.

I have a Youtube video of me reading the Scripture passage and my comments. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts.

I noticed reading today’s passage that when God came down upon Mount Sinai, He warned the priests who come near to Him must consecrate themselves.  In the context this seems to refer to this time just before and immediately after God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments.  I find that noteworthy because this was before God had Moses ordain Aaron and his sons as priests.  Which raises the question as to whether there were priests among the Israelites before Aaron and his sons were ordained as priests?  Perhaps this was merely a reminder to later priests that they needed to make sure they had consecrated themselves before they approached God.  It may also be more general, since in God’s first message to the people of Israel through Moses regarding their time at Mount Sinai He stated that He intended to make them a nation of priests (something truly fulfilled in Christ when He made all disciples of Christ priests).

I also want to take note of the fact that God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to all of the people of Israel.  After He did so, the people asked Moses that he listen to God and pass on God’s word to them rather than have God speak to them directly going forward.  This whole encounter with God, including the reaction of the people of Israel to God speaking to them, gives us an insight into how seriously we should take our encounters for God.  As Christians we, and I definitely speak for myself here, often fail to take our need to be consecrated before God with sufficient dedication.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

And here is the link specifically to today’s video January 24, 2026 Bible Study Consecrate Yourself When in the Presence of God