Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Exodus 19-20
Key Verse
Exodus 20:1 — “And God spake all these words, saying,”
Devotional Thought
What does it mean to stand at the foot of a mountain that is burning? In Exodus 19 and 20, the children of Israel arrive at Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt, and they camp “before the mount.” They are barely three months removed from slavery, and already God is inviting them into something terrifying and tender at once. He reminds them: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” Before He gives a single commandment, He gives a relationship. Obedience is not the price of His love; it is the response to it. “If ye will obey my voice indeed… then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me.”
Then comes the thunder. On the third day, Sinai is altogether on a smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; the whole mount quakes greatly, the trumpet waxes louder and louder, and the people tremble. God sets bounds around the mountain, not to keep them from Him cruelly, but because His holiness is a consuming reality. Moses draws near unto the thick darkness where God was; the people stand afar off. Even their request—”Speak thou with us… but let not God speak with us, lest we die”—is met with Moses’ gentle word: “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”
Then God speaks the Ten Words. He begins with who He is: “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Every command that follows is anchored in redemption already accomplished. No other gods. No graven images. His name not taken in vain. The Sabbath kept holy, rooted in creation itself. Honor father and mother. Do not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet. These are not arbitrary rules; they are the shape of a free people living before a holy God.
It is June, and summer’s long days can make us casual. Yet Sinai still asks: will we approach God on His terms, reverent and listening, or on ours? The God who bore Israel on eagles’ wings has brought us to Himself in Christ. Let us come near—not presuming, but trusting; not trembling in dread, but in holy awe, keeping His commandments because He first loved us.
Reflection
- When you consider God’s holiness as displayed at Sinai, does your daily worship reflect reverence, or has familiarity bred carelessness?
- The commandments begin with redemption from Egypt. How does remembering what God has saved you from change the way you obey Him today?
Prayer
Holy and merciful God, You brought Israel out of Egypt on eagles’ wings and called them a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests. You descended on Sinai in fire and smoke, and You spoke words of life. Teach us to fear You rightly and to love You deeply. Forgive us for the idols we craft with our own hands—comfort, reputation, control. Write Your commandments on our hearts, not as chains but as the path of freedom. Draw us near through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and opened the way into Your presence. Sanctify us today, that we might be Your holy people. In His name we pray. Amen.